How to read an electronic electricity meter
Most homes have a single-phase electronic meter with an LCD. It shows several screens in turn. The reading for your bill is the cumulative kWh screen, in whole units.
- Find the kWh screen
- Ignore kVAh, MD and kW
- From discom specifications
The screens, in a typical order
A typical screen set. The cumulative kWh screen is the one to read.
How to read it
- Wait. The screens change every few seconds.
- Find the screen that shows kWh and a whole number.
- Write down all the digits, with the zeros at the start.
- If nothing changes, press the button on the meter once for each screen.
- Subtract the reading on your last bill. The answer is your units.
What discom specifications set
| Discom specification | Screens that change by themselves | The kWh screen |
|---|---|---|
| MSEDCL | Date and time, load now, kWh, maximum demand, cover open | Whole units, no decimals. It stays 20 seconds; other screens 6. |
| KSEB | Display check, battery, date and time, tamper status, kWh, voltage, current, power factor, load | Whole units. It stays 20 seconds; other screens 6. |
| PGVCL (Gujarat) | Date, kWh, past maximum demand, then voltage, current and load, with kWh after every other screen | 6 digits, whole units, 10 seconds a screen. |
| BSES (Delhi) | kWh, serial number, date, time, maximum demand, voltage, current, load. No button. | 6 digits. It stays 30 seconds; most others 5. |
| WBSEDCL | Only kWh. Press the button for the other screens. | 6 digits, whole units. |
| Saubhagya specification (UPPCL) | LED check, time, date, serial number, kWh, maximum demand, kVAh | 6 digits, whole units. |
Each discom sets these screens in its tender specification. Every specification lets the discom change the order.
Screens that are not your reading
| Screen | What it is |
|---|---|
| kVAh | Apparent energy. It is usually a little larger than kWh. Homes are mostly billed on kWh. |
| MD or MD kW | Maximum demand: the highest load in the month, in kW. It has decimals and is small, for example 1.24. |
| kW (load) | The load at this moment. It changes while you watch. |
| V, A, PF | Voltage, current and power factor. These are live values, not readings. |
| kWh with decimals | The high-resolution kWh screen for testing. Use the whole-number kWh screen for your bill. |
| Last month kWh, or a history screen | The reading at an earlier billing date. Many meters keep 6 or 12 months. |
| kWh for a time zone (ToD) | Energy in one part of the day only. Some meters show several time zones. |
| Date, time, serial number | These screens have no units. The serial number can look like a reading. |
The lights on the meter
- Phase (green). The meter has supply. (source)
- CAL, or the imp/kWh LED. It blinks with your load. The number beside it, for example 3200 imp/kWh, gives the blinks for one unit. (source)
- EL or ELT. Earth leakage: unequal current in the phase and neutral wires. Do not ignore it. Ask an electrician to check the wiring. (source)
- REV. Reverse flow of energy, from the home to the grid. On a meter without solar, tell your discom. (source)
- N cut. On some meters: a loose wire at the meter end. (source)
What the makers say
| Maker and model | What the maker states |
|---|---|
| Lauritz Knudsen (formerly L&T) EM101+ | A 6-digit backlit LCD. Cumulative kWh shows as 6 whole digits; a separate high-resolution mode shows decimals. Screens change by themselves, or with one push button. Some models also show kVAh, maximum demand and the last 6 months of kWh. |
| HPL single-phase LCD meter | An LCD meter with indications for current reversal and supply. The catalogue gives no screen order. |
| Secure Saral | A touch actuator changes the screen. The meter keeps kWh, kVAh, maximum demand, up to 8 time-of-day registers and 12 billing periods. The public brochure gives no screen order. |
| Genus SHIKHAR-100 and SUGAM | Genus says the screens carry standard codes and icons, but its site lists no screen order and no codes. |
Questions
Which number on my electronic meter is the reading?
The screen marked kWh with whole numbers and no decimals. On most meters it stays on screen longer than the others.
Why does my meter show a number with decimals?
That is the high-resolution kWh screen for tests, or a demand or load screen. Use the whole-number kWh screen.
My meter shows only one number. Is that the reading?
On some meters, for example the WBSEDCL specification, kWh is the only screen until you press the button. Check that it shows kWh.
Sources
- MSEDCL, Technical Specification for LT single-phase static energy meters, DIST/MM-IV/009
- KSEBL, Technical Specification for LT single-phase static energy meters with LCD and ToD
- PGVCL, Technical Specification of single-phase 5-30 A static meters with LCD
- BSES, Detailed Meter Specification I-10-1A, single-phase meter 10-60 A
- WBSEDCL, Technical Specification for single-phase static energy meter, class 1.0, 5-30 A
- Saubhagya single-phase 5-30 A static meter specification (UPPCL circular, 2020)
- Tata Power-DDL, Customer Handbook FY26, pages 4-5
- BSES Yamuna, Info Guide (5th edition), Know Your Meter
- BSES Yamuna, FAQ (EL, REV and N cut LEDs)
- CESC, Know Your Electricity Meter
- Lauritz Knudsen (formerly L&T) metering catalogue: EM101+, Aurora, ER300P
- HPL, single-phase counter and LCD meter catalogue
- Secure Meters, Saral brochure
- Genus, SHIKHAR-100 single-phase meter page
Read on 16 October 2026.
The drawings are ours. They show the kind of screen, not a real meter. Your discom can change the order of the screens, so your meter can differ. Brand names only tell you which meter a fact applies to; ebbillcalc is not part of any maker or discom.