Meter readings
What it really means
The numbers on your gas and electricity meters showing how much you have used. Take photos of the readings on your first and last day — this stops you paying for the previous or next tenant's energy.
Context, tips & common mistakes
Day one in any new home: photograph every meter — gas, electricity, water if metered — with the date visible in the photo metadata, and send the readings to the supplier when you register. This single habit means you never pay a previous tenant's usage, and the exit twin (photograph on move-out day, submit with your forwarding address) closes your account cleanly instead of leaving a disputed estimate chasing you.
Between those bookends: without a smart meter, submit monthly readings, because estimated bills drift badly — a winter of underestimates becomes a spring shock bill, while overestimates lend the supplier your money. Learn where your meters actually are (external boxes, under-stair cupboards, communal hallways with keys from the landlord) and which meter is yours in a converted building — cross-wired meters happen, and a bill wildly out of step with your usage is worth investigating rather than paying.