Wrong Meter Reading Complaint Template for UK Energy Bills
A wrong reading complaint is strongest when it is tied to concrete evidence: the bill, a dated meter photo, serial number and the corrected reading you want used.
Use together
Use this when
The bill uses a reading that does not match your meter, uses an estimate despite you providing a reading, or appears to refer to the wrong meter/serial number.
Copy and adapt this wrong reading complaint
Account number: [account number]
The bill dated [date] appears to use an incorrect meter reading of [reading on bill] for [electricity/gas].
My meter reading taken on [date] was [correct reading]. I have attached a clear photo showing the reading and, where visible, the meter serial number.
Please check the meter serial number on the account, replace the incorrect/estimated reading with the correct reading where appropriate, and issue a corrected rebill.
If you refuse to change the bill, please explain in writing why the reading on the bill is considered valid and provide the reading history used to calculate the charge.
Attach this evidence
Bill PDF
The full statement that used the wrong reading.
Meter photo
Show the reading and serial number where possible.
Reading date
Write the date and time the reading was taken.
Previous reading history
Use this if the supplier says the new reading is inconsistent.
The rebill request, written out
Attach the meter photo. Send by email so the timestamp exists.
Point 4 matters more than it looks. Suppliers correct a bill and leave the overpayment sitting as account credit by default. If you want the money back, you have to say so.
How to take a reading the supplier cannot argue with
Most rejected readings are rejected for one of four reasons, and all four are avoidable in the two minutes it takes to do it properly.
| Meter type | What to write down | What to leave out |
|---|---|---|
| Digital, single rate | The numbers left to right, before any decimal point. | Digits after a decimal point, and anything in a red box or after a red digit. |
| Digital, two rate (Economy 7) | Both registers. Usually R1 / R2 or Low / Normal. Record which is which. | Do not add them together — they are billed at different rates. |
| Dial meter | Left to right. If a pointer is between two numbers, take the lower. If it is exactly on a number, check the dial to its right: if that reads 0–1, use the number; if 8–9, use one lower. | The dial marked 1/10, and any dial in red. |
| Gas, metric (m³) | The black or white digits before the decimal. | Digits after the decimal, usually red. |
| Gas, imperial (ft³) | All the digits shown, ignoring red. | Do not convert it yourself — the supplier applies the conversion factor. |
| Smart meter | Press A or the display button until the total kWh appears. Economy 7 meters cycle through both rates. | The in-home display's figure — it is an estimate, not the billing register. |
The photo is the evidence, not the number. Take one shot showing the reading and one showing the serial number on the meter plate, or one shot with both in frame if you can. Phone photos carry the date in their metadata, which is exactly what you want if this ends up at the Ombudsman. Do not crop them or send screenshots of them — send the originals.
The in-home display is not the meter
This trips people up constantly. The IHD is a convenience device fed by the meter over a radio link. It can drift, lose sync, or show a different figure entirely. Billing runs off the meter's own register. When you take a reading, read the meter itself.
MPAN, MPRN and the meter serial number
Three different identifiers, and knowing which is which is what turns a vague “something is wrong” into a specific, answerable question.
| What it identifies | Where to find it | Does it change? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPAN Supply Number | The electricity supply point — the physical connection to your property. | On your electricity bill, in a grid box, usually starting with an S. 13 digits in the bottom row. | No. It stays with the property. |
| MPRN Meter Point Reference | The gas supply point. 6–10 digits. | On your gas bill. Sometimes called the M number. | No. |
| Meter serial number | The physical box on your wall. | Printed on the meter itself, and on the bill. | Yes — it changes every time the meter is exchanged. |
That last row explains most serial mismatches. A meter exchange should update the account record; when it does not, readings from the new meter get applied to the old meter's history and the figures go haywire. It also explains why the fix is usually quick once the right question is asked: the supplier only has to look at the exchange record.
The question that resolves it fastest
“Please confirm the meter serial number currently registered against MPAN [your MPAN] / MPRN [your MPRN], the date it was registered, and the serial number of any meter removed from this supply point. The meter physically installed at my property is [serial from the meter plate].”
Quoting the MPAN pins it to the supply point rather than to your account, which is what stops the answer being about the wrong property in a block of flats.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call or write?
Write first or follow a call with an email so there is a clear evidence trail.
What if the serial number is wrong?
Use the serial number mismatch page and attach a photo of the meter plate if possible.
What if the supplier says the reading is impossible?
Ask for the reading history and whether the account has an estimated, transposed or wrong-register issue.
Should I phone or write?
Write, always, or follow a call with an email summarising what was said. Phone notes are the supplier's record of the conversation; the Ombudsman reads documents.
What if I no longer have the old bill?
Ask for it. Suppliers must be able to provide your billing and reading history, and asking for it is itself a reasonable request that starts a written trail.
Can I ask for compensation as well as a corrected bill?
You can ask for a goodwill payment where the error caused real inconvenience — repeated wrong bills, hours on the phone, a direct debit raised on bad data. Ask for the correction and the goodwill as separate numbered items.
Official sources used for this page
BillDecoded translates official process and billing information into practical checks. It is not affiliated with the Ombudsman, Ofgem, Citizens Advice, Which? or any supplier.