How Do They Read Electric Meters

The utility company charges you for the power you use based on the monthly readings of an electric meter that measures the current passing through the service entrance into your electrical service panel the meter can either be a mechanical analog meter that is read monthly by a utility service person who visits your home or a newer digital meter that may send information via internet or radio.

How do they read electric meters. The types of electric meters are determined according to their method of display analog or digital type of metering point primary and local distribution grid and secondary transmission and how they are used in concert with payment prepayment meters. Confine pets so they do not prevent the reader from entering your property. Electric meters are devices used by power companies to measure how much electricity a household or apartment uses. Digital electric meters do not reset after every reading.

This means that in order to calculate the number of kilowatt hours you have used you need to keep track of consecutive readings. Subtract the current reading from the last reading you were billed for to get the most recent kilowatt hours used. When readers cannot access your meter or in some rural areas they read the meters less often than once per month. If it has not passed zero use the lower number.

Gas meters look similar to electricity meters and can be read in the same way. Meter readers require free access to meters to read them so keep them free of shrubbery and debris. When reading an electric meter read and write down the numbers as shown on the dials from right to left. They are read in different ways so the first step to reading your own is determining.

Gas meters are always in m3 or ft although suppliers convert this into kwh on your energy bills. Electricity is always in kwh. The electric companies take readings on these electric meters typically monthly and charge the electricity user for the amount of power consumed for the month. This technology mainly saves utility providers the expense of periodic trips to each physical location to read a meter.

The numbers do not reset at each meter reading but they tally up the cumulative electricity flows since the meter was installed. There may be other numbers listed on the meter which typically indicate demand which is the maximum amount of power consumed consistently over a given time frame usually 15 or 30 minutes. Record the numbers shown by writing down the value of the dial to. If it has passed zero use the next higher number.

You can identify the types of meter by the units.