The electricity meter is located outside your home, between the power cord coming from the utility pole and the electrical panel inside your house. This meter records the amount of electricity used. You'll need to know how to read an electricity meter to find out how much electricity you're using. Reading the electricity meter is actually quite easy because you just need to know what you are looking at.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Reading an Analog Electric Meter
Step 1. Understand the parts of an analog meter (also known as a dial meter) and how they work
Your electric meter usually has 4-6 dial whose numbers increase as the central disc rotates. The disc is rotated by electricity passing through the meter and displays a number indicating how much electricity your home uses.
- This figure is displayed in kilowatt hours (kilowatt hours aka kWh). One kilowatt hour is equal to the amount of energy required to power a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours.
- There are many variations of the words and numbers printed on the face of the electricity meter. While not essential in determining electricity usage, they provide detailed mechanical information regarding your meter.
Step 2. Read the dial on your meter
Read from left to right, as if you were reading a book or a series of numbers as you normally would. Start from the left and write the number the arrow points to on each number disc. Now, you have the electricity meter figures.
- Don't be confused by the direction of the numbers on each dial. Some dials are numbered clockwise and others counterclockwise.
- Look at the exact direction the arrow is pointing. If the arrow is pointing between two numbers, use the smaller number. If the arrow points to exactly a number, verify that number by looking at the dial to the right of it. If the arrow on the disc passes zero, note the number the arrow points to on the disc to the left of it. If the arrow on the disc has not crossed zero, note one number before the number the arrow points to on the disc on the left.
Step 3. Find out how the power company reads the last dial
Usually, the company rounds it up to the next highest number. Sometimes, companies record the nearest number that the arrow points to. If you want to calculate kilowatt hours yourself and get a calculation that approximates that of the utility company, it's a good idea to know how to read the last dial.
Step 4. Calculate the kilowatt hour used
Most power companies do not reset the meter to zero after recording the number on the meter. This means that in order for you to calculate the kilowatt hours used, you must monitor the increase in the number on the meter. Subtract the number on your current meter from the number of kilowatt hours from your last month's bill to get the current amount of electricity usage.
Method 2 of 2: Reading the Digital Electric Meter
Step 1. Understand the different parts of your meter
A digital electricity meter records the amount of electricity your home uses electronically. Therefore, digital electricity meters are much easier to read because there is no need to interpret the various numbers on the meter.
Unlike analog electricity meters, many digital meters wirelessly transmit your metered numbers to the utility company via radio frequency. This means that no PLN officer will visit your house to read the meter. If you prefer a traditional meter, you may want to ask PLN not to install this “smart” meter in your home
Step 2. Read the numbers on your meter
Your meter should display a series of numbers on the screen. Each configuration of these numbers will vary depending on the manufacturer of the meter and the numbers on which the meter is listed.
- Contact PLN for information regarding your meter if you can't read it yourself.
- The electricity meter can display some other numbers, for example the power meter status and PLN reference number. Don't forget to only pay attention to the large central series of numbers when figuring out the amount of electricity usage.
Step 3. Calculate the amount of energy used
The digital electricity meter does not reset the numbers after each billing recording. This means that to be able to calculate the number of kilowatt hours used, you need to monitor the increase in the number on the meter. Subtract the number on your current electricity meter from the number of kilowatt hours on your last month's bill to get the current amount of electricity usage.
