Free Analog Electric Meter Reader (Dials)
Point your phone camera or drop a photo to decode rotating clock dials. Interactive 5-dial decoder enforces neighbor-dial rounding rules.
How to Read Analog Electric Dial Meter (5 Dials) Accurately
Standard analog electric meters have 4 or 5 dials. Always read from the leftmost dial (highest multiplier) to the rightmost dial (1s units).
Because mechanical gears interlock, adjacent dials spin in opposite directions! Dial 1 spins Clockwise, Dial 2 Counter-Clockwise, Dial 3 Clockwise, Dial 4 Counter-Clockwise, and Dial 5 Clockwise.
When a pointer rests between two digits, always record the smaller number. For instance, between 4 and 5, write 4. (When between 9 and 0, the lower value is 9).
If a pointer looks like it points directly on a number, check the dial directly to its right! If the right dial has not yet reached zero (e.g. sits on 8 or 9), the hand has not actually reached the digit yet—record the lower number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mechanical dial meters use a train of 10:1 gear reductions behind the faceplate. As one gear turns clockwise, the adjacent interlocking gear turns counter-clockwise. Our interactive tool highlights CW and CCW arrows for each dial to prevent reading errors.