Customers are always asking us “How do I read my San Diego Gas & Electric Smart Meter”?
We want to be sure you understand every aspect of your home solar system. And while you can call Palomar Solar anytime for help, here is an easy guide to reading the display on your San Diego Gas & Electric smart meter.
Reading your new San Diego Gas & Electric Smart Meter is easy. Your smart electric meter automatically scrolls through several different displays. Each display remains on screen for three to five seconds.
Smart meters are digital devices that collect energy-use data and – unlike traditional meters – transmit and receive data, too. Electric energy use will be recorded every hour at your home and every 15 minutes at your business.
Scrolling Displays
These displays will show your kilowatt-hour usage, date and time and other network and diagnostic information that is useful to SDG&E and does not relate to your bill or energy usage.
This number represents what type of data is being shown:
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”01” = Date. Shown as month/date/year. For example, December 9, 2019 would display as 120919.
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“02” = Time. Shown in military or 24-hour time and includes seconds, For example, if it’s 7:17 p.m. and 17 seconds, the display will be 191717.
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“10” = Current meter read.
How to Read your Energy Usage
Using our example, the initial meter read is 001406. To find out how much energy you use in a given time, subtract this first reading from a second reading taken at a later date. For instance, if you go back to your meter later and it reads 001940, then you have used 534 kWh for that time period (001940 – 001406 = 534).
Detail of kWh Display A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is 1,000 watts of electricity used for one hour. For example, when you use a one-kilowatt appliance for one hour, you’ve used one kWh and your meter read display will show an increase in consumption of one. If you used the same one-kilowatt appliance for two hours, the display would increment by two kWh.
The energy use information collected by your smart meter will help you understand your energy habits and the best ways to save. In the future, you’ll be able to view your usage information through the Internet. Knowing how much energy you’re consuming on a daily basis can help you better manage your energy use and save money
Still have questions? Give us a call, we are here to help.