Your utility meter records the amount of electricity or natural gas you use. Reading your gas and electric meters may look complicated, but it's actually easy. Reading is like reading a clock; You look where the hand is pointing on the dial. Each clock face shows a base-10 character making up the number. The tricky part is remembering that every other character/clock runs backwards! Electric meters record your energy use in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Gas meters record your energy use in cubic feet of natural gas. In most cases, the utility company comes to your home every month to read your meters. This is how they determine your utility bills. Many utility companies are implementing a more advanced system that uses a radio signal to transmit your energy usage. A meter reader then has to merely drive by your house to read your meter. This saves time and cost, and it keeps dogs from biting the meter readers.