When you turn on the lights, plug in your smartphone or kick back with the air conditioning blasting, do you ever wonder about the electricity that makes all of this possible? The electrical systems in our homes have a big job to do, yet they tend to be pretty underrated. Many homeowners don’t even know how to check their energy usage or read the electricity meter for their own house! If you’re not sure how to read the electricity meter in your home, fear not. Here’s a quick and easy how-to on keeping track of your energy usage.

What Do Electricity Meters Do?

Electricity meters, also known as electric meters or energy meters, are devices that measure the amount of electric energy used by a household, business, or other electrically powered device. Your electrical company likely reads your home’s electricity meter once per month, which is dated on your electricity bill. The electrical company records to numbers on the meter, which determines how much electricity your household has used and how much you should be charged on your next electricity bill.

It is important to understand how to read the electricity meter in your home for numerous reasons. Understanding how to read the meter could help you save on your electricity bills. If your electricity bills are high and you’re not sure why, watching the meter for spikes in usage could help determine the underlying case.

How to Read Your Home’s Electricity Meter

Unlike our natural reading style, electricity meters are read from right to left. While all meters will differ, most will contain a series of small meters that resemble clocks with the numbers zero through nine. To read the meter, write down the number each of the small needles is pointing to. If the needle is between two numbers, always record the lowest number, except if the needle falls between ‘9’ and ‘0.’ In this case, record the ‘9.’

Once you have your numbers recorded, read the recordings from left to right to get the official electricity meter number. The numbers will typically read just like a clock. For example, if your “clocks” read “0, 1, 5, 6, 6,” then you would reads it as “1,566 kilowatt hours.”

For All of Your Electrical Needs, Trust Mister Sparky

At Mister Sparky, we’re proud to provide quality electrical services in the Tampa Bay and Louisville areas. If you’re not sure how to read your electrical meter, or if you need another electrical service, contact us today or schedule a service appointment online.