It's 3:47pm on a Thursday. A tenant who moved out six months ago emails disputing their final utility bill. They claim the move-out electricity reading was wrong—they're being charged for an extra £180 of consumption they didn't use.
You need to find the move-out inspection paperwork from March.
You check the filing cabinet. Not there. Maybe it's in the other cabinet? Not there either. Digital files? You search "Victoria Road inspection March." Nothing. Maybe it's in Sarah's email? She did the move-out. You call her—she thinks she took photos of the meters but can't remember where.
Forty minutes later, you still haven't found it. You have no evidence of the actual meter reading. You can't prove what the reading was. The tenant's dispute stands. You're mediating between them and the landlord, both frustrated with your lack of records.
This happens constantly in letting agencies. Meter readings get recorded on paper inspection forms, photographed on personal phones, scribbled in notebooks. Six months later when a dispute arises, nobody can find them.
This week, we built utility meter tracking into LetAdmin. Record readings digitally with photo evidence, automatic consumption calculations, complete history per property. The result: permanent, searchable records that prevent billing disputes and save hours hunting for lost documentation.
The Problem: Paper Forms That Disappear
Move-in and move-out inspections require utility meter readings. These numbers determine:
- Who pays utilities for the handover period
- Whether tenant consumption is reasonable
- Final bill reconciliation
- Deposit deductions for unpaid utilities
Yet most agencies track them using:
- Paper inspection forms (filed somewhere... hopefully)
- Photos on staff phones (scattered across 5 different phones)
- Handwritten notebooks (works until the notebook gets lost)
- Email threads ("I swear I sent you those readings...")
Problem 1: Lost Documentation = Lost Disputes
Example scenario:
- March 15th: Tenant moves out, agent records meter readings on paper form
- March 20th: Paper form filed in property folder
- September 12th: Tenant disputes final utility bill (£180 difference)
- September 12th: You need March meter reading evidence
- You hunt for 40 minutes, can't find paper form
- Result: No evidence, can't defend reading, dispute unresolved
Time wasted: 40 minutes minimum (often longer) Financial impact: May need to absorb disputed amount to maintain tenant/landlord relationships Professional reputation: Damaged ("They can't even keep basic records")
Problem 2: Multiple Meters, Multiple Complications
Modern properties often have:
- Main electricity meter
- Economy 7 night meter
- Gas meter (combi boiler)
- Water meter (cold supply)
- Sometimes: Separate meters for common areas
Each meter needs:
- Move-in reading
- Move-out reading
- Photos of meter displays
- Serial numbers for verification
Recording 4-5 meters × 2 readings × photos = 10-12 separate data points per tenancy handover.
Paper forms can't handle this complexity reliably. Something gets missed, written unclearly, or lost.
Problem 3: No Consumption History
Even if you have current readings, you rarely have historical data:
- What was the consumption during previous tenancy?
- Is current usage unusually high?
- Which meter has been showing weird readings?
Without history, you can't spot problems early or provide context when disputes arise.
How LetAdmin Solves This: Digital Meter Tracking
We built a system that records utility meters digitally throughout property lifecycles. Simple reading entry, automatic photo storage, consumption calculations, complete searchable history.
Here's what changed:
Feature 1: Quick Reading Entry on Mobile
Old process (paper form):
- Find property inspection form
- Locate meter readings section
- Write electricity reading (hope handwriting is legible)
- Write gas reading
- Write water reading
- Take photos of meters on phone (hope you transfer them later)
- File form somewhere
Time: 5-8 minutes Success rate: ~70% (30% of forms get lost, photos never transferred, handwriting unreadable)
New process (LetAdmin mobile):
- Open property page on phone (at the property during inspection)
- Tap "Record Reading" next to Electricity meter
- Enter reading number, take photo of meter display
- Tap "Record Reading" next to Gas meter
- Enter reading number, take photo
- Done (readings saved with timestamps automatically)
Time: 2-3 minutes Success rate: 100% (digital record, photos attached, automatically timestamped)
Benefit: Faster entry, perfect records, photos attached to correct meter, zero lost documentation.
Feature 2: Photo Evidence Attached to Each Reading
Every meter reading can include photo evidence:
- Photograph meter display showing reading number
- Photo stored with reading record permanently
- Zoom capability to verify meter serial numbers
- Timestamped automatically (proves when photo taken)
Why photo evidence matters:
When tenant disputes reading six months later:
- Pull up reading record
- Show them the photo of their meter displaying that exact reading
- Show timestamp proving it was taken on move-out date
- Dispute resolved in 30 seconds
Compare to: 40 minutes hunting for lost paper form, no resolution because you can't find it.
Feature 3: Automatic Consumption Calculations
System calculates consumption automatically:
- Move-in reading: 12,450 kWh
- Move-out reading: 15,230 kWh
- Consumption: 2,780 kWh over 8-month tenancy
- Daily average: 11.6 kWh/day
Also detects unusual consumption:
- Previous tenant averaged 9.2 kWh/day
- Current tenant averaging 15.8 kWh/day (72% higher)
- Alert: Unusual consumption—investigate potential meter fault or unreported occupants
Early detection prevents larger problems.
Feature 4: Complete Meter History Per Property
Every reading recorded throughout property lifetime:
- 2024-03-15: Move-out reading 15,230 kWh (Tenant: Smith)
- 2023-07-20: Move-in reading 12,450 kWh (Tenant: Smith)
- 2023-07-10: Move-out reading 12,420 kWh (Tenant: Jones)
- 2022-11-15: Move-in reading 10,180 kWh (Tenant: Jones)
Historical context for every meter, searchable, exportable, permanent.
Real-World Example: Tenant Billing Dispute
Before meter tracking:
- September 12th: Tenant emails disputing £180 utility overcharge
- September 12th: You need March move-out meter reading evidence
- September 12th: Check physical files—form not in property folder
- September 12th: Check other filing cabinet—not there
- September 12th: Search digital files—no scanned copy
- September 12th: Ask agent who did move-out—she can't remember exact reading
- September 12th: Ask if she has photos—maybe on old phone?
- September 13th: Agent finds photos on old phone—but which photo is which meter?
- September 13th: Photos too blurry to read exact number
- September 14th: Give up, unable to prove reading
Time wasted: 40+ minutes spread over 3 days Result: Dispute unresolved, relationships damaged Financial impact: May absorb cost or lose tenant/landlord trust
After meter tracking:
- September 12th: Tenant emails disputing £180 utility overcharge
- September 12th: Open Victoria Road property page
- September 12th: Click "Meter Readings" tab
- September 12th: Find March 15th move-out reading: 15,230 kWh
- September 12th: Click photo—clear image of meter display showing 15,230
- September 12th: Email tenant: "Attached is timestamped photo from move-out showing 15,230 kWh"
- September 12th: Tenant replies: "Oh, you're right. I misread my bill. Thanks."
Time wasted: 2 minutes Result: Dispute resolved immediately with evidence Financial impact: Zero—reading proven, bill correct
The difference? 38 minutes saved and dispute resolved because you had instant access to photo evidence.
What Meter Tracking Looks Like in Practice
Meters Section on Property Page
Each property displays its configured meters:
Victoria Road Property:
- Electricity (Main) - Latest: 15,230 kWh (recorded 2024-03-15)
- Gas (Combi Boiler) - Latest: 8,945 m³ (recorded 2024-03-15)
- Water (Cold Supply) - Latest: 2,156 m³ (recorded 2024-03-15)
Click any meter to see full reading history with photos.
Reading Entry Form (Mobile-Optimized)
Record new reading:
- Reading value: [Number input]
- Reading date: [Date picker, defaults to today]
- Reading type: [Dropdown: Routine / Move-in / Move-out]
- Photo of meter: [Camera button—take photo directly]
- Notes: [Optional field for context]
Submit button saves reading with automatic timestamp.
Consumption Summary for Tenancy Handovers
Move-out inspection automatically generates summary:
Tenancy Period: July 20, 2023 - March 15, 2024 (238 days)
Electricity Consumption:
- Move-in: 12,450 kWh
- Move-out: 15,230 kWh
- Total consumption: 2,780 kWh
- Daily average: 11.7 kWh
- Estimated cost: £560 (based on typical tariff)
Gas Consumption:
- Move-in: 7,825 m³
- Move-out: 8,945 m³
- Total consumption: 1,120 m³
- Daily average: 4.7 m³
- Estimated cost: £370
Total estimated utilities: £930 over tenancy
Exportable to PDF for landlord reports or tenant reconciliation.
Historical Comparison
System shows consumption patterns:
- Previous tenant (Jones): 2,240 kWh over 252 days = 8.9 kWh/day
- Current tenant (Smith): 2,780 kWh over 238 days = 11.7 kWh/day
- Difference: 31% higher consumption
Context helps identify unusual usage early.
Time Savings From Meter Tracking
Let's calculate honest time savings for typical agency:
Scenario: 150-property agency, 5 tenancy turnovers per month
Before meter tracking:
- Recording readings (paper forms): 8 min × 5 = 40 min/month
- Filing/organizing forms: 10 min × 5 = 50 min/month
- Handling disputes (2 per year): 40 min × 2 = 80 min/year (spread across months)
- Hunting for old readings: 15 min × 3/year = 45 min/year
- Total monthly average: ~100 minutes
- Annual total: ~20 hours
After meter tracking:
- Recording readings (digital): 3 min × 5 = 15 min/month
- Filing/organizing: 0 min (automatic)
- Handling disputes: 2 min × 2 = 4 min/year (instant photo evidence)
- Hunting for old readings: 0 min (instant search)
- Total monthly average: ~15 minutes
- Annual total: ~3 hours
Annual savings: ~17 hours per year just from meter tracking efficiency.
Plus dispute prevention value: Avoiding even one prolonged billing dispute (worth £100-500 in admin time + relationship damage) pays for the system.
Beyond Time Savings: Dispute Prevention
Benefit 1: Tenant Move-Out Confidence
When tenant moves out:
- Show them meter photos on tablet during inspection
- They see exact readings recorded with their participation
- They receive emailed summary with photos within hours
- Result: No disputes later because they saw evidence at handover
Benefit 2: Landlord Transparency
Landlords can access meter history:
- See consumption patterns across tenancies
- Identify properties with unusually high usage (insulation problems?)
- Budget utilities for void periods accurately
- Result: Informed landlords make better decisions
Benefit 3: Early Problem Detection
Unusual consumption patterns reveal issues:
- Consumption spike 200% higher → investigate meter fault or leak
- Consumption drops to zero → tenant moved out early without notice?
- Gradual increase over years → aging appliances reducing efficiency
Early detection prevents small problems becoming expensive disasters.
Implementation: Works With Any Meter Type
LetAdmin meter tracking works with all meter types:
- Traditional dial meters (photograph dial positions)
- Digital display meters (photograph number display)
- Smart meters (manual reading entry, future: API integration)
- Multiple tariff meters (Economy 7, etc.)
No special hardware required:
- Mobile phone camera for photos
- Internet connection for upload
- That's it
Simple, practical, works with existing property infrastructure.
What We're Building Next
The meter tracking foundation enables future features:
Smart meter API integration: Automatic reading imports eliminating manual entry
Consumption alerts: Email notifications when usage exceeds thresholds
Tariff tracking: Store unit costs alongside readings for accurate billing estimates
Tenant portals: Tenants view their own consumption patterns encouraging conservation
The goal: Zero lost readings, complete documentation, zero billing disputes.
We'd Love to Hear from You
How does your agency currently track utility meter readings? Paper forms? Photos on phones? Spreadsheet?
How many billing disputes do you handle annually? Most stem from poor reading documentation.
What would make meter management easier for your agency? We're building LetAdmin based on real handover challenges.
Get in touch: paul@letadmin.com
LetAdmin is in active development, built by letting agents for letting agents. This utility meter tracking system is being used at Phillip James (370+ properties) to eliminate lost readings and prevent billing disputes. If you're interested in seeing how it works or want to join the priority list, we'd love to hear from you.