Submitting and reading meter readings
By Laurens Arends · updated 05-10-2026
What are the meter readings?
A meter reading is the cumulative amount of electricity or gas that the meter has registered since it was installed. Your supplier calculates your consumption between two dates from the difference between the opening reading and the closing reading. With solar panels, the electricity meter registers consumption from the grid and feed-in separately. These readings form the basis of your energy bill.
When do you need to submit meter readings?
Your supplier usually asks for the meter readings for the annual bill, when switching, when moving house and sometimes when a rate changes. This only happens if the readings are not available automatically. For the annual bill, the supplier sets the deadline. Submitting must be done fairly quickly, in principle within five working days after switching and within five days after moving house.
Do you have a variable contract and is the rate changing? Then take a photo on the effective date if your meter is not read remotely. If the supplier does not ask for a reading, contact them yourself and pass on the details. That way you can check afterwards which part of your consumption was billed at the old rate and which part at the new rate.
Submitting meter readings when switching
When switching the new energy supplier asks for the meter readings if they are not available automatically. Pass them on to the supplier via the online form provided, a meter card, by phone or by email. You do not need to send the readings separately to the regional grid operator. The grid operator explicitly refers consumers to their energy supplier for submitting readings and for questions about estimated readings.
Record the readings on the switching date and submit them within five working days. Your old supplier uses the switching reading as the closing reading and the new supplier as the opening reading. With a working smart meter, the grid operator reads the readings remotely and provides them to the supplier. Still, taking your own photo on the switching date is sensible, because it lets you check the final bill. You should receive that bill, according to ACM ConsuWijzer within six weeks after switching.
Submitting meter readings when moving house
You have to submit meter readings twice when moving house. On the day the keys are handed over, write down the closing readings of the old home and the opening readings of the new home. Do this even if both homes are temporarily covered by the same energy contract. Submit them to the supplier within five days after moving and make sure the supplier knows your new contact address.
Put the readings on the inspection, handover or transfer form. Preferably have the seller, landlord or new occupant co-sign the readings and both keep a copy. Vereniging Eigen Huis advises writing down the readings in the new home on the key handover day and having them signed by the seller or landlord. There is no mandatory national energy transfer document for Dutch energy contracts. A signed form and dated photos are sufficient as proof.
Even with a smart meter, photos on the key handover day remain useful. Automatic reading prevents a lot of manual work, but a communication fault can mean that your supplier still asks for the readings. After receiving the final bill, check whether it contains the same readings and date as your proof.
How to record the meter readings properly
Write down the date, the address, the meter number and every reading. Then take a sharp photo in which the reading is legible. With a digital display, take several photos if necessary, one for each consumption and feed-in register. A photo is recommended because it gives you proof if the final bill later states a different or estimated reading.
Before sending, check that you have not copied the current power, that the unit is correct and that you have not mixed up electricity and gas. Keep the photo, the sending confirmation and a copy of any transfer form until the final bill is definitely correct. The final bill must show whether the supplier used actual or estimated meter readings.
Reading meter readings per meter type
First check whether you are looking at the electricity meter, gas meter or water meter. Electricity is shown in kWh and gas in m³. Also look at the meter number, especially in a shared meter room. On a smart meter, that number is often next to the barcode. The EAN code is something else: that is the unique number of the connection.
| Meter type | Which meter readings do you read? | What should you pay attention to? |
|---|---|---|
| Single analogue electricity meter | Write down the full number of kWh before the decimal comma. | Leave out the digit after the decimal comma or in the red box. An analogue meter does not pass on anything automatically. |
| Old dual electricity meter | Write down both registers and put each reading in the correct field, for example I and II or T1 and T2. | Do not add the readings up yourself. Since the TF signal was switched off on 1 July 2021, a non-smart meter usually only runs on one register. |
| Digital meter without communication function | Use the button to scroll through the requested readings and copy them exactly. | A digital display does not make the meter smart. This meter cannot pass on the readings remotely. |
| Smart electricity meter | For manual entry, write down all requested consumption and feed-in readings. Many meters show consumption as 1.8.1 and 1.8.2 and feed-in as 2.8.1 and 2.8.2. | Codes sometimes differ per brand, so follow your supplier's fields or the meter manual. |
| Gas meter or smart gas meter | Write down the whole cubic metres before the decimal comma. Leave out decimals if the form does not ask for them. | The display of a smart gas meter is often off to save the battery. Briefly press the button to make the reading visible. |
Smart meter: reading and submitting meter readings
With solar panels, four electricity readings are possible. On many meters, the codes 1.8.1 and 1.8.2 stand for electricity you have taken from the grid. The codes 2.8.1 and 2.8.2 stand for electricity you have fed back to the grid. Submit all requested smart meter readings separately and do not subtract the feed-in from the consumption yourself.
The supplier processes that data in the bill. A number at 15.7 or 16.7 is not a meter reading. It is the power you are using at that moment. A meter reading goes up and is shown in kWh, while current power changes constantly and is shown in kW or watts.
How does a smart meter work?
A smart meter consists of a measuring part and a communication module. The electricity meter registers how much electricity you take from the grid and, with solar panels, how much electricity you feed back. For electricity, the meter stores quarter-hourly values. The linked gas meter registers gas consumption per hour. So the meter does not just count up to one final reading, but can also record in which time period the consumption or feed-in took place.
The electricity meter is the central communication point. The gas meter sends its measurement data to the electricity meter via the secure P2 connection. With most combinations this is wireless, although wired versions also exist. The communication module then sends the electricity and gas data via the grid operator's network. Your own wifi or internet subscription is not needed for this.
From the meter to your supplier and your own app
The architecture for smart meters uses various interfaces. Only the P1 port is a visible connection that you as a resident use yourself. P2, P3 and P4 describe other links in the data chain. P4 is not a physical connection on the meter.
| Item | Function | Who uses it? |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement registers | The meter registers consumption and feed-in separately and links them to time periods. | The meter itself |
| P2 | Connects the gas meter to the electricity meter, usually via a secure wireless M-Bus connection. | Grid operator and meters |
| P3 | Handles the secure communication between the electricity meter and the grid operator's central system. | Grid operator |
| P4 | Makes measurement data collected by the grid operator available to an authorised supplier or energy service provider. | Supplier or party you gave permission to |
| P1 | Passes current data locally to a display, P1 meter or energy consumption manager in your home. | You yourself and the connected device |
The communication network differs per generation and grid operator. Some of the older smart meters use GPRS via the mobile 2G network. Netbeheer Nederland reported in 2026 that the grid operators are replacing about 2,6 million of these meters in a planned way, because telecom companies are phasing out 2G and the meters would otherwise no longer be able to pass on readings. A replacement within the grid operator's schedule is free of charge.
Registering per quarter of an hour
The smart meter records a value every quarter of an hour for electricity and every hour for gas. That does not mean that every measurement is constantly sent to the supplier. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, the meter sends the stored data to the grid operator once a day. Without additional permission, the supplier in principle receives the monthly readings. Daily, hourly or quarter-hourly values require permission, for example because that data is necessary for a dynamic contract.
The grid operator technically checks the data read. The readings must stay the same or go up, and the measured consumption and feed-in must fall within the technical capabilities of the connection. The quarter-hourly values are then aggregated per supplier, market party and grid area. Since 1 May 2026, grid operators have been using these actual quarter-hourly values for the collective smart meter allocation. As a result, the electricity that market parties have supplied or taken can be allocated more accurately than with estimated profiles.
Liander states that the individual quarter-hourly values for this allocation are kept for a maximum of ten days and then deleted. The aggregated totals can no longer be traced back to a single household. That is separate from the data your supplier keeps for your contract and consumption overview. ACM ConsuWijzer states a retention period of two years for daily readings at the supplier.
Who may view the smart meter readings?
Automatic does not mean that the supplier can look into your household without limits. According to the Rijksoverheid the grid operator and energy supplier may use meter readings for, among other things, the annual bill, the monthly consumption overviews, switching, moving house and necessary grid management.
The meter registers total consumption and total feed-in over a certain period. Through the smart meter, the supplier does not see which individual appliance you use. If you do not want automatic reading, you can have the grid operator switch off the communication function.
A digital meter is not always a smart meter
A digital meter and a smart meter both have a digital display. Only the smart meter has a communication function that allows the grid operator to read readings remotely. With an ordinary digital meter, you therefore have to submit the meter readings yourself.
The same applies if you have had the communication function of your smart meter switched off or if there is a communication fault. Since 1 January 2026, every home must get a smart or digital meter. If you still have an analogue meter, you will receive a letter from your grid operator about the replacement. At the time of writing, the transition has not yet been completed everywhere.
Advantages of a smart meter
The first advantage is administrative: the annual bill, final bill and rate change can be based on actual readings. You do not have to fill in a meter card and the chance of an estimate or error decreases. The smart meter also registers consumption and feed-in separately, which is necessary for correct compensation and billing with solar panels.
| Energy benefit | What do you get out of it? | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| More accurate billing | Actual readings for the annual bill, switching, moving house and rate changes | In the event of a communication fault, a manual reading may still be needed |
| Recognising consumption faster | An overview or P1 display makes standby consumption, peaks and changes visible | Insight only leads to savings if you look at it and adjust your behaviour or settings |
| Dynamic energy contract | Consumption can be linked to the rate for each hour or quarter of an hour | You benefit from low prices, but also bear the risk of high market prices |
| Smart charging and control | A charging point, boiler, heat pump or battery can be shifted to cheap or favourable moments | The smart meter does not control appliances itself. That requires additional equipment or software |
| Monitoring solar panels | Consumption and feed-in are shown separately, so you can better assess your own consumption | The meter does not measure how much your panels generate in total. Electricity you use directly in your home does not pass through the grid meter |
Smart meter: submitting meter readings for a dynamic energy contract
For a dynamic energy contract, you need a smart meter with the communication function switched on. The supplier needs to know how much electricity you have taken or fed back in each price interval. With such a contract, the electricity price changes per quarter of an hour or per hour and the gas price per day.
The meter itself does not receive any prices. The supplier links the measured intervals to the rates from your contract afterwards. Since 1 October 2025, the coupled European day-ahead market has had prices per quarter of an hour. Even so, a Dutch consumer contract in 2026 can still work with hourly or quarter-hourly intervals.
A dynamic contract is mainly an advantage if you can shift part of your electricity consumption. Think of charging an electric car, heating a storage tank, running the dishwasher or charging a home battery. An app or energy management system can retrieve the prices for the next day and start the appliance at a cheap moment. The smart meter only registers how much electricity was used in that time period. It does not switch the appliance on.
The price advantage is not guaranteed. You notice a fall in the wholesale price directly, but also a rise. ACM ConsuWijzer therefore warns that the supplier can hardly predict in advance what you will pay over a full year. With little shiftable consumption, you may actually use a lot of electricity during expensive morning and evening moments.
Forgot to submit your meter readings?
If you do not submit the meter readings on time, the energy supplier estimates your consumption. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, the supplier uses the standard annual consumption for this, based on the average energy consumption at the address in the previous two to three years. The estimate also takes into account the weather and the temperature in those years.
So it concerns the history of the connection, not just your current household. Even after moving house, the energy supplier can make use of a average energy consumption at your address to estimate the meter readings.
Are the estimated or adopted meter readings incorrect? Immediately send the supplier an email or letter with the correct readings, the date and your photos. According to ACM ConsuWijzer, the supplier must decide on the complaint within eight weeks. If you cannot resolve it together, you can take further steps, such as starting a dispute procedure or filing a report with the ACM .
Frequently asked questions about meter readings
When do I need to submit my meter readings?
You submit the meter readings for the annual bill if your meter is not read automatically. You do this within five working days after switching and within five days after moving house. A supplier can also ask for a reading when a variable rate changes or when the smart meter is not communicating.
How do I read my meter reading?
With an analogue meter, write down the whole numbers before the decimal comma, and with a digital or smart meter every requested register. With solar panels, on many meters 1.8.1 and 1.8.2 are the consumption readings and 2.8.1 and 2.8.2 the feed-in readings. Always take a dated photo and also record the meter number.
Are meter readings passed on automatically?
With a remotely readable smart meter, yes: the grid operator reads the readings and passes them on to the energy supplier. With an ordinary digital meter, a switched-off communication function or a communication fault, this does not happen. If in doubt, check in your grid operator's online environment whether reading is switched on, and submit the readings yourself as soon as your supplier asks for them.
What if the estimated meter reading is incorrect?
Report the error to your energy supplier in writing immediately and send the actual reading, date and photos. ACM ConsuWijzer indicates that the supplier must make a decision on your complaint within eight weeks. Then check whether the corrected energy bill contains the correct opening and closing readings.