How to read a three-phase electricity meter

A three-phase meter shows more screens than a single-phase one: kWh, kVAh, kVArh, maximum demand, and voltage and current for each phase. Read the unit that your bill uses.

kWh or kVAh: check your bill
Per-phase V and A are live values
From makers and specifications

The screens, in a typical order

Use this one

A typical screen set, drawn by us. Most home bills use cumulative kWh.

How to read it

Look at your last bill. Find the unit it uses: kWh or kVAh.
Wait for that screen on the meter, or step to it with the button.
Write down the whole number, with the zeros at the start.
Ignore the decimals unless your bill shows them.

What the specifications set

The CEA smart-meter specification sets an order for three-phase smart meters. First come the display check, date and time, and recharge and balance. Then come kWh, kVAh, maximum demand, power factor, voltage and current for each phase, and load. (CEA specification)
Some tariffs bill in kVAh, for example the EV charging tariff in Maharashtra. Check the unit on your bill.
A solar net meter records import and export separately. WBSEDCL’s specification says the legends are factory-programmable. (WBSEDCL)

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) ER300P	An 8-digit backlit LCD: 6 digits and 2 decimals. Up and down buttons, which also work on battery in a power cut. It keeps kWh, kVArh, kVAh, maximum demand and up to 8 time-of-day registers.
HPL three-phase keypad prepaid meter	The catalogue lists the same screen types as its single-phase prepaid meter: kWh first, then kVAh and the credit balance.

Questions

Is my three-phase bill on kWh or kVAh?

Most home tariffs use kWh. Some tariffs bill in kVAh. Your bill shows which unit it uses, so read that screen.

Why does my three-phase meter show three voltages?

It shows one voltage and one current for each phase. These are live values, not readings.

What does a solar net meter show?

It keeps import and export in separate registers. The legends are factory-set, so check the labels on your meter.

Next step

Work out units from two readings All meter types How to read your bill

Sources

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.