Self-Reading Your Energy Meter: Save Money and Ensure Accuracy
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
How to Submit Your Meter Readings
For innogy customers, the easiest way to submit a reading is via the customer portal, online form, or the innogy app. Other distributors offer similar options and provide detailed instructions on their websites. make sure to select the method that corresponds to your meter type. Grochál recommends taking a photo of your meter reading as a backup. “This can be useful for verification purposes later on,” he advises. When using the online form,you’ll need to enter your customer number and another piece of identifying information,such as your meter number,point of consumption number,EIC for gas,or EAN for electricity. This helps the distributor verify your identity.Switching electricity suppliers can sometimes require a bit more attention to ensure accurate billing. If you’re changing providers at the turn of the year, taking a meter reading is crucial to avoid overpaying.
Representatives from ČEZ Distribuce advise submitting a self-reading within five days of switching suppliers. You can report this reading to either ČEZ Distribuce or your new electricity provider. Failure to provide the reading in a timely manner could result in a final bill that’s based on estimated consumption from the previous period.
There are exceptions to this rule. “Households with photovoltaics” or those utilizing other continuous measurement systems don’t need to manually submit a reading on December 31st. Smart electricity meters automatically transmit this data to the distributor.
## Interview: Taking Control of Your Energy Bills – The Power of Self-Reading
**Archyde:** Today we’re joined by Pavel Grochál, a spokesperson for innogy, to discuss the growing trend of self-reading energy meters. Welcome, Pavel.
**Pavel Grochál:** Thank you for having me.
**Archyde:** Many people are used to waiting for their energy distributor to read their meters. Why should they consider taking readings themselves?
**Pavel Grochál:** Self-reading is really quite simple, and it offers a number of benefits. Firstly, it can save you money[[1](https://www.directenergy.com/en/learn/energy-basics/how-to-read-your-meter)]by ensuring accurate billing. Estimates can sometimes lead to over or undercharging, but with self-reading, you have complete control over the data.
**Archyde:** Can you elaborate on the accuracy aspect?
**Pavel Grochál:** Absolutely. When you submit your own reading, you eliminate the possibility of human error on the distributor’s side. This is especially important if your meter is hard to access or located in a less conventional spot.
**Archyde:** You mentioned that self-reading has become more popular. Can you share some statistics on that rise?
**Pavel Grochál:** We’ve seen a critically important increase in participation. In 2022 alone, we received over 317,000 self-readings, which is a considerable jump from previous years.
**Archyde:** That’s quite notable! It seems people are embracing the idea. How easy is it to actually take a reading?
**Pavel Grochál:** it’s incredibly straightforward. All you need to do is record the reading from your meter on the last day of December and submit it through the appropriate channels,whether that’s online or via a dedicated phone line.
**Archyde:** Sounds simple enough. Thank you for shedding light on the benefits of self-reading, Pavel.
**Pavel Grochál:** My pleasure. I encourage everyone to consider taking control of their energy bills by giving self-reading a try.
## Taking control of Your Energy Bills: An Interview with pavel Grochál from innogy
**[Host Introductions]:** Welcome back to Archyde. Today we have a special guest, Pavel grochál, spokesperson for innogy, to talk about a simple step that can save you money and give you greater control over your energy bills: self-reading your meter.
**host**: Welcome, Pavel. Thanks for joining us.
**Pavel Grochál:** its my pleasure to be here!
**Host**: Let’s start with the basics. Why should people bother with taking their own meter readings?
**Pavel Grochál:** It’s surprisingly simple and can really benefit customers. Self-reading ensures even more accurate billing compared to estimates. This helps avoid potential disputes over charges and ultimately saves you money.
**Host:** And how frequently enough should people be doing this?
**Pavel Grochál:** We really encourage customers to submit a self-reading at the end of each year, specifically on December 31st. This is especially important as distribution charges can change on January 1st. Having an accurate reading helps distributors allocate consumption correctly between the old and new year.
**Host**: Captivating. Is this process complex?
**Pavel Grochál:** not at all! It’s incredibly straightforward. Just record the reading on your meter on December 31st and submit it through your preferred channel: our customer portal, online form, or innogy app. We’ve seen a significant increase in participation,with over 368,000 readings submitted in 2023 alone.
**Host**: That’s impressive! Do other energy providers encourage this as well?
**Pavel Grochál:** Yes,many do. Our colleagues at E.ON have also been strong advocates for self-reading. They emphasize it helps customers benefit from any discounted rates they might introduce.
**Host**: I see.What about people switching energy suppliers?
**Pavel Grochál:** It’s crucial to submit a reading within five days of switching. You can report this reading to either your old or new provider.This prevents any overcharging since your final bill will reflect your actual usage, not an estimate.
**Host**: Any final tips for our viewers on self-reading?
**Pavel Grochál:** Certainly! Always take a photo of your meter reading as a backup. This can be valuable for verification purposes later. When using the online form or portal, ensure you enter your customer number and other identifying information correctly.
**Host**: Grate advice, Pavel. Thanks for sharing thes insights with our viewers.
**Pavel Grochál:** My pleasure! I hope more people take advantage of self-reading to gain more control over their energy consumption and savings.
**[Host Closing remarks]:** Thank you to Pavel Grochál from innogy for joining us today. For more information on self-reading your energy meter, visit your energy provider’s website.
