Contents
For monthly payment for consumed electricity, it is necessary to transfer data to the subscriber service or independently carry out calculations. In any case, it is necessary to take the readings of the electricity meter, and then take the appropriate actions. How to do this – consider further.
We take readings from induction meters
Induction meters can be distinguished by a spinning wheel, which is located just below the frame with numbers. These numbers are the meter readings. The number of digits depends on the model.
How many digits to write off
Usually there are 5, 6 or 7 digits on the induction meter display. In most cases, the last digit, less often two, are separated by a comma, color, or differ in size. All numbers after the decimal point are not taken into account when taking readings. They show tenths and hundredths of a kilowatt and should not be taken into account. That is, all numbers after the decimal point are not taken into account.
But it is worth remembering that there are models of counters in which there is no comma. In this case, when taking readings, it is necessary to write off all the numbers. If this is not done, sooner or later you will have to pay the difference, and it usually turns out to be sooo big. So be careful.
If you are not sure if your meter has a comma, write off the model, name and call the subscriber service of the electricity supplier. Let them clarify how many digits in your case need to be written off when taking readings. You can also call the controller to the house or clarify these data with the electrician of the management company.
How to shoot
Immediately after installing the meter, you were given an act in which the initial numbers are indicated. When it comes to take readings from the light meter, take a piece of paper, copy there the readings that are currently available (excluding the numbers separated by a comma). You can also not rewrite the zeros that are at the beginning – up to the first digit (see photo).
For further calculations, data for the previous month is required. In the first month of use, you take them from the installation certificate, and in the future you either need to keep receipts or keep a log book. Where and how they will be stored is your choice.
Some subscriber services work in such a way that you don’t even need to count anything, you just need to transfer data at a certain period of time. Their automated system will write it to your personal account (or the operator will do it), then it will make the accruals on its own and generate a receipt. You will only have to pay the invoice. But even in this case, for control, you can consider how much you have to pay for electricity on your own. Of course, it is unlikely that computers will make a mistake (they think), but you never know …
How to count
In order to calculate the electricity on the meter yourself, subtract the one that was before from the number you just wrote. Get the number of kilowatts used for the last period.
For example, consider the readings in the photo above. Let the previous ones be 4852, the current ones 5101 (we ignore the numbers after the decimal point). We consider the power consumption: 5101 – 4852 = 249 kW. To find out how much you have to pay, you need to multiply the received number of kilowatts (in this case, 249 kW) by the tariff. Get the amount that you have to pay for the light.
If the counter is standing for a long time, sooner or later it will “reset” – zeros will appear in the first positions. How to calculate the electricity consumption in this case? Everything is very simple. This time, you will have to rewrite the readings with all zeros, and put “1” in front of the first. For example, you sewed to take readings from the counter, and there only the last digits are different from zero. Or, as in the photo below, it costs only one.
Rewrite the value as it is, with all zeros (but do not write the numbers after the decimal point), put one before the first zero, and then count as before. Let’s count the readings in the photo. We write off the reading by putting “1” in front: 100001. Let the last readings be 99863. Subtract 100001 – 99863 = 138 kW. Total consumption for the reporting period amounted to 138 kW. In the future, write off the readings of the electric meter as before, without leading zeros and without substituting a unit.
Readings of electronic electricity meters
In electronic electricity meters, not a mechanical display with “jumping” numbers, but an electronic one is installed. It can display not only numbers showing how many kilowatts have been spent, but also the date, meter operation time, and some other data. In most electronic light meters, these data change each other after a few seconds. If the meter is multi-zone, the readings for each zone are sequentially displayed (T1, T2, T3, T4).
To take readings of an electronic type electricity meter, you can wait until the necessary information appears and write it off. The second option is to press the enter button. You may have to click more than once – until the necessary information appears. It can be identified by the icons that appear on the screen. Usually this is T1, T2, T3, T4 or the word TOTAL.
For example, in the photo below, on the screen in the upper left corner we see the T1 icon and a little further on the larger numbers – 72,69. If you look closely, there are units of measurement behind them – kWh. This is the consumed electricity in the first zone T1 (daily tariff).
After the necessary data has been displayed, they are recorded in the receipt and then the calculations are carried out (described above). If the data just needs to be transferred to the subscriber service, they can be written down on a piece of paper.
Be careful! Here, too, it is necessary to rewrite only the whole part, ignoring the decimal places. For example, in this case (in the photo above), it is necessary to transfer or carry out calculations only with the number 72 without a “tail”.
How to take readings from a Mercury 200 meter
There are single-tariff Mercury counters (in the specification they are designated as 200.00), and multi-tariff ones (with numbers after the dot other than zero, for example, Mercury 200 01, it can also be 02 or 03). They differ in the number of zones, as well as the presence / absence of a control panel.
Regardless of the model, readings are taken in the same way. You just have to press the “enter” button a different number of times or wait for more numbers to appear.
Mercury 200 electric meters alternately show the time, date, then tariffs for zones. First, the time is displayed in the usual tariff – hours, minutes, seconds are shown a little higher. Then, after a few seconds, the date appears on the screen. It is also displayed in the standard format: day, month, year.
After that, the display of tariffs starts. The name of the tariff appears in the upper left corner: T1, T2, T3 or T4. Their number depends on the model you have installed. They all light up one by one. At this stage, they can be written (the whole part, without decimal places).
After all tariffs, a checksum of all tariffs appears. Then the cycle repeats – time, date, tariffs, total value, etc.
The numbers on the screen change every 5-10 seconds, depending on the setting. You might as well write it down. But if you didn’t have time, you can switch to tariffs in manual mode. To do this, at any time press the “enter” button. In the photo it is under the red LED. Press the button (pressed / released) until the value you require appears. To switch to the next, click again. Quite easy.
It will be a little more difficult with the calculations, since you will have to calculate the number of kilowatts consumed for each zone. This is where all the difficulties end. You now know how to take readings of a multi-tariff electricity meter. All other models of Mercury meters are not much different in this regard. Even their buttons look the same and are located in the same place.
Energy meters
Taking readings from the energy meter of the Energomer day-night (two-tariff or multi-tariff) occurs in the same way. The difference is that the button on these electricity meters is called “PRSM” (view). There can be two or three buttons – depending on the modification.
When you click on this button, numbers appear showing how many kilowatts have been “winded up” for each tariff zone. There are no more differences.
Take readings from the Micron electricity meter
In multi-tariff electronic electricity meters Mikron, there is only one button on the case, and you must press it to display the required readings on the screen. Only in this case, you need to wait until the display shows “checkmarks” above the letters “T1” and “R +” (see photo). This will be the first rate.
Then we press the same button until the checkmarks appear above T2 and R +, if there are more zones, we press further. This is how the readings are taken from this counter day / night.
Saiman counters
Now in many regions old induction meters are replaced with electronic ones for free and most often they install Saivan devices. These are very simple devices, they do not have buttons with which you can forcefully “flip through” the readings. You just have to wait until the required value is displayed. That is, in this case, take the readings of the electricity meter – just wait until the required value (TOTAL) is displayed and write it down on the receipt (or transfer it to the appropriate service).
To make it easier to navigate, here is the order in which the data is displayed in this electric meter:
- date;
- time;
- counter number;
- gear ratio (1600);
- TOTAL – readings of a single-tariff meter or are displayed sequentially T1, T2, TOTAL for counters of the day / night type (two-tariff).
It is necessary to write down the readings of TOTAL or T1 and T2 in the receipt, as well as the total TOTAL. Let us remind you once again that you need to write down only the whole part, without taking into account the numbers after the decimal point. You can watch the same information in video format.
Meters with automatic data transfer
Many manufacturers of electrical energy meters produce models that transmit readings via a specially organized channel in automatic mode. Installing and configuring this equipment is a more complicated process, but you will not have to worry about how to transfer the readings of the electricity meter. They “leave” themselves.
How to take readings from three-phase meters
There are two types of three-phase electricity meters – the old type, requiring transformers and electronic direct connection (without transformers). If an electronic one is installed, it is necessary to take the readings of the electricity meter in the same way as described above. Simply write down the values, wait until the desired information is displayed on the screen or “flip through” the data to the required page.
If a large power is allocated or there is an old-style meter, a transformer is installed on each of the phases. To take readings in this case, you need to know the transformation ratio. The readings taken must be multiplied by this factor. The resulting figure will be the actual expense.
But in general, you need to read the contract. The calculation procedure should be prescribed there – in some organizations they write out readings, put down the transformer data or the transformation ratio below, and the operator himself makes the actual calculations. So if you have a 3-phase meter, specify the form and procedure for calculations when installing and sealing the metering device and putting it into operation.