Index reads are now available on bills to our Victorian customers. If you’ve got questions about index reads, the answer is probably here!
What are index reads?
Index reads are “accumulation” reads that show how much power has been recorded by your meter since its installation. They are the smart-meter equivalent of having a meter reader come take note of your meter readings, except it happens remotely. Index reads are an additional piece of information that we will now make available on your bills.
How do index reads affect my bills?
In short, they don’t!
As you may already know, your smart meter records your usage in 30 minute intervals. This is called interval data, and it’s what gives us the ability to bill you accurately and gives you the ability to switch between tariffs and accurately track your household or business usage.
Your bills will continue to be based on interval data but we’ll make index reads available to you as well.
Where can I see index reads on my bill?
Index reads will appear at the end of your PDF or paper bill. Depending on how long your bill is, you may see them under your usage graph on page 2 or on page 3 of your bill.
Why do I see index reads on my bill?
It is a requirement for retailers to provide this information to Victorian customers with smart meters (if the reads are available to us).
My bill doesn’t show index reads - why?
Index reads not appearing at all on your bill
Do you live outside Victoria? Do you have an analogue, manually-read meter? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then index reads are not available to you.
If you live in Victoria and have a smart meter, check the reads haven’t dropped down to the last page of your bill - we tried to make them all fit but these pesky bill templates sometimes do funny things!
If you still can’t see the reads and believe you should, please contact us.
Index reads are showing up as “N/A”
Whenever we have index reads available for your bill start and end dates we’ll put them on your bill however sometimes they are not available. This could be for a variety of reasons like:
- Communication problems with the meter
- Meter data being received in bulk
You can always view your usage data online in your network’s smart meter portal or your Energy Locals online account. However, if index reads are essential for you, contact us and we’ll see if we can get you an index read on another close date.
Index reads are showing up as “0”
This means the meter is recording no usage on that particular register and it usually means there are no appliances connected to that meter. In most cases like this, you'll not be billed for any consumption on this meter.
If you believe this is incorrect, please contact us an we’ll investigate
Why do my index reads don’t match up exactly with the usage I’m being billed for?
Energy Locals will continue to bill you based on your interval data. This is the best way to make sure your bills are accurate. Sometimes you’ll see a small discrepancy between how much usage you are billed for as compared to the difference between your start and end index reads. Some reasons for this may be:
- Index reads are not always taken at the exact same time every day, which results in small variances
- Your daily interval data covers the period from midnight to midnight but sometimes index reads are not taken at exactly midnight. This can lead to small discrepancies.
- Index reads sometimes are not captured by the meter data provider and so we can't pass them on to you.
Interval data is still the best way to bill you accurately.
How do I read my smart meter?
With the introduction of smart meter portals and online customer accounts, the need for self-reading meters has been greatly reduced. However, if you ever need to, you should still be able to read your meter.
Each network in Victoria has slightly different meters with slightly different ways of reading them. You can find out how to read your meter by checking your network's published information or by contacting them.
Not sure which network region you are in? Check on your bill’s “faults and emergencies” section.
Got any other questions? Contact us at hello@energylocals.com.au