What do the Numbers Mean?

A meter read consists of a 3 to 5 digit number. Your meter may have as many as three different reads depending on the rate plan you've chosen. All meters have a total kWh read which measures the total amount of electricity you use. The total kWh read is a 4 or 5 dial read and will be the top most set of dials on your meter.

If your meter does not have any dials on it you have a digital only meter. Digital meters are easier to read since all of the reads are shown in a small rectangular window on the face of the meter. If there is one set of dials on your meter and also a digital display then all reads are gathered through the digital display since the third field on the digital read out is the same reading as the set of dials. 

These steps can help you read a meter with dials correctly.

• Each dial looks like a one hand clock with the numbers 0 through 9 around the outside.
• Hands point to the read for each dial
• The hands rotate in alternating directions for each dial

Meters should be read from right to left:

• If a pointer is between two numbers, use the lower number
• If a pointer is directly on a number, look at the dial to it's right and see if the pointer has moved past zero. If if has not passed zero yet write the number one lower than the number the dial is pointing at

For a kWh read once you have read your meter, subtract this read from a previous read to establish the how many Kilowatt hours have been used between the two readings. Your APS bill displays your current and previous readings the differnce between the two is how we determines the amount of Kilowatts to apply to your billing.

A kW read also known as a demand read is billed just as it is read since the meter reader resets the demand read every month after the meter has been read.

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