USMeterReading Glossary

The following terms are commonly used in Meter Reading and not necessarily in other fields. There is not industry-wide consistency, so definitions with more than one term are cross-references as much as possible. If you have terms not listed below or that conflict with those below, and that are common to meter reading and not just your company, please send them to the Webmaster.

Base - Back of the meter by which it is generally fixed and to which are attached the measuring element, the terminals, or the terminal block, and the cover.

Bring back - Meter readings that are "brought back" unread by the meter reader.

Case - Comprises the base and the cover. The case can be common to one or more meters.

Constant - Value expressing the relation between the energy registered by the meter and the corresponding value of the test output. If this value is a number of pulses, the constant should be either pulses per kilowatt-hour (imp/kWh) or watt-hours per pulse (Wh/imp).

Clip - meters that you have to go back on at the end of the route that you could not find, that are full of water, or full of mud, or any other reason it couldn’t be read while going by. It comes from the old days of meter reading when they had to use the flip books out in the field and the meter reader would have a pocket full of paper clips so if he had to skip one he could “clip” it and get back to it easy. (thanks, Brad)

Creep - A meter is said to creep if the rotor makes a complete revolution when the voltage coils are energized with rated voltage and with no current in any current coil (engineers version). A meter dial that advances without any usage by a customer.

Curbing - Entering a meter reading without viewing the meter dials (from entering reads while sitting at the curb).

Cyclometer - A meter with a spinning index, like an odometer, rather than dials. Often used to help customers read their own meters; they cause approximately 5x as many errors to experienced meter readers.

Deadhead - A person smart enough to appreciate the Grateful Dead. Also, the portion of a route that must be walked by without reading any meters (dead time) generally due to houses on only one side of a street or poor planning..

Demand - The rate at which the particular quantity, i.e. active energy, reactive energy, etc., is being supplied to the load. Generally, it is indicated, recorded or computed as the average obtained over a specified time interval.

Demand interval - The specified interval of time on which a demand measurement is based. Intervals such as 15, 30 or 60 minutes are commonly specified.

Demand meter - A meter that indicates or records either the demand, maximum demand, or both.

Demand register - Register which presents a reading that represents the average use of energy over some specified time interval. Reading usually called DEMAND kW or Maximum kW.

Demand reset - Device on front of meter cover which allows external reset of information in a register after reading has been made. Resets are sealable.

Disc constant K_h- The registration, expressed in units of the quantity being measured per revolution of the disc.

Display - 1. device which displays the content(s) of (a) memory(ies). 2. A means for visually identifying and presenting electronically measured or calculated quantities and other information.

Dog stick - A safety device carried by meter readers to prevent dog bites by offering the dog a target to bite other than the meter reader.

Error - A meter that is read by a meter reader but determined at a later time to be incorrect.

Error rate - The number of meter reading errors divided by meters read times one thousand (unfortunately most companies report errors per thousand instead of per cent as virtually all other industries). Note this does not include estimated meter readings.

Form number - Industry standard alpha-numeric number denoting the circuit arrangement for which the meter is applicable and its specific terminal arrangement. The same designation is applicable to equivalent meters of all manufacturers.

Full scale value - The largest value of the actuating electrical quantity that can be indicated on the scale or, in the case of an instrument having its zero between the end of the scale, the full-scale value is the arithmetic sum of the values of the actuating electrical quantity corresponding to the two ends of the scale.

Handheld - aka processor, datacap. A hand-held computer that collects and stores meter reading data.

Hazard code - Information that warns a meter reader of potential hazards such as animals at the premises.

Indicating demand meter - A demand meter equipped with a read out that indicates demand, maximum demand or both.

Interval - Time period, usually expressed in minutes, during which a demand device accumulates information used to give DEMAND kW.

K _h - sub is the meter disk constant and is the value in watt-hours for one revolution of the meter disk, or, for electronic meters, is the value in watt-hours of one pulse issued by the meter for test purposes.

Maximum demand - The greatest of all demands which have occurred during a specific period of time, usually the billing period i.e. a month, two months, etc.

Maximum demand indicator (demand attachment) - A mechanism intended for mounting in an electricity meter, which indicates or registers maximum demand.

Meter location - Information, often an abbreviated code, that describes for a meter reader and other employees who visit meters where a meter is located.

Meter multiplier - The factor by which the register reading must be multiplied to obtain the registration in the stated units.

Multi-rate meter- 1. Energy meter provided with a number of registers, each becoming operative at specified time intervals corresponding to different tariffs. 2. A meter provided with a register having more than one readout, each readout becoming operative at times corresponding to different rates of charge.

Non-volatile memory - Storage device which can retain information in the absence of power.

Pick up - A meter reading for a single meter that was not visited on the scheduled date due to being skipped.

Polyphase - Meter used on circuits with more than one phase.

Power Factor (PF) - The ratio of the active power to the apparent power. Power factor is given by cos 0, where 0 is the phase angle of the load.

Pulse initiator - 1. Any device used with a meter to initiate pulses, the number of which is proportional to the quantity being measured. 2. Device added to a meter to produce contact closures (pulses) proportional to meter disk revolutions. 3. Pulses normally fed to pulse-operated demand recorder.

Pulse metering - Any form of metering that uses pulses to accumulate data.

Read and record - The time allotted to read a meter and record the reading once a meter reader has dials in view.

Reads per meter reader - The number of meter readings obtained divided by the equivalent number of meter readers paid (full-time equivalents); not to be confused with the higher number, reads per route.

Reads per route - Better known as meters assigned per route.

Recording demand meter - A demand meter in which the indications of demand are recorded on a moving chart, paper or magnetic tape, or in solid state memory.

Register - 1. A device which registers the value of the quantity measured by the meter. 2. Electromechanical or electronic device comprising both memory and display which stores and displays information. 3. Device which accumulates billing information, and presents information with pointers, numerals (cyclometer), or digits on an electronic display.

Register ratio - A gearing ratio that defines the number of revolutions of the gear meshing with the rotor shaft for one revolution of the fastest moving pointer or digit drum.

Reset time (of a demand register) - The interval of time within each demand interval during which the coupling between driving element and demand indicator is disconnected to allow the driving element to be restored to its initial position.

Resetting device - Device which enables the maximum demand to be reset manually or by other means.

Right-angle adapter - A device used to turn a meter so it can be read by a meter reader.

Rotor - Meter disk & shaft assembly.

Route size - The number of meters in a route; or, the amount of time allotted to complete a route.

s base - Removable type meter which mounts into a pre-wired socket. Most self contained meters are S-base.

Sealing device - Means whereby unauthorized access to the interior and adjustments of a meter may be effectively impeded.

Self contained - Meter which carries load amperes and is energized with line voltage.

Skips - Single meters that are not read for whatever reason.

Socket - Base with jaws to accommodate terminals of a detachable watt-hour meter and which has terminals for connection to the supply line. It may be a single-position socket for one meter, or a multiple-position socket for two or more meters.

Solid state recorder - Device that accepts data pulses into solid state memory for later analysis.

Static watt-hour meter - Meter in which current and voltage act on solid state (electronic) element's to produce an output pulse frequency proportional to watt-hours.

TOU (Time-Of-Use) rates - Billing rates that vary with time of day.

TOU (Time-Of-Use) register - Device that accumulates data by time of day, by day of week, by holiday and/or by season.

Transformer-rated meter - A meter designed for use with specific instrument transformer ratios. It thus indicates, or records the primary quantity being measured.

Travel time - The amount of time allotted to travel from the base/starting point to the first meter on the route, plus the time from the last meter back to base.

Walk time - The amount of time allotted to travel from one meter to the next, ending when read-and-record time starts.

Window card - A "card" left for a customer to read and display their own meter readings where a meter reader cannot access the meter.

Sources: http://www.meterindustry.com/frame_index_gloss.html, contributing utilities