How To Get A New Business Gas Meter Installed
Find your premises' meter point reference number (MPRN)
It's important that you install the new meter in the correct part of the building so that it records your meter readings and not someone else's. There is a number called a Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) that you can find on every meter to identify gas meters. The gas distributor will use this to connect up your business gas. You can find this number on the meter or on a previous gas bill.
Check if the meter is already connected
If your meter is disconnected, you will have to book an appointment with a gas installer to have it connected again; however, the process is easier and cheaper if your meter is already set up. It's best to check your connection before you contact your supplier. First, check all your gas appliances are switched off, then find your meter; you might be able to push a button to reconnect the gas.
Arrange an installation with your provider
If your gas is disconnected, you will have to arrange an appointment with your gas provider for installation or connection. Installing and connecting gas is not only a safety concern; it is also a legal issue, so you need to ensure you get a qualified gas engineer to hook you up. Since Ofgem closely controls gas, gas suppliers have engineers and qualified persons available to facilitate installs.
How To Read Your Business Gas Meter
It can be intimidating when you are confronted with a business meter, there are usually many dials on a modern electronic meter, but you only need to be concerned with the bottom four dials to read your meter. The dials have numbers that run opposite each other, so each consecutive dial moves in the opposite direction. If a dial points between numbers, you always use the lower number.
A meter like this is always read from left to right. After you have read the numbers, you will have a four-digit meter reading that you can send to your supplier. It's easy to read the numbers the dial points at but remember you need to mark it downwards if the dial is between two numbers; additionally, if a dial points at number nine, you need to subtract a number from the previous dial.
You might also come across an electronic meter, which doesn't have a dial but can be read in much the same way. A commercial electronic meter is also read from left to right; the difference is these digits are already calculated and presented on a digital display. Remember to take a note of whether the reading is in cubic meters or cubic feet. You will need to provide gas supply readings once a month.
The meters described above are typical business gas meters that you are likely to find on most business premises; however, the next generation of business gas meters are smart which come with a host of advantages. For instance, with a smart meter, you not only have the opportunity to optimise your energy for business demands, but you don't need to send gas supply readings to your supplier.
Compare Business Gas Providers At Business Energy UK
Business gas can be expensive, especially if you have a large premise to heat, that's why it makes sense to monitor your gas consumption carefully, use a smart meter when possible, and switch your gas distributor to ensure you have the best deal and the cheapest supplier for your business. That's where Business Energy UK can help; they are a business gas and business electricity comparison site.
Business Energy UK can help you search for the best gas distributor for your business in under 60 seconds, making it faster and easier than ever to find a gas distributor that suits your business best and offers the best price. This service is perfect for businesses that have recently moved into premises and need to set up or for companies that want to review their energy consumption to improve efficiency.
But business gas supply isn't the only thing that Business Energy UK can help you with, and it's not the only thing you should be concerned with if you want to run your business efficiently - it's equally important to optimise your electricity. Business Energy UK also has a business electricity comparison site that can compare the best deals for you in under sixty seconds. BEUK is the only platform you need.
When you visit the BEUK website, you can input your details and begin a search right away, in under sixty seconds, you can view the best options for your gas and electricity requirements. But that's not all you can find on the website. BEUK offers an abundance of information on commercial gas and electricity meters that can help inform your choices and hopefully secure the best deal.