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Reading Your Meter

Keeping an accurate record of electrical and gas consumption helps you know how much energy is being used in your home. To do this, read the electric and gas meters regularly (daily, weekly or monthly) and write down the number on the dials in your records.

In this example, we’re using an electric meter. Electric meters measure the amount of electricity in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A typical electric meter has four or five dials, each numbered 0 through 9. The dials are read left to right and should be recorded in the same order. Please note that some hands move clockwise and others move counter-clockwise, but all hands move in numerical order 0, 1, 2, 3, etc.  

• Read the dial on the left and record the number.
• Continue reading the 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th dial and record the numbers.
• Determine energy use by subtracting the previous reading from the present reading.

Usually, the pointer on a dial will be between two numbers. Always read the lower of the two numbers. The meter reading above is 5139 kWh.

Gas meters measure the amount of gas used in hundred cubic feet (ccf). They are read in the same way.

The amount of energy you have used can be determined by subtracting your first reading from your last reading. Want to know more? Click here for an Information Sheet with a tracking chart.