Electricity is measured by kilowatt-hours.  For example, a 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours uses one kilowatt-hour.  Electric meters keep track of how many kilowatt-hours you've used. The Electric Department uses two types of meters throughout its service area: the dials and pointers meter or the LCD digital display. Directions on how to read your meter differ depending on the type:

The pointers on each dial move in alternate directions.  To read the meter, just write down the number that each hand has just passed.  Start with the dial on the far left, and proceed to the right.

If a hand is directly on a number, look at the dial to its immediate right.  If that hand has passed zero, write down the number the left hand is pointing to.

The reading here is 70

The reading here is 69

Reading a digital meter is easy.  Simply read the meter like you would an odometer on a car - read the numbers from left to right.  Some meters may display the kilowatt-hours plus a segment check, which resembles all 8's.  This is a normal operation for the meter. 


Once you know how to read your meter, it's easy to figure out how much electricity you've used since your last electric bill.  Look at last month's electric bill to find the reading.  Then, subtract last month's reading from the number you just took off your meter.  What you end up with is the total number of kilowatt-hours you've used since your last reading.