If you’re eligible, you can send your meter reading to us. You can check your current usage and cost. If your last bill was estimated, you can send us a meter reading on or before the due date and we’ll send you a replacement bill. Get started with My Account or the Origin app.
Check you have safe access
Electricity meter
Electricity meter
Electricity meters are built with safety in mind, but it’s important that you treat them with care. Be sure to check for:
spiders or other insects
water, animal or pest damage
wire exposure
burnt of damaged equipment
If your meter is behind a locked box, or if there are any hazards, contact us. We’ll let your distributor know.
Gas meter
Gas meter
If your gas meter is in a tight spot or there’s something blocking it, be careful. Make sure you also look out for:
spider or other insects
overgrown plants or weeds
sharp or spiky plants or weeds
If your meter is behind a locked box, or if there are any hazards, contact us. We’ll let your distributor know.
Find your meter
House
House
Electricity meters can be found:
in a hallway
in the laundry
in the garage
on the porch
on an external wall
Gas meters can be found:
outside near the street
If you’re in NSW, try under your kitchen sink or under your laundry cupboard
Apartment or duplex
Apartment or duplex
Meters for apartment buildings and duplexes are usually together. Talk to your body corporate, building manager or real estate agent to get access. They can be found together:
outside near the street
in a carpark
in a basement
in a cabinet on your level
Check your meter type
Basic meter
Basic meter
All natural gas meters are basic meters.
Basic electricity meters have different types of displays – clock, digital and odometer.
There are some basic electricity meters with a digital display. This does not make them smart meters.
A basic meter records your energy usage as you go, on a dial or display on the meter.
It needs to be read regularly so that you can understand your usage over time. It’s calculated by adding up the kWhs (electricity) or megajoules (natural gas) between two meter read dates.
Smart meter
Smart meter
A smart, or smart digital, meter records your electricity usage hourly. It then feeds it back to your retailer (us) every 1 to 2 days. So, you won’t need to do a manual reading. We add up those small bits of data to work out your bill. There isn’t a total usage number shown on the meter.
As soon as we get that data and check it for accuracy, we upload it to your account. You can see it on your Usage screen in My Account or the app.
If you have a smart meter, you’ll be able to see hourly usage and multiple tabs.
If you have you ever seen a predicted bill in My Account that means you have a smart meter. We’re only able to predict upcoming bill amounts when we’re being fed regular usage data.
Getting estimated readings even though you have a smart meter?
Sometimes your smart meter can’t connect to the network. If that happens, every now and then, your meter provider might visit to manually connect to your smart meter. They collect the data to read your meter using a laptop or device. We use that data to work out your usage and your bill. If they can’t get to you, we’ll estimate your usage based on past readings.
Before you get started
If you’re using the Origin app, select Profile from the bottom navigation bar
If you’re using My Account on mobile, tap the three-line menu icon in the top left
If you’re using My Account on a computer, move onto the next step
Select Billing & Payments
Select Submit a meter read
Select Get started
Next, you’ll see your eligible accounts
Select the account you want to submit a reading for
We’ll show you the serial number of your registered meter
Check that it matches the number on your bill
If your account is in the ineligible account section, select Find out why to learn more. This is usually because it’s a smart meter that sends data to us automatically.
Read you meter
Electricity meter
Electricity meter
Digital display
The read for this meter is: 24232
Meter models work in different ways. For some models, the reading appears right away. For others, you’ll need to press the ‘Display’ button. If there’s a ‘Boost’ button, do not press it.
Some meters have more than one screen. You might see a small number in the corner (like ‘03’ in the image).This shows you which screen you’re on. You won’t need to include this number in your reading.
In My Account or the Origin app,you’ll see separate sections to enter readings from different screens.
Odometer display
The read for this meter is: 009766
Odometers can have up to three rows of numbers.
Read the meter from left to right, including all the zeros before the numbers.
Please don’t include any numbers in red that appear after a comma or decimal point.
Make sure you include all the zeros before the numbers.
If a dial is between numbers, record the lower number. Except when the dial sits between 9 and 0, record 9.
Seeing more than one set of numbers? Read each one and record them separately – these are for peak, off-peak or shoulder readings.
Clock display
The read for this meter is: 0028
Start with the dial furthest to the right. Read the dials from right to left. Record the numbers from right to left as well.
The dials are read like an analog clock. If the hand is between two numbers, record the lowest number. The only exception is if the hand sits between 9 and 0 — in that case, record 9.
If the hand is sitting on a number, look at the dial to the right. If the dial to the right hasn’t passed 0, then the dial on the left hasn’t fully reached the next number. Record the number below the one the hand is sitting on.
Gas meter
Gas meter
Odometer display
The read for this meter is: 00506
Odometers can have up to three rows of numbers.
Read the meter from left to right, including all the zeros before the numbers.
Please don’t include any numbers in red that appear after a comma or decimal point.
Make sure you include all the zeros before the numbers.
If a dial is between numbers, record the lower number. Except when the dial sits between 9 and 0, record 9.
Clock display
The read for this meter is: 0140
Start with the dial furthest to the right. Read the dials from right to left. Record the numbers from right to left as well.
The dials are read like an analog clock. If the hand is between two numbers, record the lowest number. The only exception is if the hand sits between 9 and 0 — in that case, record 9.
If the hand is sitting on a number, look at the dial to the right. If the dial to the right hasn’t passed 0, then the dial on the left hasn’t fully reached the next number. Record the number below the one the hand is sitting on.
Next steps
What happens after I send my self-meter read?
What happens after I send my self-meter read?
What you use the self-meter read for will affect what happens next.
Cost to date and predicted bill
Submit your read to view your cost to date and see your predicted bill. We’ll keep track of it to help predict your bill again at the next read. We’re not able to reflect your self-meter read on your usage screen or dashboard. But we’re working on it.
Estimated bill adjusted
Estimated bill adjusted
If your last bill was based on an estimate and it’s not overdue, we’ll update it using the self-meter read you sent. You’ll get a new bill with an updated amount due and new due date within 5 business days.
If you miss the due date for your self-meter read, you’ll need to pay the amount on your estimated bill. We’ll update your account as soon as we get your next actual read.
These may also be helpful:
I’ve been asked for a photo of my meter, what do I do?
I’ve been asked for a photo of my meter, what do I do?
Sometimes, to accept your meter read, we’ll need a photo of your meter. We’ll let you know if this applies to you. If we ask for a photo, here are some tips to help.
Make sure the photo is:
clear, not blurry
taken from directly in front, not from above or below
showing the entire face of the meter
free from dust or dirt
easily visible, not obscured by writing or glare
showing two sets of numbers – the meter reading and the serial number.
Why hasn’t my self-read been accepted?
Why hasn’t my self-read been accepted?
We might not be able to accept your self-read because:
the usage shown is unusually high and doesn’t look accurate
the self-read wasn’t done according to our guide
the number you’ve given is lower than your last actual meter read
you’re getting your meter exchanged
we discover that you’re not connected to the right meter
the meter is a master subtractive type (these work a bit differently)
we got your self-read after the bill’s due date
the self-read was for a final bill
you haven’t had an actual meter read in over 12 months
your self-read came in just before your next scheduled read. This means we’ll need to wait for the official one from the meter provider.
Estimated bills
Why am I getting estimated bills?
Why am I getting estimated bills?
Estimated bills can happen for lots of reasons. Your local distributor (who reads your meter) may not be able to get safe access because of:
locked gates
a locked meter box
overgrown plants, bushes or trees
floods
bushfires
Other access issues
Smart meters
Sometimes your smart meter can’t connect to the network. If that happens, every now and then, your meter provider might visit to manually connect to your smart meter. They collect the data to read your meter using a laptop or device. We use that data to work out your usage and your bill. If they can’t get to you, we’ll estimate your usage based on past readings.
How are estimated bills calculated?
How are estimated bills calculated?
They’re usually based on your previous reads, not your most recent data. Let us know your actual usage – we’ll reissue your bill.
How can I get my estimated bill adjusted?
How can I get my estimated bill adjusted?
If your last bill was estimated and is due today or earlier, we’ll update it with your self-meter read. We’ll adjust the bill and give you a new due date. This will be done within five business days. If you miss the due date for your self-meter read, we’ll update your account with your next actual read.
Why should I submit a self-meter read?
Why should I submit a self-meter read?
Submitting your own meter read you can stay up-to-date with your cost and usage. Use our self-meter read feature to avoid surprises when your bill arrives. You can check your usage, cost-to-date, and see your bill’s predicted total whenever you like.