Meter Reading Calculator
Two readings in — units consumed, your daily rate, an estimated bill and a projection for the full month out. This is the quickest way to find out whether the figure on your bill matches the gas you actually used.
Your two readings
Where you sit in the slabs
- Up to 0.25 HM3Rs 300
- 0.26 – 0.60 HM3Rs 600
- 0.61 – 1.00 HM3Rs 1,000
- 1.01 – 1.50 HM3Rs 1,200
- 1.51 – 2.00 HM3Rs 1,600
- 2.01 – 3.00 HM3Rs 3,000
- 3.01 – 4.00 HM3Rs 3,500
- Above 4.00 HM3Rs 4,000
Gas consumed
1.28 HM3
128 cubic metres over 30 days · 4.27 m³ per day
Estimated cost of this period
- Consumed
- 1.28 HM3
- Energy equivalent
- 4.52 MMBTU
- Gas charge
- Rs 5,422
- Fixed monthly charge (Non-Protected)
- Rs 1,000
- Meter rent
- Rs 40
- GST
- Rs 1,163
- Estimated bill
- Rs 7,625
Priced at the 1.01 – 1.50 HM3 rate of Rs 1,200 per MMBTU, using a heating value of 3.53.
Projected to a full 30 days
- Daily rate
- 4.27 m³/day
- Projected month
- 1.28 HM3
- Slab it would land in
- 1.01 – 1.50 HM3
- Projected bill
- Rs 7,625
Assumes your usage carries on at the same daily rate. Winter geyser and heater use breaks that assumption badly, so treat this as a floor rather than a forecast.
Room left in this slab
You are 1.28 HM3 into a slab that ends at 1.50 HM3, so you have 0.22 HM3 — about 22 cubic metres — before the next rate applies to your entire month's consumption. If you are mid-cycle and close to the line, easing off for a few days is worth real money.
Use this to check SSGC's reading, not just your own
The most valuable habit here is photographing your meter on the same day each month. Put the two readings in above and compare the consumption with what your bill claims. If your meter says 8 HM3 and the bill says 14, you have a documented case — a dated photograph plus your own figures is far stronger than a phone call saying the bill feels high.
These figures are an estimate. They use ogra notified domestic tariff, last reviewed july 2025. Gas tariffs are revised by OGRA, and your actual bill also depends on the heating value used for your area that month, your tariff category and any arrears. Always pay the amount printed on your bill — check the current notification at ogra.org.pk.
How to take a reading you can rely on
The habit matters more than the technique. A dated photograph each month is the difference between an argument and a case.
- 1
Find the meter and give it light
Usually on an outside wall, in a boundary-wall box or just inside the entrance. Use a torch rather than a lighter — obviously — and never force a jammed cover.
- 2
Read the main counter, left to right
Note the whole numbers only. Ignore digits on a red background or labelled as test dials: they measure fractions for leak detection and are not part of billing.
- 3
Photograph it with the date visible
A phone photo carries a timestamp in its metadata, which is what makes it useful later. Frame the whole meter including the serial number, not just the digits.
- 4
Enter both readings above
Previous, present, and the number of days between them. You get consumption in HM3, a daily rate and an estimated cost.
- 5
Compare with your bill
When the bill arrives, check its previous and present readings against yours. Small differences are just timing; a large gap needs explaining, and now you have the evidence to ask.
What an estimated reading looks like
When a meter reader cannot get access, the month may be billed on an estimate. The tell-tale signs are a suspiciously round consumption figure, a figure identical to the previous month, or a code on the bill marking the reading as estimated. Estimates get trued up later — which is why a low estimate is often followed by a bill that looks shocking. Your own readings turn that surprise into something you saw coming.
Safety, briefly
- Never use a flame or a lighter to see the dials.
- Do not attempt to open, clean or adjust the meter — that is tampering, and the penalties are severe.
- If you smell gas near the meter, do not touch any switch. Move away and call 1199.
Meter reading questions
Which digits on the meter do I read?
Read the digits in the main counter from left to right, ignoring anything on a red background or marked as a test dial — those are decimal fractions used for leak testing, not billing. Note the whole number only. Our meter reading guide covers both digital and dial meters with the traps in each.
Should I enter cubic metres or HM3?
Whichever you have. Most SSGC meters count cubic metres directly, so the counter gives you cubic metres — leave the toggle on that. If you are copying the previous and present figures off a bill, those are usually in HM3, so switch the toggle. The calculator handles the conversion either way.
The calculator says my consumption is negative. What now?
A gas meter only counts upwards, so a lower present reading means one of three things: the digits got transposed while copying, the meter rolled past its maximum and restarted from zero, or the meter was replaced and the new unit started lower. Re-check the figures first. If they are correct, photograph the meter and report it before the next bill is generated, because an unexplained rollover left alone tends to produce a very strange bill.
Why is my calculated figure different from the bill?
Usually a timing difference — SSGC reads the meter on its own schedule, not on the first of the month, so your period and theirs do not line up. Beyond that, an estimated reading, a different heating value, or arrears will all move the total. If the gap is large and cannot be explained by dates, that is worth raising as a billing complaint with your readings and a photograph attached.
How often should I take a reading?
Once a month on roughly the same date is enough to catch a wrong bill, and it takes about ten seconds. If you are trying to cut consumption, weekly readings show the effect of a change — turning the geyser thermostat down, say — quickly enough to be motivating.
Does a self-reading count officially?
Not as a substitute for SSGC’s own reading, no. What it does give you is evidence. A dated photograph of the meter plus your own arithmetic is a concrete basis for a complaint, which is a much stronger position than saying the bill seems too high.