Meter Monitor

Where Do My Energy Dollars Go?
The energy experts at Tri-County Electric Cooperative offer this brochure to help you use electricity more efficiently. One way to become a more efficient consumer is to learn to read your meter. Another is to learn how to calculate the cost of operating your household appliances. We work to use innovative technologies to provide reliable electricity at the lowest possible cost. And when it comes to conserving energy – knowledge is power!

How To Read A Meter
Electricity usage is measured in kilowatt-hours. To find out how many kilowatt-hours you’ve used in a given time period, you should regularly check your electric meter. Your electric meter is digital and easy to read.

Take a few minutes each day to record the reading from your electric meter on the meter monitor chart. Start at the first of the month and try to read your meter around the same time each day.

By subtracting the previous day’s reading from the current day’s reading, you will know how many kilowatt-hours you’ve used in the past 24 hours.

Three Steps To Help You Save Money:
Step 1. Use an average cost per kilowatt-hour of 9 cents
in your calculations.

Step 2. To determine how many kWh are required to
operate an appliance:

kWh used =wattage* x hours used (or fraction of an hour)
÷ 1000 watts

*Wattage should be printed on the serial plate of the appliance. If it is not listed, multiply:

RUNNING LOAD AMPS (RLA) x VOLTS = WATTAGE

Step 3. To find the cost of operating the appliance:
Cost = kWh used x cost per kWh

How Do I Calculate Operating Costs For Appliances With Thermostats?
Some appliances contain a thermostat that turns the appliance on and off during use. If the appliance has an indicator light, record the intervals of time the light is on.

> Click here To See Detailed Meter Chart <

> Click here To Calculate Your Meter Monitor <