How to read a 24hr electricity meter

Reading a mechanical 24hr meter

There is a single display on every mechanical 24hr meter which shows your property’s cumulative electricity consumption in kWh. This is the total amount of electricity used since the meter was connected.

To understand it, you’ll need to:

1. Read all of the numbers on the display from left to right
2. Ignore any numbers on the right hand side in red, or which are in a red box
3. Include any 0 digits at the start of the reading on the left

The number in red is ignored since it represents fractions of an electricity unit, and you only count whole units used.

Reading an electronic meter

If you have an electronic 24hr meter, then your cumulative electricity usage is shown on a digital display. To read it:

1. Read all the digits on the display from left to right
2. Include any 0 digits at the start of the reading on the left
3. If there is a comma or decimal point, do not read any digits to the right of it

Working out how much electricity you’ve used

To see how much electricity you’ve used since your last meter reading, you subtract the old reading from the current one. This gives you the amount of kWh you’ve used since.

• Old reading: 30640 kWh
• Current reading: 31480 kWh
• Electricity used: 840 kWh

If you have night storage heating

If you have 24hr electricity, and also night storage heating, then you may have two separate electricity meters. One of these displays the night storage heaters’ usage, and must be read separately in the same way.

FAQs

Do I have to submit meter readings?

Yes, if you don’t have a smart meter, you will need to submit meter readings to your supplier to get accurate bills. Someone from the ESB will also come up to four times a year to perform meter readings.

What does the dial do on a 24hr meter?

The revolving dial below the display on a mechanical 24hr meter spins faster or slower depending on how much electricity you’re using. Gear attached to the disc controls the numbers on the display.