How to take readings of an electric meter

To pay monthly for the consumed electricity, you need to transfer data to the subscriber service or make calculations yourself. In any case, it is necessary to take the readings of the electricity meter, and then take the appropriate action. We will consider how to do this further.

We take readings from induction meters

Induction meters can be identified by a spinning wheel located just below the number frame. These numbers are the meter readings. The number of digits depends on the model.

How to take readings from an inductive and electronic electricity meter

How many digits to write off

Usually there are 5, 6 or 7 digits on the display of an induction meter. In most cases, the last digit, less often two, are separated by a comma, color, or differ in size. We do not take into account all figures after the decimal point when taking readings... They show tenths and hundredths of a kilowatt and should not be counted. That is, we do not take into account all the digits after the decimal point.

But it is worth remembering that there are meter models in which there is no comma. In this case, when taking readings, it is necessary to write off all the numbers. If this is not done, sooner or later you will have to pay extra for the difference, but it usually turns out to be sooo big. So be careful.

If you are not sure if your meter has a comma, write off the model, name and call the customer service of the electricity supplier. Let them specify how many digits in your case need to be written off when taking readings. You can also call the controller at your home or check this information with the electrician of the control company.

How to shoot

Immediately after installing the meter, you were handed an act in which the initial numbers are indicated. When it comes to take readings of the light meter, take a piece of paper, rewrite there the readings that are at the moment (excluding the numbers separated by a comma). It is also possible not to rewrite the zeros that appear at the beginning - up to the first digit (see photo).

An example of an induction meter reading

For further calculations, data for the previous month is required. In the first month of use, you take them from the installation certificate, and in the future you need to either store receipts or keep a log book. Where and how they will be stored is your choice.

Some subscriber services work in such a way that you don't even need to read anything, you just need to transmit data within a certain period of time. Their automated system will automatically write to your personal account (or the operator will do it), then it will make accruals on its own and generate a receipt. You just have to pay the invoice. But even in this case, for control, you can consider how much you have to pay for electricity yourself. Of course, it is unlikely that computers will be wrong (they think), but you never know ...

How to count

To calculate the electricity yourself by the meter, subtract the one that was before from the figure you just wrote. You get the number of kilowatts consumed in the last period.

For example, consider the readings in the photo above. Let the previous ones were 4852, the current ones were 5101 (we ignore the digits after the decimal point).We calculate the power consumption: 5101 - 4852 = 249 kW. To find out how much you have to pay, you need to multiply the resulting number of kilowatts (in this case, 249 kW) by the tariff. Get the amount you have to pay for the light.

If the counter is standing for a long time, sooner or later it will "reset" - zeros will appear in the first positions. How to calculate the electricity consumption in this case? Everything is very simple. This time you will have to rewrite the readings with all zeros, and put "1" before the first. For example, you sewed to take readings from the meter, and there only the last digits are nonzero. Or, as in the photo below, there is only one.

After zeroing, there may be such a picture, or maybe two digits are different from zero, or three ...

Rewrite the value as it is, with all zeros (but don't write the digits after the decimal point), put one before the first zero, and then count as before. Let's count the readings in the photo. We write off the reading, putting in front "1": 100001. Let the last readings were 99863. Subtract 100001 - 99863 = 138 kW. Total consumption for the reporting period was 138 kW. In the future, you write off the readings of the electric meter as before, without the zeros in front and without substituting one.

Readings of electronic electricity meters

In electronic electricity meters, not a mechanical scoreboard with "jumping" numbers is installed, but an electronic one. It can display not only numbers showing how many kilowatts were spent, but also the date, the operating time of the counter, and some other data. In most electronic light meters, these data replace each other after a few seconds. If the counter is multi-zone, readings for each zone (T1, T2, T3, T4) are displayed sequentially.

To take readings of an electronic type electricity meter, you can wait until the necessary information appears and write it off. The second option is to click on the "enter" button. You may have to press more than once until the required information appears. It can be distinguished by the icons displayed on the screen. Usually it is T1, T2, T3, T4 or the word TOTAL.

For example, in the photo below, on the screen in the upper left corner we see the T1 icon and a little further larger numbers - 72.69. If you look closely, there are units of measurement behind them - kWh. This is the consumed electricity in the first zone T1 (daily tariff).

An example of an electronic meter reading

After the necessary data has been highlighted, they are recorded in the receipt and then it makes calculations (described above). If the data just needs to be transferred to the subscriber service, they can be written down on a piece of paper.

Be careful! Here, too, you only need to rewrite the whole part, not taking into account the decimal places. For example, in this case (in the photo above) it is necessary to transmit or carry out calculations only with the number 72 without the "tail".

On the electronic meter Energomera looks a little different

How to take readings from the Mercury 200 counter

There are single-rate meters Mercury (in the specification they are designated as 200.00), and multi-rate (with numbers after the point other than zeros, for example, Mercury 200 01, it can be 02 or 03). They differ in the number of zones, as well as the presence / absence of the control panel.

Readings are the same regardless of the model. You just have to press the "enter" button a different number of times or wait for more numbers to appear.

Electricity meters Mercury 200 alternately show time, date, then tariffs by zones. First, the time is displayed in the usual tariff - hours, minutes, seconds are shown a little higher. Then a few seconds later the date appears on the screen. It is also displayed in a standard format: day, month, year.

Time and date

After that, tariffs are shown. The name of the tariff appears in the upper left corner: T1, T2, T3 or T4. Their number depends on the model you have installed. They are all highlighted alternately. At this stage, they can be written down (whole part, without decimal places).

Readings of the two-tariff meter Mercury 200

After all tariffs, the checksum of all tariffs appears. Then the cycle repeats - time, date, tariffs, total value, etc.

The last appears the sum of all tariff readings

The numbers on the screen change every 5-10 seconds - depending on the setting. It is quite possible to have time to write down. But if you didn't have time, you can switch to tariffs in manual mode. To do this, press the "enter" button at any time. In the photo, it is under the red LED. Press the button (pressed / released) until the required value appears. To switch to the next, click again. Not difficult at all.

It will be a little more difficult with the calculations, since you will have to calculate the number of consumed kilowatts for each zone. This is where all the difficulties will end. You now know how to take readings of a multi-tariff electricity meter. All other models of Mercury counters differ little in this regard. Even their buttons look the same and are located in the same place.

Energy meters

The reading of the energy meter of the Energomer day-night (two-tariff or multi-tariff) occurs in the same way. The difference is that the button on these electricity meters is called "PRSM" (view). There can be two or three buttons, depending on the modification.

Electricity meter Energomera CE301

When you click on this button, numbers appear, showing how many kilowatts have been "clocked" for each tariff zone. There are no more differences.

Take readings from the Mikron electricity meter

In Mikron multi-tariff electronic electricity meters, there is only one button on the case, and you must press it to display the required readings on the screen. Only in this case it is necessary to wait until the display shows "check marks" above the letters "T1" and "R +" (see photo). This will be the indication for the first tariff.

How to take readings from the Mikron electric meter model SEB-1TM.02M

Then click on the same button until the checkmarks appear above T2 and R +, if there are more zones, click on. This is how they take readings from this day / night counter.

Saiman meters

Now, in many regions, old induction meters are replaced free of charge with electronic ones, and most often Saivan devices are installed. These are very simple devices, they do not have buttons with which you can forcibly "scroll" the readings. You just have to wait until the required value is displayed. That is, in this case, to take readings of the electricity meter, just wait until the required value (TOTAL) is displayed and write it down to the receipt (or transfer it to the appropriate service).

To make it easier to navigate, here is the order in which the data is displayed in a given electric meter:

• date;
• time;
• counter number;
• gear ratio (1600);
• TOTAL - readings of a single-tariff meter or are displayed in sequence T1, T2, TOTAL for day / night meters (two-tariff).

The receipt must record the TOTAL or T1 and T2 readings and also the general TOTAL. Let us remind you once again that you need to write down only the whole part, excluding the digits after the decimal point. You can watch the same information in video format.

Counters with automatic data transmission

Many manufacturers of electricity metering devices produce models that transmit readings over a specially organized channel in automatic mode. The installation and configuration of this equipment is a more complicated process, but you will not need to worry about how to transfer the readings of the electricity meter. They "leave" themselves.

How to take readings from three-phase meters

Three-phase electricity meters are of two types - the old type, requiring transformers and electronic direct connection (without transformers). If an electronic one is installed, it is necessary to take the readings of the electricity meter in the same way as described above.Just write down the values, wait until the necessary information is displayed on the screen, or "scroll" the data to the required page.

Connecting an electric meter in a three-phase network through current transformers

If a large power is allocated or there is an old-style metering device, a transformer is installed on each of the phases. To take readings in this case, you need to know the transformation ratio. The readings taken must be multiplied by this factor. The resulting figure will be the actual consumption.

But in general, you need to read the contract. The calculation procedure should be spelled out there - in some organizations they write out readings, below they put down the transformer data or the transformation ratio, and the actual calculations are made by the operator himself. So if you have a 3-phase meter, check the form and procedure for calculations when installing and sealing the metering device and putting it into operation.