Reading Your Meter

Reading Your Electric Meter

For more information on how to read your meter, visit our Kids' Korner section!

Electricity is measured by kilowatt-hours. For example, a 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours uses one kilowatt-hour. Electric meters keep track of how many kilowatt-hours you've used.

Most electric meters have four or five dials. The pointers on each dial move in alternate directions. On a four-dial meter, the first and third dials move counterclockwise; the second and fourth dials move clockwise. To read the meter, just write down the number that each hand has just passed. Start with the dial on the far left, and proceed to the right.

The reading on this five-dial meter is 66,649.

If a hand is directly on a number, look at the dial to its immediate right. If that hand has passed zero, write down the number that the left hand is pointing to.

The reading here is 70.

If the hand on the right has not passed zero, write down the last number that the left hand has passed.

Here, the reading is 69.

Once you know how to read your meter, it's easy to figure out how much electricity you've used since your last electric bill. Look at last month's electric bill to find the reading. Then, subtract last month's reading from the number you just took off your meter. What you end up with is the total number of kilowatt-hours you've used since your last reading.

What Uses Most of My Energy?

Keeping the Area Around Your Meter Clear

Your meter reader needs access to your meter, not only to get an accurate reading, but to insure the proper and safe function of the meter base equipment. So remember to keep the area around your meter free from any vegetation and debris.