Mercury Energy - New Zealand Electricity & Gas Provider Energy Education - Helping kids learn about energy!
Home
What is energy
What is gas
Safety
Projects and fun experiments
Build your own flashlight
The power of the lemon
Make a switch
How to read your meter
Fun stuff games and more
Useful links
Mercury.co.nz

 
 
         
  Digital   Clock dial   Electronic   Gas  

Digital meter

  • Read your meter numbers starting from the left
  • Read to the unit 1
  • Don't read any digits marked in red
  • Don't read any digits after a decimal point
  • Don't read the 0.1 unit
  • In this example the reading is 00123

Clock dial meter

This reading is 94 690.

When reading these meters, you ignore the 1/10 unit (this is usually marked in red). You need to read the 5 remaining units from left to right – start at unit 10,000 and finish at unit 1.

There are two important rules:

  1. When the hand is between two numbers write down the lower number.
  2. When the hand is on a number - write down the number BEFORE the one it's on.
    Special note: You will need to check the very next right hand unit, if this one's hand is between 0 and 1 you will need to then write down the actual number the hand is on (not the one before).

If you can't get the hang of this just draw the hand positions onto the dials on the back of your bill.

Electronic meter

An electronic meter could be in place if your pricing option is based on two separate meter readings. An LCD reading will show you the two readings and a total reading, whether by scrolling automatically (if it is a black meter) or at the push of a button (if it is a beige meter). In an example where the meter measures hot water usage separately from other power usage:

Electronic meter test

This is a test pattern. You do not read this.

Electronic meter both readings

This is the total of both readings. You do not read this (0 will show on the beige meters).

Electronic meter excluding hot water

Reading 1 is the units used for electricity other than hot water. YOU DO READ THIS, reading is 123456.

Electronic meter only hot water

Reading 2 shows units used for hot water. YOU DO READ THIS, reading is 112345

Gas meter

  • Read your meter numbers starting from the left.
  • Read up to the decimal point. Don't read any digits past the decimal point or in red.
  • In this example the reading is 1291.

Energy school
project information
(Pdf- 1.3mb)
Download Science
Lesson Plan
(Pdf- 21kb)
Decorate a Star for Starship!
To find out how your
class can get involved,
click here.
Energy Education
in Te Reo Maori
  Email Us