Have you ever received a nasty shock when your electric bill arrived? Maybe the amount you owed skyrocketed when you turned on the air conditioning for the summer, or the refrigerator started breaking down and consumed an excess of electricity. No matter what the cause of your sky-high electric bill, once you use the electricity, you have to pay for it. One way you can get a heads-up on any unusually high consumption is to keep an eye on your electric meter. Read on to learn how to read the meter so you are prepared when the bill shows up at your door.

Is Your Meter Digital or Dialed?

If you're lucky, you have a newer electric meter with a digital display, making it a cinch to see how much current is coming in. Simply compare your consumption from one month to another and you'll quickly be able to figure out if you're using up more energy than normal.

Traditional electric meters are a bit trickier to read, but you don't have to be an electrician to decipher them. These older meters have dials instead of a digital display, and they don't all spin in the same direction. With a little practice, however, you can figure out how much power you are using and get a ballpark idea about what the bill will be.

Spinning Clockwise, Spinning Counterclockwise

On a traditional electric meter, there are five dials that go between 0 and 9. To read the meter, follow these steps:

There's one more twist -- if the dial is pointing exactly to a number, and the next dial to the right points to a nine, you should subtract one from the dial that points to the exact number.

Now you've got your reading, and you can simply track how much it changes from month to month to get a handle on your energy use.

Getting Smart About Your Meter

If your utility has already implemented smart electric meters, it's even easier to follow your consumption. Not only is the display in easy-to-read digital form, but the meter can provide updates on how much you're using as often as every fifteen minutes. That way, you can get an alert in real-time if your usage spikes so you can track down the culprit before you have to shell out a fortune in bills.

In addition to monitoring your own consumption, it's a good idea to watch the meter so you will know if the utility company accidentally overcharges you. If you need any help figuring out how to read your meter, contact a trusted electrician today.

Almost 2/3rd of Americans decorate there home with some sort of electric lights during the holiday season.  Over half require the use of some sort of extension cord and or power splitter during there holiday lighting decoration process.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Reports that Christmas tree fires alone cause on average an estimated $16.2 million in direct property damage, 16 injuries, and 6 deaths every year.  This statistic does not include injures or deaths due to outdoor lighting electric shock or fall injuries such as ladder work.

Electricity savings help customers to reduce the energy bills and environmental degradation. With technology becoming more affordable, most households are increasingly relying on electrical appliances. However, inefficient equipment or usage ends up costing the consumer more money unnecessarily.  Low electricity consumption not only saves the energy costs, but also means using less fossil fuel, nuclear and coal to generate the power.

Consumers have all the control on their power needs, and the best way to achieve electricity savings is by understanding all the requirements and then optimizing the way they use the appliances. While some users might not be aware of the many small things they can do to reduce their reduce electricity costs.

The electrical inspection checklist is perhaps one of the most important documents you’ll want to take notice of if you are building a home or doing significant renovations. In short, it is a rundown of all of the electrical systems in place. It ensures your home’s electrical system meets the requirements set by local codes and overall electrical safety standards. While each contractor and local area may have its own version of this electrical system checklist, it’s important for you to know what to expect.

Generally, this inspection tool is a way for the contractor, local building departments, and licensing agencies to ensure the electrical work completed on a building is safe and done according to industry-wide protocols for safety. It helps home inspectors to ensure that electrical installation meets specific guidelines set forth under local building codes. It also works as a way for contractors and project managers (as well as homeowners) to know what’s been done, what’s going to be done, and what needs attention.

Here’s a look at some of the elements of this electrical inspection checklist you’ll see. You can use this as a basic guide before asking your electrician or building contractor for a copy of your own: