Our gas meters are read each month by a “transponder”—a small radio transmitter that sends the usage measured at the meter to a receiver-equipped vehicle that drives through your neighborhood.

To determine the amount of gas you have used since the last time your meter was read, we subtract the previous month’s meter reading from the current reading. If the transponder doesn’t transmit the information, the company will estimate the read for that month.

Our estimation calculation looks at the same month for the previous year (or a similar time period) and takes into account the number of days in the billing cycle along with relevant weather factors.

Once we receive an actual reading (either by physically reading your meter or through a transponder), the account will be billed according to the updated meter reading. This means that if the estimations were low, you could see a higher-than-normal bill for that month.

If the estimations were high, you may see a lower-than-normal bill or a credit on your account.

While we bill your account with an estimated reading if the transponder isn’t transmitting, we can verify your gas usage via the meter index.

The meter index is a part of the meter and continues to count accurately even if there is a problem with the transponder. This provides us with an accurate backup reading.

Dominion Energy strives to read meters each month for actual usage. If your bill is estimated for multiple months, you can email a photo of the dials on your meter to customercare@dominionenergy.com (be sure to include the badge/meter number on the meter). With that information, we can bill the account based on the meter’s current reading.

You can also give us a call at 800-323-5517, and we'll send a representative to read your meter manually.