Reading Your Gas Meter
IMPORTANT: Keep access to your meter clear.
Gas meters measure the amount of gas used by continually filling and emptying compartments inside the meter with natural gas, which moves the dials on the face of the meter or the index. Your monthly gas bill is calculated in part by comparing a monthly reading obtained from your meter with the last recorded reading on file. The difference between the two readings indicates the total amount of gas used during that period.
Although your meter dials may not look exactly like those in the diagram below, these instructions can be used to read most residential meters, regardless of meter style or manufacturer.
How to Read Your Gas Meter
Read the meter dials left to right. If a hand is between two numbers, always read the smaller number except when the hand is between zero and nine, in which case you read the number nine. In the illustration above, dial 1 reads “6”, dial 2 reads “1”, dial 3 reads “8”, and dial 4 reads “7”. The correct reading for this meter is “6187”.
Digital Meters
Note that some newer gas meters use digital displays instead of dials. The difference between one month’s reading and the next is the amount of energy units that have been used for that billing period.