Dial Kilowatt Hour

Meter Reading
Why is it important for us to
know how to read the meter?
Objectives :
By the end of this session the trainees
will be able to:
* Demonstrate how to read dial kilowatt
meter.

* Estimate their kilowatt –hour

consumption.
ESTIMATED ELECTRIC BILLS
There are times when we estimate our electricity usage.
This estimate is based on usage from the same period
during the prior year. If this is not practical, we will base
it on the prior month’s usage. Any difference between
our estimated and actual usage is automatically adjusted
the next time our meter is read.
YOUR ELECTRIC METER
Electric meter are tested before they’re installed to make
sure they accurately register the electricity we use.
These meters are randomly checked after installation to
ensure they operate properly.
Kilowatt (kW)

A kilowatt equals 1,000 watts – a unit used to measure

the electricity required to power electrical devices. For
example, if an electric clothes dryer requires 5,000 watts,
this equals 5 kilowatts.
Stand directly in front of your electric meter, with the
meter at eye level. Most residential meters have four or
five dials. Both types are read the same way. Each dial
on the meter is numbered from 0 to 9 and has a pointer
– like the hand on a clock – that turns either clockwise
or counterclockwise. The pointers advance only when
electricity is being used.
READING THE METER
To correctly read your meter, read the dials in order,
starting from the right and moving to the left. Write
down the numbers from right to left. In most cases, the
pointer will be between two numbers on the dial, the
correct number is the lesser of the two.
1. Read the clocks in a right-to-left.
2. Record the lowest number
on each clock face.

8
3. Subtract the previous
month's KWH reading (found
on your electric bill) from your
current reading
EXAMPLE:
PREVIOUS READING:
00340 Kw

cURRENT READING:
00821 Kw
Follow these steps to determine your usage, the result will
show how many kilowatt-hours of electricity you used and over
what period you used them.
1. Enter the meter reading you just took. __________kWh
2. Enter the reading from the last time your meter was read.
_________kWh
3. Subtract step 2 from step 1. _____________kWh
4. Date you read the meter. _____________
5. Date of previous reading. _____________
6. Determine the number of days between the dates of steps 4
and 5. ___________
 00821 Kw CURRENT Reading

- 00340 Kw pREVIOUS reading

00481 Kw Actual Reading
00481 Kw Actual Reading

x 7.00 Php. Current Rate per Hour

P 3.367 Kw/h Elec. Consumption

example:
Calculate the daily electrical consumption of
the ff. appliance.
Note: Average cost of energy is P12.00 per kwh.

Appliances Wattage No. Of Hours

used
toaster 1340w 15 min.
fryer 1560w 1/2 hr.
iron 1400w 1/2 hr.
ref. 750w 8 hr.
Exercises:
1. Determine the daily, monthly (31 days), yearly (365
days) energy consumption and billings of the
following appliances if the average cost of energy is
P5.00 per kwh.
Appliance Load Daily Used

Electric Iron 1,200 watts 2 hours

Water Heater 1,000 watts 3 hours

Toaster 1,300 watts 30 minutes