​​​​​​​Reading your gas meter

Gas meters measure the amount of gas used by continually filling and emptying compartments inside the meter with natural gas, which moves the dials on the face of the meter, or the index. Your monthly gas bill is calculated in part by comparing a monthly reading obtained from your meter with the last recorded reading on file. The difference between the two readings indicates the total amount of gas used d​uring that period.

Although your meter dials may not look exactly like those in the diagram below, these instructions can be used to read​ most residential meters, regardless of meter style or manufacturer.

Read your Meter Dials

How to read your gas meter​​

​Read the meter dials left to right. If a hand is between two numbers, always read the smaller number except when the hand is between zero and nine, in which case you read the number nine. In the illustration a​bove, dial 1 reads "6", dial 2 reads "1", dial 3 reads "8", and dial 4 reads "7". The correct reading for this meter is "6187"​.

For a more detailed instructions, in English and Spanish, ​download How to Read Your Gas Meter (PDF).