Reading a dial meter
Stand square to the meter
Make sure you can see every pointer clearly.
Start at the left-hand dial
Write down the number each pointer shows, working left to right. Ignore any red dials, Ausgrid advises.
Between two numbers? Take the lower
If the pointer is between 9 and 0, write 9. If a pointer looks as if it is on a number but has not quite reached it, record the number below.
Check the direction
Evoenergy notes that some dials count in the opposite direction, so read each one by its own numbering.
Older counter-style meters, with rolling digits like a car's odometer, are simpler: write down the digits from left to right.
Reading a digital or smart meter
Digital meters cycle through their screens every few seconds, or when you press the display button. Each screen shows a short code and a reading. Ausgrid says the first screen after the date and time on its interval meters is always the total kWh. Codes differ between meter models and networks, so treat this as an example only:
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 01 | Time |
| 03 | Total main circuit kWh on a basic meter |
| 07 | Total off-peak (controlled load) reading |
| 13 | Solar energy exported, on single-phase solar meters with an off-peak circuit |
| 18 | Meter serial number |
Solar homes
A solar meter records energy bought from the grid and energy exported in separate registers. Make sure you are reading the right one before comparing it with your bill. See net metering.
Working out how much you have used
Find the last reading
Your bill shows the start and end reading for each meter or register.
Read the meter today
Use the same register as the bill.
Subtract
Today's reading minus the bill's end reading is the kWh used since then. Divide by the days to get a daily figure.
If your bill says "estimated", a reading of your own can show whether the estimate was fair. See estimated reads and meter types and NMIs.
Common questions
On a dial meter, read each dial from left to right and write down the lower number when a pointer is between two. On a digital or smart meter, let the display cycle, or press the button, and note the kWh reading for each register shown on your bill.
The lower one. If the pointer is between 9 and 0, write down 9.
Subtract the previous reading on your bill from the reading on the meter today. The result is the kWh you have used since the last read.
No. Smart meters send readings to your retailer remotely. Reading one yourself is only useful to check your bill or watch your use.
Ausgrid notes that smart meter readings may not match the start and finish reads on your bill, because the bill covers set dates. Some homes also have more than one meter or register per tariff, and all of them need to be read.
Some networks and retailers accept them. In the ACT, for example, Evoenergy accepts a photo of your meter by email with your name and address. Ask your retailer how it handles customer reads.
Sources
Every rate on this page comes from the regulator or the regulated retailer. Last checked October 2026. Prices include GST unless we say otherwise.