Meter Reading
Every time you flip a switch, use an electrical appliance or start an electric motor, the electric meter measures how much electricity is used.
The meter is like the odometer on your car. By reading the odometer at regular intervals and subtracting the beginning reading from the ending reading, you can determine the distance travelled over a certain periods. Your electrical meter operates the same way. To calculate how much electricity you have used, subtract the earlier reading from the current reading.
Radio Interrogated (RI) Meters
Maritime Electric is in the process of replacing residential dial read watt hour meters with new Radio Interrogated meters. A Radio Interrogated meter is a solid state single phase meter with an easy to read digital display. The meter transmits a signal to a hand-held meter reading device carried by our personnel. This device reads the meter electronically then the data is downloaded to a computerized billing system. There are several advantages to this new technology in that the customer can easily read their own meter to monitor daily or weekly consumption patterns and the customer is issued a monthly bill based on actual readings, not estimated usage. It is anticipated that all residential customers will be metered with Radio Interrogated technology by 2013.
Dial Meters
A Dial Meter is an electromechanical meter that operates proportional to the power being used. This type of meter has a revolving disk and a series of dials and pointers. The more electricity being used, the faster the revolving disk moves. Each complete revolution of the disk measures a precise amount of electricity. This measurement is indicated by the position of the pointers on the dials. These dials and pointers on the electromechanical metering device records the amount of power used and a Maritime Electric Representative visits the meter bi-monthly to manually input the reading into a computerized device to be downloaded to the billing system.
Reading Your Dial Meter
You can keep track of your electricity consumption by reading the dial meter. The dials on the meter are read from right to left and the numbers are recorded in the same order.
- If the pointer on the dial is between two numbers, record the smaller number, except when it’s between 9 and 0, record the 9.
- If the pointer on the dial is actually on a number, check the dial to its immediate right. Unless the pointer has completed one full turn back to 0, record the lower number.
Dial Meter Reading Example
Meters have 4 or 5 dials and are relatively simple to read. Read the dials right to left and write the figures in the same order. Here is an example to follow. Note some of the pointers turn clock-wise, others counter-clockwise.
Dial #1: Dial 1 is on 1, record 1.
Dial #2: Dial 2 is on 0, record 0.
Dial #3: Dial 3 is on 8, record 8.
Dial #4: Dial 4 is between 7 and 8, record 7.
Dial #5: Dial 5 is between 1 and 2, record 1.
The reading is 17801.
Want to Know More?
Customer Meter Reading Form (822 KB)
Meter Reading Guide (39 KB)
Read Your Meter Cards (217 KB)
