How to Read an Entergy Electric Meter

Electric meters measure the amount of electrical energy used by a household. Power companies use them to keep a record of the energy used so they that can charge accordingly. The electric companies take readings on these meters, typically monthly, and you can see that reading on your electric bill. Some electric meters are digital, which are much easier to read, and some electric meters use a series of dial faces. These are called analog devices. Reading these dial faces can be tricky, but by following a few simple directions, you can read them, too. Both analog and digital meters measure electrical energy in kilowatt-hours. One kilowatt is 1000 watts, so if a 100-watt light bulb is lit for one hour, then 0.1 kilowatt-hours is used.

Things You'll Need

• Notebook
• Pen

Instructions

1. Locate the electric meter. Typically they're mounted on the side of a house at the point where the electricity comes into the house from a nearby power line. Bring a pen and notebook with you so you can write down your reading for future reference.

2. Read the numbers on the electric meter display if it's a digital meter. The numbers will indicate how many kilowatt-hours have been consumed. Below the numbers is a series of dots that flash from left to right, and then turns off from right to left. Every time a dot lights up or turns off, one watt-hour is used.

3. Write down the numbers for the dial indicators from left to right if it is an analog electric meter. There will be a series of dial faces with zero through nine printed on them. For each dial face, the indicating needle will typically be positioned between two numbers. Write down the lower of the two numbers. For example, if the needle is between five and six, write down five.

4. Look at the dial to the right if the needle is pointing very close to a number. For example, if the needle looks to be pointing exactly at the number eight, look at the dial to the right. If the needle is past the number zero, that is, between zero and one, then the first dial will be eight. If the next needle is between nine and zero, then the first number would be seven.

5. Continue reading the dial numbers until all the dials are read. If there's a dial with a red dial face, this indicated a decimal position, so put a decimal point in your reading before writing down that number.

6. Note the date and time of your reading. By reading your electric meter often, you can get a good idea of your energy consumption and which household devices use the most electricity and add to your bill.

Tips & Warnings

• Turn off household electrical devices and continue to make readings to help find out which ones are energy hogs.

• Household electricity is very dangerous and can cause electrical shock.

References

• How To Read Your Electric Meter

Resources

• Energy Saving Ideas