How To Read Your Electric Meter

It might seem like a non-issue, but checking your electric meter will save you from the nasty shock when you receive your monthly electric bill. Monitoring the electric meter will help you regulate the amount of electricity consumption. It will also give you a heads up on unusually high consumption so you can budget for the bill. Here is how you can keep an eye on your meter, so you are prepared when the bill shows up at your door. Also, it will help you know if your utility company overcharges you.

Reading a Dialled Meter and Digital Meter?

It is easier to read the latest electric meter models because they come with a cinch showing how much current is coming in.  

Find out how much energy usage monthly by comparing each month to the other. Traditional electric meters aren’t as easy to read as digital meters. Still, you can read them without the help of an electrician. Traditional electric meters have dials instead of a digital display, and they don’t all spin in the same direction. It will take practice to read a dialed meter and know your energy consumption rate. 

 

How to read a traditional electric meter

Every traditional electric meter has five dials that range from 0-9.

Read from the left to right 

Check the pointer for each dial

If the dial is not resting on any number but between two numbers, 

choose the smaller number

Repeat for each dial, and the five numbers you write down at the end are the overall reading of your energy consumption.

How to read a digital electric meter

Digital meters do not require any effort at all, and they can provide an update on energy consumption every few minutes.

 That way, you can get an alert in real-time if your usage spikes so you can track down the culprit before you have to shell out a fortune in bills.