How to read your meter
How much electricity did you use today? During the past week or month? Your electric meter has the answers, and you can too, if you know how to read it.
When you buy gasoline, you are charged by the gallon. When you buy electricity, the three main components of your bill – distribution, transmission and supply — are charged in cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). One kWh is how much electricity it takes to light one 100-watt bulb for 10 hours.
Usage info, and Much More, Available Online 24-7
Digital meters put more
information in the hands of our customers,
allowing you to make more informed decisions
about your energy consumption.
Just like traditional
meters, digital meters measure how much electricity you use. The main
difference is digital meters collect that information more times
throughout the day.
You can view your electric use at your convenience, 24-7, by going to our free online
portal at DuquesneLight.com/MyElectricUse. In addition to checking your electric
use, you’ll be able to take advantage of a wide range of customized tools that give
you more insight into how and when you use electricity, with the ultimate goal of
helping you make more informed decisions about your energy consumption.
The portal features helpful information, such as:
- How does your most recent bill compare to last month’s?
- Why do your bills differ month to month and year to year?
- Free tips to reduce your usage.
Reading Your Digital Meter Is Easy
For those of you who would like to physically read your new digital meter, it’s easy!
You already may have noticed that your meter scrolls through several different displays.
These screens, which are pictured below, show a variety of system and
diagnostic information in addition to your kilowatt-hour usage.
The screen you should be looking for to measure your usage, shown above, has a five-digit number – in this case, 01227. To find out how much energy you have used in a given time, subtract this reading from a second reading taken at a later date. For example, if you go back to the meter a week later and it reads 01382, then you have used 155 kilowatt-hours during that time period (01382-01227=155).
Other Scrolling Displays
In addition to your kilowatt-hour usage reading, there is a variety of other information that scrolls through the display sequence. Below are examples of those system and diagnostic screens that provide valuable information to Duquesne Light.