Reading Your Electric Meter

A residential electric meter measures how much energy you use. Energy use is calculated in kilowatt-hours or the number of kilowatts of power used times how many hours of use in a one-month billing period.

The equation for energy is:

     Energy = Power x Time

It's often abbreviated like this: E = P x T

The units of the equation are:

     kilowatt-hours(Energy) = kilowatts(Power) x hours(Time)

or

     kWh = kW x hr

By reading the meter at the same time each day, you will get an idea of the amount of electricity you used. By writing each daily reading in an "Energy Diary," you can "chart" increases and decreases in energy use. By making notes when a particular energy activity is done like doing the laundry or cooking, you will know how your "energy dollar" is being spent.