- 1). Locate your meter. It is usually mounted on an outside wall for single-unit dwellings. Apartment complexes often have meter banks with an individual meter for each unit.
- 2). Look from right to left on the meter at the clock face-like dials to see where each hand points. Most meters have three to five dials, and each is numbered from zero to 10. Note each reading. Use the smaller of the two numbers if the hand is between digits, regardless if it is closer to the larger digit.
- 3). Check the dial to the right if the hand is directly over a number. If the dial on the right has passed zero, use the number the hand is over. Otherwise, use the next smallest number. For example, if the second dial hand is over the five, but the third dial hand is over the nine, the reading for the second dial is four.
- 4). Write down each dial reading to get a total three- to five-digit number. This is your meter reading. Compare the reading at different time intervals -- such as one day later, one week later, one month later and so on -- to learn how much electricity you use.
- 1). Find your water meter, which often is located in a box near the street front. The box may be in your basement if you live in an extremely cold climate.
- 2). Pry the meter cover off gently with a screwdriver. Lift off the protective cap, if present. You will see a meter similar to a car's odometer. Check whether the meter is labeled as gallons or cubic feet to learn your water company's unit of measurement.
- 3). Read the entire output from left to right. Include the stationary or "lazy" zero at the end, if applicable. This will be a number at the far right which does not move. The number on the dial is your water meter reading.
- 4). Compare the reading at different time intervals -- such as one day later, one week later, one month later and so on -- to learn how much water you use.
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