It's easy to read your electric meter. Most meters utilize a counter as shown here to record your electric consumption. The counter looks similar to the speedometer on your car. It records the total number of kilowatts registered by the meter.

The reading recorded by our meter reader once a month is shown on your bill as your current reading.

The meter reading each month is compared to the previous reading (shown on your bill as the previous reading) and the mathematical difference between the two readings is your monthly kilowatt-hour usage.

The eight-digit number across the bottom of the meter (below the spinning wheel) is the serial number of the meter, and is used by Santee Electric Cooperative to reference the meter location. If you move, the meter number is a quick and easy way for us to locate the house where you need electricity turned on or off.

Older meters may use dials to record the electricity used; most have five dials, some only have four. Each dial represents one digit in the total number of kilowatt-hours you have used since the last meter reading by Santee Electric Cooperative. To read this kind of meter, read the dials from right to left and record the number that each hand has just passed.