How to read a digital electricity meter?

Digital meters with remote management have arrived in our lives, but not everything that glitters is gold. In other words, not all electricity meters or digital meters currently have remote management or remote meter reading —sending readings remotely— activated. Until this way of measuring the electricity meter is activated on a large scale —right now we are talking more about a testing phase—, a good way to always have bills based on real readings is to take them ourselves and send them to our electricity supplier. How do you read electricity consumption on a digital meter? We explain it.

What is the difference between a digital electricity meter, a remote management meter and a smart meter?

Although they are often used as synonyms, they are not the same:

• Digital meter: it replaced the old analogue meter. It measures your consumption in kWh and shows it on the screen, but it does not always connect remotely.
• Remote management meter: this is a digital meter that also automatically sends readings to the distribution company and allows remote operations to be carried out.
• Smart meter: this includes digital and remote management functions, and adds extra features for the user, such as viewing consumption by time slots and optimising energy spending.

How to read a digital electricity meter?

If you have a 2.0TD tariff

Even if you have a flat fee, such as Holaluz’s Tarifa Justa, or a single price for all 24 hours of the day, you must take three different readings, one for each registered energy period. Taking Enel digital electricity meters as an example, as they are among the most commonly installed today, you should navigate through the options by pressing the only button they have several times until you see the codes 1.18.1, 1.18.2 and 1.18.3. These correspond to the three energy time periods into which the day is divided: peak, standard and off-peak. Bear in mind that not all electricity meters —digital or otherwise— are this model, so it is advisable to check the specific manual for your meter.

If you have a time-of-use tariff

In this case, your bill will show three different periods in the energy term, each with its own price for each time slot. To read the electricity meter, the process is the same as in the previous case: you need to view the three electricity meter readings, one for each billed energy period.

In some cases, you may find the code 1.18.0, which indicates the totaliser, that is, the sum of the total peak (1.18.1), standard (1.18.2) and off-peak (1.18.3) readings up to that moment. Here you can find all the details about time-of-use tariffs, in case you were not familiar with them.

If you have a 3.0TD tariff with more than 15 kW of power

Here, reading the electricity reading becomes more complicated, as these electricity meters must measure 6 readings for 6 different periods for active energy, 6 more for reactive energy —surplus energy generated by the operation of motors, transformers and similar equipment— and 6 more for the maximum power demanded —also known as the maximum demand meter—. To these 18 readings, the three totalisers for active energy, reactive energy and power must be added. In total, 21 readings.

The most common electricity meter models in this case are the ACE 6000 and the Landis+Gyr. Let’s look at what the codes for the latter would be with a reading simulation:

• Active energy: the series is the same as in domestic electricity meters. 1.18.1, 1.18.2, 1.18.3, 1.18.4, 1.18.5 and 1.18.6. 1.18.0 would be the totaliser, the sum of active energy consumption, expressed in kWh.
• Reactive energy: 1.58.1, 1.58.2, 1.58.3, 1.58.4, 1.58.5 and 1.58.6 are the six reactive energy periods, expressed in kVArh. The totaliser has the code 1.58.0.
• Maximum demand value: 1.16.1, 1.16.2, 1.16.3, 1.16.4, 1.16.5 and 1.16.6 indicate the maximum power demanded. 1.16.0 shows the maximum value demanded across the six periods.

How do I send my reading to Holaluz?

First of all, we should be clear that, at least in the case of Holaluz, sending your electricity reading is not an obligation, but an option designed to correct any error in the reading passed on to us by the distribution company.

When you become our customer, the distribution company starts sending your electricity meter readings to us instead of to your previous company. However, the frequency is not always the same and the data does not always arrive on time when the bill is issued, so sending your reading can be a very good way to keep your consumption up to date.

You can send us your reading —always during the last days of the month— from the “Send reading” section in your Customer Area. To log in, you only need the email address you use to communicate with us and a password. If you do not remember it or did not enter one when signing up with Holaluz, ask the system to send you a new one by clicking on “I forgot my password”.

Now that you know how an electricity meter works and how to read it, if you need personalised advice on any other electricity-related topic, you can contact us. We will help you with everything related to how your digital or electric meter works and with any questions you may have about your consumption.