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How to Read Your Meter
Keep Track of Your Electric Usage - Read Your Meter Regularly

Electricity provides the conveniences each of us enjoys at the flick of a switch. However, each time that switch is turned on, the meter at your home or business spins. That's why keeping track of your electricity usage is smart. By reading your meter regularly, at least once a week, you can quickly associate usage patterns and appliance usage with the amount of electricity you consume - and possibly save money.

How to read your meter:

• Stand directly in front of the meter dials. Whether you have a five- or four-dial meter, begin with the dial at the right and read that dial first. Continue from right to left.
• Mark down the last number passed by each dial pointer. If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the lower of the numbers.
• The difference between the new reading and your last one reflects the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity you have used.
• Regularly read your meter to plot your electric consumption. Do it daily or weekly, but always at the same time of day so you have an accurate means of comparison.

Note: Many meters are calibrated with a factor of 10. When reading your meter, if it says "Constant - 10," then you need to multiply your reading by 10 to get an accurate reading. The diagram above is an example of the typical residential meter.