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If you are looking to cut down on your gas and electricity bills, learning how to read your meters can help you increase your energy savings. When you are familiar with your gas or electric meter readings, you know how much gas or electricity your household is consuming at any time. It’s important to know how to do this because you can verify that the utility company is billing you properly. You can also monitor your energy usage from month to month. This helps to maximize energy savings.

Natural gas use is measured by the hundreds of cubic feet (CCF) or by Therms, which is one CCF or 100 cubic feet. Sometimes natural gas is measured by the thousands of cubic feet (MCF). Most gas meters have four dials, each showing a series of digits between 0 to 9. Always read the meter dials from left to right.  Always record the lower number when the dial arm is sitting between two numbers. Note that if the dial arm is in between 0 and 9, the lower number is always 9. Jot the numbers down. Then, subtract the previous month’s reading from the current reading. The difference is the amount of household gas used.

Electricity is measured in watts. One kilowatt equals one thousand watts of electricity. Most electric companies charge for the number of kilowatts used in an hour or kWh. One kWh equals one thousand watts of electricity used in one hour. When you read an electric meter, you read the dials from right to left. The dials show a series of digits between 1 to 10. Read each dial by locating the dial arm. If the dial arm is between two numbers, record the lower number. After reading each dial, multiply the final number by the meter multiplier on your electric bill. The result is the number of kilowatt hours or kWh you have used since the last reading date.

Home Comfort Experts is happy to answer any questions you have about residential HVAC services and offer advice on getting the energy savings you and your family deserve. Contact us any time.

Home Comfort services the Mishawaka/South Bend areas of Indiana.