Reading Meters

Electric meters record the total amount of electricity used.

You can check your consumption by learning to read your own meters.

Access PNM meter reading schedule
Access form to submit self-reading

The dials and numbers

To read your electric meter, refer to the four, or in some cases, five dials on your meter.

Go across the dials from left to right and write down the lowest number the hand of each dial has passed.

The dials on the electric meter below indicate 7 3 1 5 6.

Determining consumption

To determine the amount electricity consumed since your last meter reading, subtract the previous reading from the current reading.

Test your meter reading skills

Apply what you've learned above with our self-testing meter reading tool. Don't forget to note the direction in which each dial is moving.

Take the meter reading test