Tenancy Meter Reading Record

Who this is for

Both ends of a tenancy in one table. Each meter gets a line with its serial number, the reading and date when the tenant moved in, the same when they moved out, and the units used worked out between them.

Landlords and agents doing a changeover, tenants who want their own copy of the figures, and anyone who has argued with a supplier about a bill for somebody else's usage.

What this helps you track

• Which meters serve the property and where each one is
• The serial number of each, which is what a supplier asks for
• The reading and date at the start of the tenancy
• The reading and date at the end, and the units used between
• Whether a photograph was taken of each reading

How to use it

1. Write the property, the tenancy and the suppliers at the top of the sheet.
2. Give each meter a line — electricity, gas, water, heat, oil — with its serial number copied from the meter itself, not from a bill.
3. On the day the tenant moves in, write the reading and the date, and photograph the meter with the reading visible.
4. Do the same on the day they move out. The units column subtracts one reading from the other in the browser and the workbook.
5. Tick the photograph column for each meter you have an image of, and note where those images are kept.
6. Give the tenant a copy of the completed sheet and send the readings to the suppliers; who has to tell whom, and by when, follows the arrangements where you are.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Which reading should I give the supplier?

Both, with their dates — the opening reading when the tenant takes over and the closing one when they leave. How a supply is transferred between occupiers is set by the supplier and the rules where you are, not by this sheet.

What if a meter runs backwards or resets?

The units column would show a strange figure, so write what happened in the notes and leave the arithmetic alone. A meter that behaves oddly is worth reporting to the supplier with the dates you have.

Does it handle a prepayment meter?

Give it a line and record the reading and date as usual. Credit on the meter at handover belongs in the notes column, since it is a balance rather than a reading.

Why photograph the meter?

Because a photograph with the reading visible settles most disputes in one attachment. The tick column is there to record that you have one, and the notes area is for where the images are kept.