How to Read Your Electric Meter
Keep Track of Your Electric Usage by Reading Your Meter Regularly.
Electricity affords us many conveniences at the flick of a switch; however, each time that switch is turned on, your meter at home or business spins. Keeping track of your electricity usage is smart because by reading your meter on a regular basis, you can easily associate the usage patterns and appliances with the amount of electricity you use, possibly saving you money.Peru Utilities uses two different kinds of electric meters. The newer style is digital, the older is analog.
To read the digital style, look at the readout on the meter. This display will flash two separate numbers. The first is all 8s, which is a test pattern. The second number is four-digits, this is your meter reading. The difference between this reading and the previous reading on your bill is the number of kilowatt-hours you have used.
You should read your meter at least weekly, to help you plot your electricity consumption. Make sure you take your reading at the same time of day each time so you have an accurate means of comparison.
Use the drawing below to help you read your analog meter.
How to read your analog electric meter:
- Always begin by standing directly in front of the meter.
- Regardless of whether you have a four-dial or a five-dial meter, begin by reading the dial from left to right.
- Record the last number passed by each dial pointer. If the pointer is between two numbers, mark down the lower of them.
- The difference between this reading and the previous reading represents the number of kilowatt -hours you have used.
