On a personal level, we have for years, read both our meters every week, giving us the actual numbers on the meters and then we calculate each weeks usage. This helps us to know if we go up (or down) and ask why... like using the electric oven always increases the use AND the washing machine.... I'm glad we do this, only takes a few minutes and we log it on a sheet of paper so have records going back for a few years. Means any discrepancy we note on our bills, we can show them the records. One meter reader read the electric meter one time and read 1,000 units over what we had used!! Luckily with our record system we knew it was his mistake and were able to point it out and send in a new reading.
As for paying, I personally will not let them have my money up front, why should they get interest on my money when I could keep it in an ISA (or whatever), I just pay direct debit every 3 months... and I get to keep the interest for the year, however small.
