How to read your Utility Meter

The City uses meters to measure the amount of electricity, natural gas, or water you use each month. We bill in the following units of consumption, which are printed on your utility bill:

• Electric - kilowatt-hours (1 kilowatt-hour equals a 100 watt bulb turned on for 10 hours)
• Natural gas - therms (1 therm equals 100,000 btus of energy)
• Water and Sewer - 1000 gallons

Learning how to read your own meter is easy and can help you monitor your usage throughout the month. Some meters have four dials and some have five, but the method used to read them both is the same. Older meters have "clock" hands that take some practice to read correctly, but newer meters use "odometer" style dials that can be read directly. To read the "clock" hands on an older meter, follow these simple steps:

1. Note that the dials alternate between turning clockwise and counterclockwise.
2. Read from right to left
3. If the pointer is between two numbers, write down the smaller number.
4. If the pointer is right on a number, check the dial to the right. If the previous dial is between 0 and 5, use the number the pointer is on. If the previous dial is between 6 and 9, subtract one from the number the dial is on. For practice, read the dials above. The four dial reads 9045 and the five dial reads 97616.