Your local utility company reads your meter and transmits this information
to Reliant Energy. If you have questions about a specific meter read, contact
one of our Customer Care Representatives at
(713) 207-7777 or toll free
(866) 222-7100, 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week.
How do I read my electricity meter?
Your electricity meter measures the amount of electricity you use in
kilowatt-hours (kWh). For example, a 100-watt light bulb burning for 10 hours
uses one-kilowatt hour.
Reading your meter often, along with careful observation of the weather and
the appliances you use, can help you manage energy consumption and evaluate the
effectiveness of your appliances. By noting high-consumption activities, such
as air conditioning in the summer, you’ll be able to determine where your
energy dollars are going. It’s also the best way to know exactly how much
electricity you’re using — and how much your energy-saving measures are
reducing your electricity usage.
Types of Meters
There are two types of electricity meters: dial and digital. With a little
practice, both are fairly easy to read and understand.
Digital Meters
With digital meters, all you have to do is read the meter like the mileage
odometer in your car. Every time the number increases, that's another
kilowatt-hour used.
Dial Meters
Each dial on this meter represents one digit in the total number of
kilowatt-hours you've used since the last time your meter was read. Most meters
have five dials with 10 numbers and a pointer that turns when electricity is
being used. Look closely, and you'll see that the numbers go around the face
clockwise on some of the dials, and counter-clockwise on every other dial.
How to Read your Meter
Read the dials starting with the meter on the far right and ending with the far
left, writing down the numbers in the same order.
Write down the number that each hand has just passed. Remember that some
dials have counterclockwise numbers and every other meter has clockwise
numbers.
If a hand is directly on a number, look at the dial to its immediate right.
If that hand has just passed zero, write down the number that the left meter is
pointing to. If that hand has not passed zero, write down the last number that
the meter on the left has passed.
Making Sense of Your Meter Reading
Once you’ve learned how to read your meter, it's easy to figure out how much
electricity you've used since your last electric bill.
Look at last month’s electric bill to find the recorded reading.
Subtract last month's reading from the number you just took off your
meter.
The result is the total number of kilowatt-hours you've used since your
last reading.
Total Days Between Readings May Vary
Your meter is read once a month. Because of weekends, holidays or the length of
the month, the total days between each meter reading may vary. This is why it’s
possible for your monthly usage to increase or decrease from the previous
billing period even though your average daily use remains the same.
Is there a type of electric meter I can obtain that can be read from the street?
Yes. Offsite Meter Reading (OMR) uses radio-equipped handheld computers to read module-equipped electric meters via radio without the need to directly access the meter or customer premise.
Some of the advantages of OMR meters include:
Improved meter reading accuracy
Eliminates denial of access issues caused by hard-to-reach meters due to gates, pets in the yard, etc.
Meter reader does not have to enter your yard to read the meter
To order an OMR meter, please call us at (713) 207-7777 or (866) 222-7100, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may also email your request to us by using our online email form.
How can I obtain an offsite meter reading (OMR) meter?
To order an OMR meter, please call us at (713) 207-7777 or (866) 222-7100, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You may also email your request to us by using our online email form. Please note that your local wires company charges a set fee for installing OMR meters, and fees vary by company. You can find out the price when contacting us with your meter request.
Once we receive your request for an OMR meter, we will send the installation request to your local wires company. Your local wires company will need access to your current meter to install the OMR meter. Please provide us with instructions on how to access your meter and contact information so that we can include that information in our OMR request to your local wires company.
OMR meters are normally installed within 15 days, but may take up to 30 days to install from the day the request was received. The OMR installation fee will appear as a line item on your Reliant Energy bill under the Current Electricity Charges Detail section.
What can I do if I think the estimated meter reading on my bill may be higher than my actual usage?
Perform a self-reading of your meter following the “How to Read Your Meter” instructions above, then send us your reading through our online tool.
To get started:
Log on to your Reliant Account (Don’t have an online account? No problem. Setting one up is fast and easy)
Once you are logged on, you can navigate to the Energy Savings Center and click on the Self-Read Meter link
Enter your meter number, which you’ll find on the front of the meter, at either the bottom or the top of the face plate (Learn how to locate and read your meter)
Enter the five-digit meter reading
Enter the date you performed the self-reading
Enter your email address
Click the Submit button
Our Customer Care team will use this information to determine if the reading you obtained is less than the reading used to bill your account. Once our investigation is complete, we will email your results to the address you provide in the form.
You will need to contact your local poles and wires company — the company
responsible for maintaining and repairing the wires, poles and equipment in
your area.
Houston and surrounding areas:
CenterPoint Energy: (713) 207-2222 or toll
free, (800) 332-7143
Texas New Mexico Power: Toll free,
(888) 866-7456
Dallas/Ft Worth and surrounding areas:
Oncor Electric Delivery (formerly TXU): Toll free,
(888) 313-4747
Texas New Mexico Power: Toll free,
(888) 866-7456
South Texas:
AEP: Toll free, (866) 223-8508
West Texas:
AEP: Toll free, (866) 223-8508
Oncor Electric Delivery (formerly TXU): Toll free,
(888) 313-4747
