How to Read Your Light Meter for Electricity

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The dials and numbers on an electric meter can seem actually perplexing if you lot don't know what y'all're looking at. If you're confused, you're not lone! Fortunately, even though electric meters look difficult to read, they're actually very simple to figure out. This article will walk y'all through everything you need to know, including what the numbers on your meter mean, whether you have an analog or digital electrical meter.

1. 1

   Understand the parts of your analog meter (also known as a dial meter) and how information technology works. Your electrical meter usually has betwixt four and six dials that accelerate as a central disk turns.^[ane] The disk is turned by the electricity passing through the meter, giving a readout of how much electricity you are using. ^[2]

   • This readout is given in kilowatt hours. One kilowatt hour is equal to the amount of energy information technology would take to ability a 100 watt lightbulb for 10 hours.^[3]
   • There may be a multifariousness of words and numbers printed on the face up of your electric meter. While these are not important in determining your electric usage, they do give yous information about the mechanical details of your meter.

2. 2

   Read the dials on your meter. Read them from left to correct, just as you would if you were reading a book or a set of numbers. Begin on the left, writing the numbers downward as you go. After yous marking a number for each punch across, you have the electric meter reading.

   • Exercise not let the direction of the numbers on each dial confuse you. Some of the dials will be numbered clockwise and other dials may be numbered counterclockwise.
   • Look exactly where the arrow is pointing. If the arrow is pointing between ii numbers, the reading is the smaller number. If the pointer is pointing directly on a number, verify what the number should exist by referencing the punch to the right of it. If the arrow on that dial is past zero, the reading on the dial to the left is the number the arrow is pointing to. If the arrow on the right mitt dial is not to or by the zippo yet, the reading on the dial to the left is the previous number.

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3. 3

   Observe out how your electrical company reads the last dial. Some companies circular up to the adjacent highest number. Other companies tape the number that the arrow is closest to. If yous are interested in calculating your kilowatt hours on your own and getting a calculation close to what the electric company does, it is benign to know how the visitor reads this terminal number.

4. 4

   Calculate the kilowatt hours you have used. Most electric companies do not reset the meter to zero after every reading. This means that in order to calculate the number of kilowatt hours yous accept used, yous need to keep rails of consecutive readings. Subtract the electric current reading from the last reading you were billed for to get the most contempo kilowatt hours used.

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1. 1

   Sympathize the different parts of your meter. A digital electric meter records the amount of electricity your household is using electronically. Thus, a digital electric meter is much simpler to read than a traditional meter because it has fewer readings to decipher.^[4]

   • Unlike traditional analog electric meters, many digital meters transmit your meter reading wirelessly to the electric company via radio frequencies. This means that y'all will not accept a meter reader come to your house to read your meter. If you lot adopt to go on your traditional meter, information technology may be possible in some municipalities to avoid having a new "smart" meter installed.^[5]

2. ii

   Read the numbers on your meter. Your meter should have a digital readout that gives yous one long series of numbers. The exact configuration on this readout volition vary depending on the manufacturer and the readout could include .^{[6] [7]}

   • Contact your electric company to get information almost your meter if you cannot effigy out how to read information technology on your own.
   • Your electrical meter may have a few other numbers displayed, including power status for the meter and reference numbers for the electric visitor.^[viii] Remember to only pay attention to the big central cord of numbers when trying to figure out your electric usage.

3. 3

   Calculate the kilowatt hours you accept used. Digital electric meters practice not reset subsequently every reading. This means that in order to calculate the number of kilowatt hours you have used, y'all need to keep track of sequent readings. Subtract the current reading from the final reading you were billed for to become the nigh recent kilowatt hours used.

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Add New Question

• Question

  When would you need to read your electrical meter?

  

  Ricardo Mitchell
  Electrician & Construction Professional, CN Coterie

  Ricardo Mitchell is the CEO of CN Coterie, a fully licensed and insured Lead EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Certified structure company located in Manhattan, New York. CN Coterie specializes in full home renovation, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, cabinetry, furniture restoration, Adjuration/ECB (Part of Administrative Trials and Hearings/Environmental Control Lath) violations removal, and DOB (Department of Buildings) violations removal. Ricardo has over 10 years of electric and construction experience and his partners accept over 30 years of relevant feel.

  

  Electrician & Construction Professional, CN Coterie

  Expert Reply

  I can't necessarily retrieve of a scenario where you'd need to do this. The information on your meter is important to your electric company, merely they'll ship a coiffure out to read the meter if they demand information technology. It'due south probable not going to come up very oft for you lot.

• Question

  Can a submeter be reset?

  

  No, a submeter cannot exist reset and you should not tamper with it.

• Question

  Which number between ix and 0 practice I use?

  

  0 is actually 10. Always select the smaller number. And then if the dial is between 9 and 0, you lot'd write down 9.

• Question

  What does the abbreviation, "TA," mean on my meter?

  

  Information technology stands for, "Tell Attendant," which means you demand to call your electric company immediately, as you may accept missed a payment on your neb.

• Question

  How exercise I reset a digital meter?

  

  You tin can't reset your own digital meter. Merely the electrical company can do so. If you desire to reset your meter, give a call to the electric company to reset or change your meter.

• Question

  One time I subtract the one-time reading from the new, how do I figure out the cost?

  

  Your meter is measuring kilowatt-hours (kwh). Subtracting the old reading from the new reading gives you the number of kwh used in the current billing catamenia. Your electric visitor charges a gear up amount per kilowatt-hour used. Your beak volition tell yous what that amount is. The visitor may also accuse an additional monthly fee.

• Question

  Is it normal to use one kWh every day when all I'm running on electricity is ane fan, i lite, and one Television?

  

  A box fan uses virtually 0.6 kWh overnight. TVs vary, depending on size and whether the TV is the one-time CRT type or digital. Low-cal bulbs vary, depending on the bulb wattage. If you lot are using only one kWh every mean solar day, yous are using very little electricity. Based on what you are running, i fan, one light bulb and one Tv set, one kWh is below normal.

• Question

  How tin can I tell by reading my digital meter if it has power or not?

  

  Very elementary. If the previous reading didn't change, your meter needs a check up by your authorized electric company. If your meter runs very fast and high, then your meter needs replacement. If the electricity in your business firm is performance, then your meter has power.

• Question

  How do I read multiple meters?

  

  Read each meter individually. And so, decrease the current reading from last month's reading. This will give yous the amount of electricity used in one calendar month for each meter. Add the monthly amounts together to get the total monthly usage.

• Question

  My meter has a rotating disk. How many revolutions represent ane kWh?

  

  The corporeality of ability per revolution (Kh) is usually 7.ii watt-hours. One kWh would be about 139 revolutions.

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Article Summary X

To read a digital electric meter, read the serial of large numbers about the center of your meter and write them downwardly. If you wish to calculate how many kilowatt hours yous've used in the last month, subtract the current reading from the previous reading, which should be stated on your most recent bill. For more tips on reading meters, like how to read analog electric meters, keep reading!

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