Reading Your Electric Meter

A basic unit of measure of electric power is called a Watt. One thousand watts are called a kilowatt and one thousand Watt-hours are called a kilowatt-hour. Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). So, if you leave a 100-watt light bulb on for 10 hours in a day, you use 1,000 watt-hours of electricity or one kilowatt-hour (kWh).

To read your meter, locate the digital display reading window on the face of the meter. This window will display an all-character segment screen, a brief flash of “0” followed by the kWh read screen. Occasionally a screen will display as a character check to make sure all segments are displaying properly which is normal operation. All meters are tested for accuracy on a continual basis to ensure reliability.

Meters are typically read around the same time each month, with the date read reflected on your most current bill statement. Usage is determined by subtracting the previous month’s meter read from the current month’s meter read. Billing cycles can range anywhere from 28-32 days depending on holidays and weekends and are indicated on your monthly bill.