How to Read Your Meter

On this page you will find:

Helpful Terminology
Meter Accuracy Info
How to Read your Meter
How your Meter Works
RP&L Meter Readers

Electricity is used more than any other source of energy in the United States. Just about everything we use every day is powered by electricity...our stoves, microwave ovens, lamps, stereos, and televisions, just to name a few.

Electricity is produced by burning coal, which heats water to make steam. The steam turns a "turbine," which turns a "generator rotor," which produces electricity. Basically, the process turns heat energy into electrical energy.

Terminology

Amp: Short for "ampere," a unit of electric current.
Circuit: The path an electric current flows.
Fuse: A device that contains an element that protects the electric current by melting when overloaded.
Kilowatt: One-thousand watts of power.
Meterbase: The enclosure, usually mounted on a wall of the dwelling, which hold the watt-hour meter.
Volt: A unit of electrical potential. The higher the voltage, the greater the electric power.
Watt: A unit of electrical power. For example, the higher the wattage of a light bulb, the brighter the light.

Meter Accuracy

Electric meters are extremely accurate recording devices. All meters must pass rigid testing before RP&L's Meter Department will install them. We routinely test your meter every 16 years. It is seldom found that a meter runs fast. If anything, the older the meter, the slower it will become. When your electric bill seems high, keep in mind the possibility that you might have a greater number of days included in this bill, or that you are comparing it to a previous bill where the weather conditions were not similar. It would always be better to compare your bill with the same month last year instead of comparing it to your last month's bill because of the changes in temperature. If, after considering these factors, your bill still seems too high, we would be happy to speak with you about some other possibilities. Please feel free to call our meter department at 973-7243.

RP&L Meter Readers place high importance on reading your meter correctly. Our billing calculation allows for a window in which the reading "should" fall. In other words, we have an idea of what your reading is most likely going to be, therefore, allowing us a method of catching errors before your bill is printed. When a reading falls outside this window, either higher or lower than what seems normal, then the address appears on a report. From this report, a meter reader will return to the address to double-check the reading and make any necessary adjustments before you receive your monthly bill.

Read Your Meter

With a little practice you can learn to read your own meter and calculate the kilowatt-hours you've used each month. RP&L uses several different display styles on the meter faces. The dial register is being phased out and replaced with digital meters. A dial register displays 4 or 5 dials with pointers very much like a watch. (A digital meter displays numbers in place of the dials.)

A dial register is read from right to left by reading all dials and recording the reading in this same sequence. The reason for reading the dials from right to left is that the right-hand dial governs the one on its left in each instance. Each pointer must complete a revolution to advance the next pointer. Therefore, unless a pointer has passed the zero, the pointer at its left has not actually reached the number where it appears to rest.

The reading will be:

To read the example above:

1. Start with the right most dial and right the numbers down right to left.
2. If the pointer is between two numbers, use the lower number.
3. Keep in mind that the dials on the right must make one full rotation before the pointer will move to the next number on the dial to its left.

To figure the approximate cost:

1. Record your first reading.
2. Record your second reading one month later.
3. Subtract your first reading from the second to determine kilowatt usage.
4. Multiply the number of kilowatts by .09 cents for an approximate cost of electricity.

How Meters Work

Each RP&L meter is enclosed in a glass case. Within the case is a revolving disk which in turn rotates a series of numbers or dials. The disk rotates as electric current passes through the meter to measure the exact amount of kilowatt-hours used. The speed varies depending on how much electricity you are using in your house, thus indicating current consumption. The more electricity you use, the faster the rotation. Meters without disks sometimes have flashing lines or digits on their display to indicate current consumption.

Electricity is measured in kilowatt-hours.  Richmond Power & Light's residential customers pay an average of nine cents per kilowatt hour (Kwh) of electricity. This includes taxes, facilities charge, and fees. Your average cost per kilowatt hour will probably be a little bit different, depending on the total number of kilowatt hours you use each month. The more electricity you use, the less you pay per kilowatt hour. For an example, you may figure that a 100 watt light bulb burning for 10 hours uses one kilowatt-hour. Your home heating and air conditioning equipment is the largest user of electricity in your home. The second largest user of electricity is most likely your water heater. Then comes major appliances such as washers, dryers, stoves and refrigerators.

The chart below will show you an estimate of how much electricity the appliance uses per month on the average, and the estimated monthly cost to operate the appliance for a specific amount of time:

To calculate cost to run any other device:

To calculate the approximate usage for any device you must first know it's rating in watts. A typical space heater has a name plate that says on it somewhere 1500 Watts. Then you have to know about how many hours it will run per day, let's say 8 hours per day. First you calculate how many Kilowatt-hours: KWH = ( Watts / 1000) x Hours per day x 31 days per month. Then calculate the cost of those Kilowatt-hours: KWH x $0.09 = approximate monthly cost. So for our heater running 1500 watts 8 hours per day for 31 days: KWH = ( 1500 /1000) x 8 x 31 = 1.5 x 8 x 31 = 372 KWH And the 372 KWH will cost approximately $0.09 each: 372 x .09 = $33.48 per month. You can use the formula above to calculate the approximate cost for any electrical appliance once you find its rating in watts and know approximately how many hours it will run per day.

RP&L Meter Readers

Richmond Power & Light has a meter reader come to your home or business each month. Our meter readers carry identification and wear RP&L uniforms. Please ask to see identification if you have a concern. They normally come on the same day each month. If your meter is located inside your home, you will need to let them in to get the reading. Otherwise, they will leave a blue card that will allow you to read your own. The card has simple instructions for you to fill out and then return to us.

It is extremely important for the safety of our meter readers that you remember them when you put up new fences, lock gates, get new dogs, or visibly obstruct a meter. If you have an extra key for a locked gate, back porch, basement, or building, you are welcome to give it to us so we may have access without bothering you. All keys are kept in a vault and are only taken out the day we read your route. Please do not allow weeds, vines, or decorative items to block access to your meter at any time.

Meter readers read meters in order each month. Each day is one cycle, therefore, we know exactly what day we read your meter, what day we print and mail your bill, and when it will be due. If it would be helpful for you to know on what cycle you are read or billed, then please call our billing department. Unfortunately, we are not able to make changes in the routes just so the bill will be due on a different day of the month.