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How to Read Your Electric Meter by Christopher Foos
When you go to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk and a carton of eggs, head to
the checkout, the cashier tells you that you owe $50, pay that amount, and you leave
the store? No! This is because you know what each item costs based on the price the
store has posted. This is exactly the same with your electric bill. Just because they tell
you what you owe does not mean that is correct. Your electric meter will tell you what
you really owe!
The electric meter is the best tool you have available in figuring your electric usage, and
what you really owe each month. This means that learning to read the energy meter is
so vital to saving money on your electric bill because you should never just accept what
someone else tells you what is owed. No! You should have a very good idea of what
you owe! This all starts with the electric meter!
the checkout, the cashier tells you that you owe $50, pay that amount, and you leave
the store? No! This is because you know what each item costs based on the price the
store has posted. This is exactly the same with your electric bill. Just because they tell
you what you owe does not mean that is correct. Your electric meter will tell you what
you really owe!
The electric meter is the best tool you have available in figuring your electric usage, and
what you really owe each month. This means that learning to read the energy meter is
so vital to saving money on your electric bill because you should never just accept what
someone else tells you what is owed. No! You should have a very good idea of what
you owe! This all starts with the electric meter!
Grab a pen, piece of paper and locate your meter!
Reading the Dials: Reading the dials can give you long-term information on how much
energy is used in a day, week, or a month. This is helpful for two specific reasons. First being
the accuracy of your service provider, and the second reason is to gauge your long-term
effects of the changes you might make after reading through this site. We like to check our
dials 4 times a month; on the first day of our billing cycle (which you can find on your electric
bill), the very next day, a week later, and finally on the last day of the billing cycle. This
allows us to compare our readings to what the electric company claims and let's us see if we
are seeing any unusual fluctuations in energy consumption. It is about the power of
knowledge!!!!
energy is used in a day, week, or a month. This is helpful for two specific reasons. First being
the accuracy of your service provider, and the second reason is to gauge your long-term
effects of the changes you might make after reading through this site. We like to check our
dials 4 times a month; on the first day of our billing cycle (which you can find on your electric
bill), the very next day, a week later, and finally on the last day of the billing cycle. This
allows us to compare our readings to what the electric company claims and let's us see if we
are seeing any unusual fluctuations in energy consumption. It is about the power of
knowledge!!!!
Electric meters have 4 to 5 dials and they all read from RIGHT to LEFT. Don't let the different clockwise and counter-clockwise rotations
distract you. Take your first reading. Like in the example above, the current reading would be 17592 kWh (kilowatt hours is described in how
to read your electric bill). I know you probably just asked yourself why do I have to read right to left? This is for those of you that want absolute
accuracy. See, the first dial spins the quickest because it is in the 00,002 spot, and when taking a reading, it might make a full revolution before
writing it down when reading the opposite direction. So if you are out for exact readings, remember to write down the exact time, down to the
second, of your first reading; then duplicate that exact time for your next reading. Now take your next reading. For this example, I am using a
fictitious number in order to explain how to calculate. Assuming at the end of that month the meter reads 18542kWh, you would then subtract
the first reading of 17592kWh from this; giving you 950kWh used for that month. Now you can compare this to what your energy provider
claims you used, and also see if there were any major changes in electric usage from the previous month. (Source-U.S. Department of Energy,
2008)
distract you. Take your first reading. Like in the example above, the current reading would be 17592 kWh (kilowatt hours is described in how
to read your electric bill). I know you probably just asked yourself why do I have to read right to left? This is for those of you that want absolute
accuracy. See, the first dial spins the quickest because it is in the 00,002 spot, and when taking a reading, it might make a full revolution before
writing it down when reading the opposite direction. So if you are out for exact readings, remember to write down the exact time, down to the
second, of your first reading; then duplicate that exact time for your next reading. Now take your next reading. For this example, I am using a
fictitious number in order to explain how to calculate. Assuming at the end of that month the meter reads 18542kWh, you would then subtract
the first reading of 17592kWh from this; giving you 950kWh used for that month. Now you can compare this to what your energy provider
claims you used, and also see if there were any major changes in electric usage from the previous month. (Source-U.S. Department of Energy,
2008)
| According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy The average home uses 920 kWh of electricity a month |
U.S. Department of energy. (2008).
Energy Savers. Retrieved from
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_h
ome/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=1
1150
Dallas Morning News. (2009). How to
read your electric meter. Retrieved
from
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedco
ntent/dws/graphics/0309/meter/
Energy Savers. Retrieved from
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_h
ome/electricity/index.cfm/mytopic=1
1150
Dallas Morning News. (2009). How to
read your electric meter. Retrieved
from
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedco
ntent/dws/graphics/0309/meter/
Reading the Spinning Disc:
Under the dials is a spinning disc with a notch or black stripe. This flying saucer in your meter can be fun,
addictive, and help determine how much electricity you are consuming now!!!! How it works? Electricity that
flows into your house creates an electromagnetic field that causes a disc in your meter to spin. The more
electricity you consume, the bigger of a electromagnetic field is created, resulting in the disc spinning faster.
You can use the disc speed to determine how much power is being consumed at that moment.
How to do it?
Look for the black Learning to read the little line or notch. (I prefer to use a stop watch for accuracy because I
feel my counting tempo is not accurate) Count in seconds how long it takes to make one rotation. Find the kWh
constant (will be labeled on your meter, 7.2 kh is the common, but check to be sure). Now, after the time
count on the disk, multiply 3,600 by 7.2 (or whatever your meter's kh constant is), and then divide by the
seconds you came up with. Example, at 6.2 seconds per rotation, we are using 4181 watts, or 4.2 kilowatts at
that moment.
addictive, and help determine how much electricity you are consuming now!!!! How it works? Electricity that
flows into your house creates an electromagnetic field that causes a disc in your meter to spin. The more
electricity you consume, the bigger of a electromagnetic field is created, resulting in the disc spinning faster.
You can use the disc speed to determine how much power is being consumed at that moment.
How to do it?
Look for the black Learning to read the little line or notch. (I prefer to use a stop watch for accuracy because I
feel my counting tempo is not accurate) Count in seconds how long it takes to make one rotation. Find the kWh
constant (will be labeled on your meter, 7.2 kh is the common, but check to be sure). Now, after the time
count on the disk, multiply 3,600 by 7.2 (or whatever your meter's kh constant is), and then divide by the
seconds you came up with. Example, at 6.2 seconds per rotation, we are using 4181 watts, or 4.2 kilowatts at
that moment.
| With a current wattage usage amount, have fun and start turning things off or unplugging things to see what is making that disk spin!!!! We nearly got it down too 62 watts!!!! |
Resources:
Have a electric meter that is digital? That makes things easier for you! Just write down the readings and do the calculations as
described above. That's it!
described above. That's it!