The electricity meter number, which is well hidden among many confusing signs, is often difficult to find on appliances. In this article, we will show you how you can still reliably determine the important number of your electricity meter and read the current meter reading yourself.
How to find the electricity meter number
If you want to read the electricity meter yourself or change your electricity provider, you will need the number of your electricity meter, which can be found on many electricity suppliers’ bills. If there is no number on the bill, you will need to look directly at the electricity meter. There are many cryptic characters and often two longer numbers after the abbreviation “Nr.”! It also helps to know that the electricity meter number is usually also displayed as a barcode.
- On the new digital (white) and previous analog (black) devices, the electricity meter number is directly above the barcode.
- The barcode is missing on older analog electricity meters. The meter number is then at the bottom of a thin metal plate attached with two rivets.
- Most analog devices have the name of the electricity supplier, such as “Stadtwerke” or “Elektrizitätswerke”, directly above the electricity meter number. Or there is a note saying “Property of the grid operator”.
- Each electricity meter number can be assigned to exactly one consumption point. Therefore, the number of digits in this number varies greatly and can comprise up to approx. 15 characters.
- In the home, the electricity meter is located either in the cellar, hallway, storage room, utility room or garage, usually right next to the main fuse box.
How to read the electricity meter
Because electricity providers no longer have their employees record the meter readings, consumers have to read the electricity meters themselves. This applies not only to annual electricity consumption, but also to moving house or changing electricity suppliers.
- The analog electricity meters show the previous electricity consumption in kilowatt hours (kWh) with their mechanical counter. If you read the electricity meter yourself, you should only take into account the digits before the decimal point and inform your grid operator via a meter reading card or via their online portal.
- You determine the electricity consumption in the corresponding billing period as the difference between the current meter reading and the data on the last bill.
- The digital electricity meters usually display two different meter readings in succession. You can switch between these readings at the touch of a button.
- If you have booked a standard electricity tariff, only the “Total consumption (1.8.0)” reading is relevant for you. This value measures your electricity consumption, i.e. the amount of electricity purchased from the public electricity grid and delivered to your home. Here, too, you only need to take the sequence of digits before the decimal point into account when reading.
- If you operate a photovoltaic system on the roof, the other measured value “2.8.0” is also important. This value shows your electricity feed-in to the public grid. The balance of your electricity consumption results from the difference between the measured values 1.8.0 and 2.8.0 on the day of reading.
