Meter Reading
Do you know how much energy your household consumes on a daily or weekly basis? Like most New Brunswickers, chances are you are increasingly concerned about reducing your energy consumption by being more aware and implementing conservation measures. Knowing exactly how much energy you consume in your home is the first step in conserving energy.
Measuring energy use
Energy is measured in kilowatt-hours equivalent to 1000 watts of energy used in one hour. Meters keep track of the energy usage in your home based on the kWhs consumed. For example, a 1500W portable heater on its highest setting can consume 1.5 kWh every hour it operates. By reading your meter, you can calculate the energy use. Just like NB Power!
Learning to read your meter
Meters are either electronic with an LCD (Liquid crystal display) readout, or have four to five dials. As you consume energy, the readings increase. To read your meter, begin by recording the number indicated on the far right dial and continue until all dials have been recorded. For electronic meters, simply take note of the KWh reading.
Here’s an example of an LCD meter reading:
Here’s an example of a meter reading using dials:
To obtain the amount of kilowatt-hours consumed since the previous reading, subtract the reading on your previous bill from your new reading.
Recording your energy consumption
Keeping a record of your energy consumption at regular intervals helps you understand how much energy your home consumes during that period of time. Knowing
your energy consumption trends may help you improve the efficiency of your energy use and ultimately save on your electricity bill.
Record your readings on this chart.
