How to read a gas meter - a complete guide
A missed gas reading deadline is the most common reason for an inflated bill - your supplier estimates consumption, usually on the high side. Domopay reminds you of the deadline, keeps a reading history, and lets you prove actual consumption when disputing a bill.
How to read your gas meter correctly
Reading a gas meter is a simple but important task every household should do regularly. Most residential gas meters in Poland are diaphragm meters, typically type G4 (up to 6 m³/h capacity) or G6 (up to 10 m³/h). Taking a reading means writing down the digits shown on the mechanical or electronic display - usually 5 to 8 digits before the decimal point, expressed in cubic metres (m³). Each cubic metre of natural gas is worth roughly 10.55 kWh of energy, which is why gas meters in Poland are billed in kWh rather than in m³ - unlike in many Western countries. The digits after the decimal point (hundredths and thousandths of a cubic metre) are for reference only, and you essentially never enter them into a supplier's or manager's form - only the full cubic metres of usage count. Electronic meters sometimes have a button to cycle through different screens - you may need to press it to bring up the current reading instead of other technical parameters, like average consumption or the date of the last technical check. If the display is fogged up or dirty, wipe it with a dry cloth; if it's genuinely unreadable, always notify the supplier - fixing that is their responsibility, not yours.
How often to submit a gas meter reading
Deadlines for submitting a gas-meter reading vary dramatically depending on the supplier and your tariff type. PGNiG (Polska Spółka Gazownictwa), which serves the vast majority of Polish homes, standardly asks for a reading once every six months - typically in the month before a season changes, so before October and before April. If you're on the W-4 tariff (gas heating), though, PGNiG may require quarterly readings, or even monthly ones during the heating season (October through March), to track heating energy use more precisely. Other gas suppliers - Orlen Gaz, Fortum, and smaller regional companies - set their own deadlines in the contract, so always check your gas contract document or the supplier's customer portal. You'll also find the reading schedule in the billing section of the operator's website or mobile app (for example, the PGNiG eBOK app). Miss the deadline, and the supplier estimates your usage instead - and those estimates are almost always on the high side.
How and where to submit your gas reading
The ways you can submit a gas-meter reading keep getting more varied and convenient. The most commonly used channels are: the supplier's eBOK online customer panel, a dedicated operator mobile app (like the PGNiG app), the supplier's phone hotline (the number is printed on your invoice), an SMS to a designated number (usually listed in a notice or on the website), a visit from a meter reader collecting gas payments, or an in-person visit to the supplier's office. An alternative is the Domopay app for utility readings: you enter your gas-meter reading once, the app keeps a complete chronological history with date and time stamps, and it can generate a PDF or CSV report ready to send to the supplier or building manager. That's especially useful if you're renting out a property, managing a building, or keeping track of multiple units - every reading lives in one place, fully documented.
What to do about a wrong gas bill
If your gas bill looks too high or just doesn't add up, check a few key things before accepting the settlement. First, compare the meter reading shown on the invoice against your meter's current state - a mismatch is your first clear sign of an error. Second, check the rate charged per m³ (or rather per kWh) - it has to match the tariff approved by URE (the Energy Regulatory Office) and published on the supplier's website or customer panel. Third, check the number of days or months covered by the settlement - operators sometimes mistakenly bill for too long a period. Fourth, if you're on a seasonal tariff (such as one geared toward gas heating), verify that the supplier is correctly applying different rates for the heating season versus the rest of the year. File a complaint in writing (email counts) with the gas supplier within 14 days of receiving the invoice - this is a legal requirement. A timestamped reading history from an app like Domopay is very strong evidence in a dispute like this, since you're showing exact data backed by your own documentation rather than just your word against theirs.
Common questions about gas meter readings
If the display is fogged, dusty, or unreadable, wipe it with a dry cloth. If the problem persists, report it to your supplier - a damaged or unreadable display is a fault the operator is obliged to fix at their own cost.
The gas operator has the right to take its own technical reading at least once a year. If the meter reader cannot access your premises, the supplier bills you on estimates until the next reading. Keeping your own history in Domopay lets you challenge any estimated settlement.
Some suppliers (e.g. PSG via their eBOK app) accept photo readings - you send a photo and the system reads the digits automatically. In Domopay you can attach a photo to a manual entry as documentation confirming the meter state on a given day.
When the occupant changes, take a final reading and report it to the supplier. Both parties sign a handover protocol with the meter reading and transfer date - this is the basis for the final invoice for the previous user and the opening invoice for the new one.
Other tools worth checking
Never forget a gas reading again - Domopay will remind you
Join the beta and start keeping your gas meter reading history on your phone.