Citizens Utility Board | Consumer Information | Natural Gas

CUBFacts
Reading Your Meter

Your meter is the property of the utility and you are obligated to provide the company access to it. If the meter is located in a secure part of your residence, such as in the basement or behind a locked fence, you must make arrangements to have the meter read by the utility. But you can make these appointments at a time that is convenient for you, including evenings and weekends.

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You can read your own meter and either phone in the reading or send it in on a postcard provided by the utility. You also can arrange for the meter reader to have the keys to the property. If providing access to the meter is a serious problem for you, you can ask to have the meter moved outdoors. However, the company is allowed to charge you for this work.

If you want to read the meter yourself, call the utility and ask to be put on its “dial in” program. The company will give you a deadline by which you must send in or phone in your reading. Readings received after the deadline will not be accepted and readings that are either too high or too low also will be rejected. If the reading you report is in line with your past readings, the utility will accept it and will not do a meter reading that month. The company will take actual readings periodically and you are required to provide access to the meter for these readings.

Taking A Reading

1. Gas meters measure usage in “cubic feet,” while electric meters measure usage in “kilowatt hours.” If there is more than one gas or electric meter in your building, find the meter with the serial number that matches the serial number on your bill. Your meter will have either four or five dials to read. Note that every other dial will move counterclockwise.

2. If the arm on a dial lies between two numbers, write down the smaller of the two numbers. The exception to this is if the arm lies between 0 and 9. In that case, write down 9. If it looks as if the arm on a dial has fallen exactly on a number, check out the dial to the right to be sure. If the arm on the right dial lies anywhere from 0 to 5, then the arm in question has fallen exactly on the number. If the arm on the right dial lies anywhere from 6 to 9, then the arm in question still is on the previous number.

3. If the actual meter reading is lower than the number shown on your bill, call the utility and ask for a billing adjustment. If you think the meter isn’t working properly, call the utility. You are entitled to one free meter test per year. You have the right to be present during the test and to receive a written report of the results.