When you get to 10 pennies, dial #1` returns to the 0, and dial #2 moves from 0 to 1. In other words, dial #2 counts 1 dime every time dial #1 makes a complete rotation.

Now think about kilowatt hours again. When dial #1 makes one complete rotation, it means that the meter has counted up 10 kilowatt hours. Dial #1 will then return to 0, and dial #2 will go from 0 to 10 kilowatt hours. When dial #2 reaches the 0 again, that means there are 100 kilowatt hours on the meter. Dial #2 will go back to 0, and dial #3 will go from 0 to 1. And so on.

The meter is read from right to left. When the arrow on the dial is resting between two numbers, the lower of the two is used. For example, if the indicator on dial #3 were between the 3 and the 4, you would read this as 300 kWh.

On some meters, all the dials are numbered clockwise (the way a clock is numbered). On other meters, every other dial is numbered in the opposite direction. The first number to the left of the 0 is 9. If this is the case on your meter, don’t let it worry you. No matter which way the dials are numbered, the numbers value remains the same. In other words, if the arrow is pointing to a 9, it means 9 no matter which side of the 0 it is on.