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How To Read Your Meter

This document provides instructions on how to read an electrical meter. It explains that meters measure electricity usage in kilowatt-hours and describes the two main types: dial meters with spinning disks and pointers, and digital meters that display a number like an odometer. It gives step-by-step instructions for reading both types of meters and calculating electricity used between readings by subtracting prior from current readings. Automated digital meters are also discussed, which provide remote reading but display usage like standard digital meters.

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Kristabel Roferos
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129 views6 pages

How To Read Your Meter

This document provides instructions on how to read an electrical meter. It explains that meters measure electricity usage in kilowatt-hours and describes the two main types: dial meters with spinning disks and pointers, and digital meters that display a number like an odometer. It gives step-by-step instructions for reading both types of meters and calculating electricity used between readings by subtracting prior from current readings. Automated digital meters are also discussed, which provide remote reading but display usage like standard digital meters.

Uploaded by

Kristabel Roferos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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HOW TO READ

YOUR ELECTRICAL
METER
Y
our electric meter is designed to
accurately measure the amount
of electricity your home is using.
At FortisAlberta, we understand how
important accurate meter reading
and billing is to our customers. The
following information will help you
understand how your meter works
and how you can assist our meter
readers to read and record your
meter reading each month.

Your electric meter


The electricity you buy from FortisAlberta is measured in kilowatt-hours. This
measure reflects the number of kilowatts of electricity you use in a given period
of time. A kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts. If you turn on ten 100-watt light bulbs
for one hour, you will use one kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Dial Meter
A dial meter has on its face a revolving disk and a series of dials and pointers.
When an electric current passes through the meter, the disk rotates at a
speed that depends on the watts of electricity you’re using at the time. The
more electricity you use, the faster the disk moves. Each revolution of the disk
measures a precise amount of electricity and the measurement is shown by the
position of the pointers on the dials.
Some meters have four dials; some have five dials. Each dial has 10 numbers and
a pointer and is numbered in an alternating clockwise and counter clockwise
manner. The pointers follow the direction of the numbers and advance only
when you are using electricity.

Digital Meters & Automated Metering Project Meters


A digital meter measures the amount of electricity you used and displays this
usage on a liquid crystal display (LCD).
HOW TO READ YOUR METER
Dial Meter
1. Stand directly in front of your meter.
2. Read and record each dial starting from the right and moving left.
3. When the dial pointer is between two numbers, record the smaller number
(the number the pointer has just passed).
4. The meter is read from left to right. If the dial is pointing between 2 digits
take the lower of the 2 numbers. When the pointer seems to be directly on
the number, look at the dial to the right. If the pointer on the dial to the right
has passed zero (0), write down the number for the left dial which the pointer
seems to be on. If the pointer on the dial to the right has not passed zero, the
pointer on the left dial is not yet directly on the number, so record the lower
number. Here’s one example:

• Dial 1 is on 1; record 1
• Dial 2 is on 0; record 0
• Dial 3 is on 8; record 8
• Dial 4 is between 7 and 8; record 7
• Dial 5 is on 2 but dial 4 hasn’t made the full revolution to 0; record 1

The reading is 17801.


Now a second example:

• Dial 1 is between 1 and 2; record 1


• Dial 2 is between 1 and 2; record 1
• Dial 3 is between 0 and 9; record 9
• Dial 4 is between 0 and 9; record 9
• Dial 5 is on 2 but dial 4 hasn’t made the full revolution to 0; record 1
• The reading on this meter is 19911.

Digital Meter
A digital meter records electricity usage in the same manner that a car’s
odometer records mileage. You read the numbers from left to right.
Here is an example:

In the illustration, the March reading is 52316 kilowatt-hours.

The April reading is 53859 kilowatt-hours.


MONITORING YOUR ENERGY USE
By reading your own meter, you can monitor the electricity you use. To determine
how much electricity you have used over a certain period of time, simply subtract
the previous reading from your current reading.
From our two examples above this would be:

Dial Meter Digital Meter


Present reading 19911 53859
Previous reading -17801 -52316
Kilowatt-hours used 2110 1543

The difference is the kilowatt-hours you have used since your previous reading.

WHAT IS AN AUTOMATED METER?


Automated metering is a specialized type of digital meter that is read
automatically by a remote computer system.
HOW DO I READ MY AUTOMATED METER?
An automated meter is read the same as a regular digital meter. The display on
this type of digital meter changes every few seconds. Underneath the digital
numbers you will see various letters. Your energy consumption reading is the
value displayed when “A” and “kWh” (for kilowatt-hours) are displayed. The other
values that flash on the screen are not used to calculate your bill; only the “A”
consumption value is recorded. The other values are for possible future use to
capture usage during different times of the day.

Digital Meter

A digital meter records electricity usage in the same manner that a car’s
odometer records mileage. You read the numbers from left to right.

Reading in May - 8267

Reading in June – 8983


Consumption 8983 (June reading) – 8267 (May reading) = 716kWh

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