How to Read Your Home’s Electric and Gas Meters

Gas and electric companies use meters to measure consumption from their clients’ homes. You’ll typically find these meters in one place where your residence is connected to the grid. Learning how to read these devices are fairly straightforward and will help you monitor your own consumption.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to determine consumption levels by taking a look at your own electric meters.

Electric Meters

Your home’s appliances, like the television, air conditioning, and other devices, are all connected to the grid. You can find your electric meter between the outside connection and the start of your home’s electrical network. Electrical consumption is measured in kWh or kilowatt-hours.

Most meters are standard analog models that rely on five rotating discs that look like the face of a clock. The hands of these dials will point to a number from zero to nine, and reading them is as simple as listing down the numbers opposite the usual direction of reading, that is, from right to left.

There are a few rules that must be followed when reading an electric meter but they’re fairly simple as well. To understand these rules, let us label all the dials from right to left A, B, C, D, E. If dial E is directly pointed at a number, you must look at the dial immediately to its right, that is, dial D. If dial D has passed zero, then add 1 to dial E’s reading. If it has not passed zero, follow the original reading.

Gas Meters

Your home’s heating and air conditioning also make use of gas meters to measure consumption. These meters use units of cubic foot, and your bill will show consumption by the thousand cubic foot (MCF) or hundred cubic foot (CCF).

Read the dials on your gas meter the opposite way of an electric meter, that is, from left to right, and follow the same rules. Note that dials rotate in the opposite direction to the one next to it.

Digital Meters

Digital meters can also be used and, of course, simpler to read. These devices function much like a car’s odometer. To find your home’s monthly consumption, record the reading at the start and end of your utility’s billing period. The difference would be your total consumption for that period.

Learn More About Your Electrical Consumption With Amber Air Conditioning Inc.

Monitoring your consumption levels is an essential way to save on costs. If you’d like to learn more about your meters and the information that they present, you can call your utility company or consult with the experts at Amber Air Conditioning Inc. at (951) 674-6974. Amber Air Conditioning Inc. is available at Temecula, CA and nearby areas.