How and Why to Read Your Own Gas Meter

If your home is heated with natural gas, your monthly gas bill is determined based on how much natural gas you use. The meter is read monthly or bi-monthly by the local gas company and the difference between that gas meter reading and the prior one determines how much gas you will be billed for. Many gas companies are moving to automatic read meters that do not require the gas company to go to customers' homes to read the meter. They can be monitored remotely. In some areas, these monitors can even be accessed by gas customers in their online account. However, most gas meters today are still the old-fashioned dial meters that must be read manually.

But why should you have to know how to read your own gas meter? There are several reasons:

Budgeting

Natural gas usage can be a large component of your overall monthly spending, especially in the north. The ability to read your meter before the gas company provides you with a bill lets you budget appropriately without any large surprises.

Accuracy

Dial gas meters involve a set of analog dials with a hand that circles the dial. Although relatively easy to read, it still requires an experienced eye and some subjectivity. It is possible for the gas company to make an error in reading the dials and your own readings con confirm gas usage in the event of a billing dispute with the gas company.

Usage Monitoring

Reading your natural gas meter in real time can give you valuable information on how much energy your gas appliances are using. You can gather and record daily gas usage and see what impact a new gas stove or high efficiency gas furnace will have on your gas bill.

How to Read Your Gas Meter

Your natural gas meter will have four or six dials on its display. Newer gas meters may have digital readouts which make reading almost effortless. If reading a typical dial meter, the following is important information to read your gas meter accurately.

1. The dial numbers go in opposite directions to the ones beside them. So, for example, the first dial might go counter clockwise from 1-9 and the next will be clockwise. Many dials will have an arrow to show you which way to read them. Always read from the smallest number towards the largest.

2. If the dial hand falls between two numbers, choose the smaller number. If it falls exactly on a number, look to the dial immediately to the right. If that dial's number is 0 or just above, record the number that the dial in question is pointing to. If the second dial's number is higher than "1", record one number less than the number the dial is pointing to.

Reading your own gas meter can provide you with information necessary to keep your gas bill to a minimum and ensure that you are being billed the correct amount by the gas company.

Sources:
Reading Your Gas Meter
How to Read a Gas Meter