How to Calibrate a Smart Meter

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A smart meter is an electrical device designed to record the amount of electrical energy used in a home, business or other freestanding building. The smart meter sends its recordings to the local utility company. Smart meters differ from regular home energy monitors in that they can send data to the energy company while regular energy meters cannot. It is not possible for an individual unaffiliated with the utility company to calibrate the smart meter; however, an individual can ensure that the calibration completed by the energy company is accurate to avoid miscellaneous charges due to a malfunctioning smart meter.

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Things You'll Need

  • Pen

  • Calculator

  • Electrical Bill

  • Paper

Step 1

Determine the billing cycle for your electrical bill. Generally, the billing cycle is printed on your electrical bill; the date that the billing cycle began and ended is usually written along with information about how much energy you used and the total amount owed to the utility company. If you cannot find the dates of your billing cycle, call your utility company.

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Step 2

Record the number on your smart meter the first day of a new billing cycle. The smart meter is outside of the house, generally with your water meter and other utility meters. The number can range anywhere from one to eight digits on most smart meters.

Step 3

Determine what the utility company charges for electricity per kilowatt hour. Most utility companies publish this information on their website or on the bill. If you cannot locate this information online or on your bill, you can call the company.

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Step 4

Record the number on your smart meter on the last day of your billing cycle and subtract the number you obtained from the number you obtained on the first day of your billing cycle. This number is the amount of electrical energy you used during the month. Multiply this number by the amount the utility company charges per kilowatt hour and you should have approximately the amount of your energy bill.

Tip

Take into account administrative costs and taxes in your projection of your energy bill. Another method to calibrate a smart meter is to use a meter verification tool. Meter verification tools are helpful in that they attach directly to the meter and troubleshoot any issues that the smart meter may have. The meter verification tool will determine whether the meter is working efficiently and sending correct recordings to the utility company within minutes rather than within a month as the method described above. Several different brands of meter verification tools are available, with each working slightly different. More information about certain brands can be found in the Resources section.

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references & resources

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