Meter Information

Your household meters register your water and electric usage, and are read monthly by Springfield Utility Board’s (SUB’s) meter reading staff so that we can render a bill. Knowing where your meters are located and how to read them yourself are both good practices.

Meter Location

Each household has an electric meter that is installed on the exterior of the residence:

Located 2 to 5 feet from the front corner of the house
About 5 to 6 feet from the ground
At least 3 feet from windows, doors, and fire escapes

It should have unencumbered access. Please contact our Electric Service Center for meter location specifics.

How to Check Energy Consumption

Electric meters measure energy use in “kilowatt-hours.” A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is the amount of electricity required to burn one 100-watt bulb for 10 hours.

Your electric bill is calculated in kWh. By reading your meter at the same time each day, you can see exactly how much electricity you used in a 24-hour period. Just subtract yesterday’s reading from today’s reading. By writing down your consumption daily, you can chart increases and decreases in your energy use. By noting high consumption activity, such as laundering or cooking, you will know how you are spending your energy dollar.

If you’d like to know how much energy your household is using:

Select a time of day and read your meter
Read it again at the same time the next day
Subtract the smaller number from the large
The remainder is the amount of energy (expressed in kWh) your household used in that 24-hour period

How to Read your Meter

If you are interested in watching your watts, your meter will tell you how much you are using from month to month. But you’ll need to learn how to read your meter. Depending on whether you have a newer digital meter or one of our standard mechanical meters, reading the meter will be different.

Digital Meters

For digital meters, just read the number from left to right, as you would a car odometer. You may or may not have a “zero” in the first position. If you do, ignore it and write down all the numbers afterward. If you don’t, just write down the number as-is.

Mechanical Meters

Reading a mechanical meter isn’t difficult, but some special knowledge is required.

Most electric meters have a series of either 4 or 5 dials that look like clock faces. To read them:

Start at the dial furthest to the right and then read them going from right to left
Write the numbers down right to left also (i.e. opposite how you will finally read them)
If the needle on the dial is between numbers, record the smaller number.
- For example, if the needle is between 4 and 5, write down the number 4
If the pointer seems to be directly on a number, look at the dial to the right
- If the pointer on the right-side dial has passed 0, then write down the number the pointer seems to be on
- If the pointer on the right-side dial has not passed 0, then write down the lower number on the dial you are recording

Note: The last dial on your meter turns clockwise, but the dial to its left turns counterclockwise, and the numbers are printed counterclockwise as well. The dials continue to alternate from clockwise to counterclockwise.

One other thing to watch out for: if the dial is between 9 and 0, think of the 0 as the number 10.

Examples

Ready to test yourself? Here are some examples to try:

meter practice

Meter Replacement

Electric meters are extremely accurate. Occasionally older meters run slow and register too few kilowatt-hours, so SUB is actually billing too little. We’re replacing those meters gradually, in a cost-effective manner.

Meter Safety

A final note: Never do anything to your meter except read it. Unauthorized meter entry is illegal and can result in disconnection, prosecution, and multiple service charges. Moreover, it exposes you to the risk of shock, explosion, or fire.

Automated Electric & Water Meters

SUB uses automated electric and water meters that allow staff to accurately record usage using a handheld device.

Unlike smart meters, which generally use active 2-way communication via a network connection between the meter and the utility, SUB’s automated meters emit a 1-way, low-power, intermittent radio frequency (RF) pulse that communicates with the handheld device via a short RF pulse. The meters transmit a total of about 20 seconds each day at RF energies far lower than levels emitted by other common household devices, such as cell phones, baby monitors, satellite TVs, microwave ovens, and WiFi.

SUB meters meet all local, state, and federal health and safety requirements.

How Water Use is Measured

Each household’s water meter measures water use in “cubic feet.” A cubic foot of water equals 7.48 gallons.

If you look closely at your utility bill, you’ll see that you are billed for water by the “unit.” Each unit is 748 gallons, or 100 cubic feet (the equivalent of a foot of water in a 10 foot by 10 foot room). The majority of water meters have a sweep hand (like the seconds hand on a clock) as well as a display that looks like a car speedometer.

How to Read Your Meter

To read your meter, ignore the last 2 digits on the right and record the remaining numbers (you will be left with either a 3 or a 4 digit number).

If you’d like to know how much water your household is using:

Select a time of day and read your meter
Read it again at the same time the next day
Subtract the smaller number from the larger
The remainder is the amount of water (expressed in units) used in that 24-hour period

How to Check for a Leak

To check for a leak:

Turn off all the water in your home
Write down all the numbers (including the last 2) on your meter
Note the position of the red sweep dial on your meter
Leave your water off for several hours, then check your meter again
None of the numbers or dials should have moved, if they have, you very likely have a leak

A qualified plumber can help you figure out where the leak is coming from, or call SUB’s billing department at (541) 744-3795 for additional assistance.

For more information on accessing your water meter, please see our Plumbing Maintenance page.

Automated Electric & Water Meters

SUB uses automated electric and water meters that allow staff to accurately record usage using a handheld device.

Unlike smart meters, which generally use active 2-way communication via a network connection between the meter and the utility, SUB’s automated meters emit a one-way, low-power, intermittent radio frequency (RF) pulse that communicates with the handheld device via a short RF pulse. The meters transmit a total of about 20 seconds each day at RF energies far lower than levels emitted by other common household devices, such as cell phones, baby monitors, satellite TVs, and microwave ovens.

SUB meters meet all local, state, and federal health and safety requirements.

Safe & Clear Access

SUB’s meter readers need to have safe and clear access to your meters

Walkways and decks must be clear of obstructions. Remember to trim back plants that may have grown around meters.
Pets must be leashed or kept indoors on meter reading days
Gates must be unlocked on meter-reading days. If this is not possible, see below for information on SUB’s gate lock program.
We can provide you with a courtesy gate lock that our staff can open

Courtesy Gate Lock Program

If your meter is behind a gate and you are unable to keep it unlocked on meter reading days, call SUB at (541) 744-3618 to get a free gate lock. This courtesy lock can be opened only by you and SUB staff. You can also find out when your meter is likely to be read.

Employee Identification

All SUB employees who work in the field carry employee identification. And meter readers wear distinctive shirts and jackets. If someone is on your property claiming to be a SUB employee, don’t hesitate to ask for his or her identification.

Estimated Bills

SUB will do everything possible to help you create safe access to your meter. If SUB can’t read your meter because of an obstacle or obstruction, your usage will be estimated and that will be noted on your bill. This estimate will be based on previous meter readings at the site.

Automated Meter Reading (AMR)

Like other area utilities, some of SUB’s residential electric meters include technology that allows them to be read without physical access to the meter. These meters are used in situations where safety or meter access are concerns, or to improve meter reading efficiencies and accuracy along certain routes. As with all meters, we ask AMR meters to be kept clear of obstructions. This allows staff to conduct routine maintenance and to access the meters on an as-needed basis to obtain a manual reading.