Have you got your energy under control? Report your gas use in Czechia with a self-reading in just a few clicks

More and more Czechs are taking an interest in self-reading their gas meters. It gives them a clear picture of how much gas they consume. They can check and report their meter reading whenever they need to—even every day. All they need is a mobile phone and an internet connection. As well as helping people keep better track of their spending, self-readings save them considerable time and sometimes money.

An increasing number of Czech households are choosing to self-report their gas consumption. Why? In principle, a self-reading works exactly like a regular gas meter reading. The only difference is that customers report their consumption to the distributor themselves. While a self-reading might seem like a hassle at first, it actually offers customers a range of benefits.

In addition to the regular meter reading for their annual bill, people can also take a check reading whenever they like. This means they need not worry about unpleasant surprises when their bill arrives.

„If you want, you can use this method to check your consumption every day, for example. If your consumption is different from what you expected, you can adjust your advance payments with your gas supplier or look at how you use your gas appliances,“ explains Stanislav Sklenář, head of meter readings at GasNet, the largest gas distributor in Czechia.

For households with typical gas consumption, self-readings can also usually spare them a visit from a meter reader, which can be difficult to schedule at a convenient time.

Changing tenants or suppliers? Take the reading yourself

Distributors also recommend taking a self-reading whenever there is a change involving the customer or gas supplier. When selling or renting out a property, this helps people avoid potential disputes over which party should pay what. It also prevents a situation in which the distributor has to calculate consumption, in accordance with the Energy Act, using a qualified estimate based on historical consumption at the supply point.

The whole process is surprisingly simple, too. You can do it in the Self-reading of gas consumption mobile app (available on Google Play) or on the mobilnisamoodecty.cz website. GasNet distributes gas throughout the Czech Republic except Prague and South Bohemia.

„To submit a self-reading, you need the EIC code identifying the supply point and the gas meter’s serial number, which customers can find on their gas bill. Then they simply enter the meter reading in the app on their phone. We take care of everything else,“ adds Stanislav Sklenář. He notes, however, that the self-reading must be no more than two weeks old.