Load meters are devices found in electric meters that indicate peak electricity usage. They come in two types, mechanical and electronic, with the latter transmitting a signal to utility companies. Personal load meters are available for purchase to monitor energy usage and control appliance usage more efficiently.
A load meter is a device commonly found inside electric meters installed by utility companies. The primary function of this gauge is to indicate the peak electricity usage since the monitor was last read, normally to determine if there have been any sudden power surges in the last month that would have invalidated other readings. Homeowners can also use the technology to determine ways to reduce energy and when most of their electricity consumption occurs. Some load meters also have a separate gauge that measures the current voltage (amperes) drawn by the utility company in real time, making it easier to track energy savings levels.
There are two distinct types of load meters installed around the world; mechanical and electronic. Mechanical load gauges are usually round, with a glass casing around their perimeter, and along the dial, there will be several dials giving various readings. The largest dial on this type of system is the actual load reading and will indicate a certain number measured in kilowatts (megajoules). If the dial is between two numbers, the smaller of the two is recorded by the utility company. Some mechanical load meters have a second large dial, usually red in color, which indicates the current drawn by the house.
An electronic load meter works exactly the same way in principle, but instead of multiple dials, all information is displayed on a small digital screen. This type of meter transmits a weak signal that utility companies can receive from several hundred yards or meters away, eliminating the need to physically inspect the cargo meter boxes except when tampering is anticipated. The downside to this type of load meter is that the display is simply a number which often has no bearing on weekly or monthly usage, so it means little to the consumer when trying to estimate or track usage.
An individual load meter is also available for consumer purchase to monitor energy usage more efficiently. These devices feature a standard electrical connector that allows you to plug in any household item that runs out of a current, and the readout display can be programmed to track energy usage by the hour, day, or month. By controlling every major appliance in the home, consumers will better understand which items use the most energy and how to control their usage more efficiently. Some of these personal load meters are even pre-programmed with information about which current-model appliances draw energy for comparison purposes, making it easier to decide when is the right time to upgrade.
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