Meter Multipliers – Every meter has one. Some meters have two different ones. This discussion is to help you understand a meter multiplier.
What are they? A meter multiplier is the basic unit of measurement for a particular meter. In decimal math, that means the digit to the furthest right that actually moves. Here are some examples:
What does billing do? Billing will seek to convert a reading (or set of readings) to a unit of measurement that is suited for rate calculations, and one that the general public is familiar with. As an example, a meter reading representing 100 gallons will be converted to single gallons, which allows the public to more accurately understand their usage. Using the readings above, this would be as follows:
Electronic versus meter face – there are some occasions where the meter face reads in one unit of measurement and the electronic output in another. A common example is a water meter that reads in tenth or hundredth gallon on the face. The electronic output of a water meter is usually in ten-gallon increments. The following would be true:
Notice that 1.12 does not register on the transmitter. The transmitter is reading in ten-gallon increments, so anything beyond the tens digit is pure speculation.
Billing calculations – the billing department calculates usage in gallons by taking the ending reading, minus the start reading, and multiplying the result by 10. That would look like this:
Common multipliers: