01-0193 Reading Your Meter - nyseg

Reading YourMeter

Reading your meter is easyand convenient. Many NYSEGcustomers read their ownmeters to monitor their energyuse. Others do it becauseit’s not always convenientto provide our meter readersaccess to the meter.If you read your meter, pleasekeep in mind that we needaccess to the meter at leastonce a year, and preferablyevery other month. This allowsus to verify your readings,inspect the equipment andmake sure the meter isworking properly.1

Reading Your MeterElectric meter with LCDYou may have an electric meter with a row ofdials and an LCD (liquid crystal display).Both register the total amount of electricityyou use, measured in kilowatt-hours (kwh).In addition, if you have an off-peak(day-night) meter, you will see a series ofother readouts that cycle continuously.They will include either numeric designations03 (day) and 04 (night) or alphabeticaldesignations A (day) and B (night).Meters with DialsWhether you have a regular electric meter,day/night electric meter, or natural gas meter,the basics of meter reading are the same.On a natural gas meter, the dials measurenatural gas used in hundreds of cubic feet(ccf). The natural gas meter has either fouror five dials, and one or two test dials whichyou may ignore.Natural gas meter1234PER REVOLUTION0 990 110 990 1878723238787235 665 445 665 41,000,000 100,000 10,000 1,000Cubic FeetTo read your meter, follow thesesimple steps.98761. Think of the dials on your meter asclocks. Be careful to notice which waythe pointers move.On an electric meter, the dials represent theamount of energy used in single units, tens,hundreds, thousands and ten thousands of kwh.Electric meter0 110 990 110 990 12323878723238787235 445 665 445 665 410,000 1,000 100 10 1Kilowatt-hoursTest dials2. The basic rule for reading a meter is thatwhen the pointer is between two numbers,always read the lower number. When thepointer is between 0 and 1, zero is thelower number. Remember that the pointeris always moving toward the larger number,so when the pointer is between 9 and 0,zero is really representing 10. Therefore 9is the lower number.23

If it is difficult to tell if the pointer haspassed a number, or if it is stillapproaching the number, refer to the dialnext to it on the right. If the pointer onthe right dial has passed zero, read thehigher number. However, if the pointeron the right has not yet passed zero, readthe lower number on the left dial.983. Read the dials from right to left and recordthe numbers in the same order as the dials.765 4 3 2 10 110 990 110 990 12323878723238787235 445 665 445 665 4Example:123412340 990 18787235 665 4The pointer on the right dial has passed zero,therefore the left dial should read 5 and theright dial should read 0.0 9875 698760 1235 4The pointer on the right dial has not passedzero, therefore the left dial should read 4 andthe right dial should read 9.The pointer on the first dial to the rightis between 6 and 7. Remember the rule toread the lower number. The reading is 6.The pointer on the second dial from theright has passed 4 but hasn’t reached 5.Read it as 4.The pointer on the third dial is between8 and 9. Read the lower number whichis 8.The pointer on the fourth dial is veryclose to 0 but is still between 9 and 0.Remember that 0 represents 10,so the lower number is 9.The pointer on the fifth dialappears to be on 1; however,the pointer on the dial to itsright has not passed 0.Therefore, the correctreading is 0.45

Calculating Electricity UseIf you wish to calculate the amount ofelectricity you have used since the lastmeter reading, take the reading from yourlast bill. Subtract that number from thepresent meter reading to find the amountof electricity used during the month. If lastmonth’s reading was an estimated reading,your calculation will also be an estimate.For most accurate results, keep track ofactual readings and use those readings foryour calculations.9846 Present reading (kwh)- 9201 - Previous reading (kwh)645 Difference in readingsIn some homes the monthly energy usemay be more than the dials can register sothe meter has a “multiplier” (usually 10)which is clearly shown on the front of themeter. You must multiply your meterreadings by this multiplier to get thenumber of kilowatt-hours used. Energyuse is determined in the same manner asfor a standard meter. For example:Calculating Natural Gas UseNatural gas use is calculated in the sameway electricity use is calculated. Theprevious reading is subtracted from thepresent reading. The difference is thenumber of ccf of natural gas used.On your bill, the quantity of natural gas usedis converted to therms by multiplying theamount of natural gas used by a numbercalled the therm factor. This factor representsthe actual heat content of the gas enteringour system, which varies from time to time.Your monthly therm factor is listed on yourbill. Simply multiply the amount of naturalgas you used by the therm factor to calculatethe number of therms you received. Thermbilling doesn’t change the way the meterworks. It’s just a way to bill customers for theheat that they obtain from the natural gas.9498 Present reading- 9437 - Previous reading61 Difference in readingsx 10 x Multiplier610 kwh Total usage forwhich you are billed.67

Meter AccuracyElectric and natural gas meters are among themost accurate measuring devices available.They are tested by the manufacturer and byNYSEG before being installed. Our meterreaders routinely check meters while takingreadings to ensure that they continue to meetrigid standards of accuracy.Accessibility and SafetyWhere meters are installed inside, the meterreader must have access to read the meter.If you leave a door open for the meterreader to use, let us know. Your accountwill be coded to indicate that the meterreader may enter the premises.For safety’s sake, please keep stairs in goodrepair and, whenever possible, be sure tokeep the path to the meter clear of debris,bushes, snow and dogs. If your meter islocated inside, please clear the area of boxes,odds and ends, furniture and dogs. Be surethe area is well-lighted.Ask for IdentificationFor your protection and peace of mind, everyNYSEG meter reader carries an identificationcard with his or her picture. If you’re notsure about the identity of a meter reader, askto see identification. If you still have doubts,ask the person to wait outside while you callour office for confirmation.Other Meter Reading OptionsIf your meter is inside and it is inconvenientfor you to be home on the dates NYSEG isscheduled to read your meter, please let usknow. We offer other meter-reading optionsfor your convenience. You may:■OR■Provide us with special accessinstructions to your property, such asletting us know where a key is kept.Our meter reader will use theseinstructions to gain access to the meter.Read the meter yourself and provide thereadings to us.Submitting Your ReadingsWe offer three convenient options. Youcan submit your readings to us:■■■By visiting our Web site atwww.nyseg.com/custreadOn a postcard we provide.By calling on our automated lineat 1-800-600-2275.Questions About Your ServiceWe’re here to help. If you have questionsabout reading the meter, just contactour Customer Service Call Center at1-800-572-1111, Monday through Friday,7 a.m. to 7 p.m.1011

Protecting your appliancesand electronic equipmentagainst power surges makesgood sense.Power surges are sudden increases involtage caused by storms, lightning strikesor damage to utility poles and power lines.These surges can enter your home withoutwarning through power, phone or cable TVlines. More importantly, they can harmyour refrigerator, microwave oven, TV,VCR, computer and other appliances.Now, two levels of power-surge protectionare available from NYSEG:StormSafe ServiceWe’ll install a special StormSafe device onyour electric meter. This unit protects yourmajor appliances, such as your refrigerator,from powerful surges coming through powerlines. (Installation charge and monthly servicefees apply.)Plug-in UnitsThese in-home devices, available for purchasefrom NYSEG, protect sensitive electronicequipment, such as your personal computer.For more information about surge protectionfrom NYSEG, call us at 1-800-684-2336,Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.12