How to read an analog electricity meter

1. Anatomy of an analog meter

A typical analog meter has 4 to 5 small circular dials in a row above a spinning aluminium disc. The disc rotates faster the more electricity you use — but it isn't what you read. The dials are. Each dial represents one digit of the total kWh reading, from most significant (leftmost) to least significant (rightmost).

2. Reading the dials

• • Read the dials left to right. Ignore the spinning disc.
• • For each dial, note the number the pointer has last passed. Adjacent dials rotate in opposite directions — one clockwise, the next anticlockwise — so watch which side "past" is on.
• • If a pointer sits exactly between two digits, write down the lower digit. Exception: if the dial to its right reads 9, use the higher digit instead (the higher dial hasn't quite ticked over yet).

Example: dials reading 1 · 2 · 4 · 8 · 3 mean the meter total is 12,483 kWh.

3. Turning the reading into a monthly bill

Just like a digital meter, subtract last month's reading from this month's:

Units this month = current kWh − previous kWh

Enter that number into Power Charge with your provider (usually BPDB or BREB for analog meters), connection type, and sanctioned load. The calculator applies slab pricing, demand charge, meter rent, and VAT.

4. When to ask for a digital replacement

BPDB and BREB are actively replacing analog meters with digital or STS prepaid units. If yours is faded, sticky, or the disc doesn't spin under load, request a replacement through your local utility office — readings from a damaged disc meter can be off by 10% or more, and you're the one paying for that error.

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