MRAB Meter Reading Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a test meter or check meter installed alongside a customer's main meter?
- To supply backup power
- To verify the accuracy of the main meter (Correct answer)
- To measure reactive power only
- To reset the main meter remotely
Correct answer: To verify the accuracy of the main meter
A check meter is installed to compare readings against the main meter and confirm it is measuring consumption accurately.
Question 2: When a gas meter is located in an enclosed pit, a meter reader should:
- Enter immediately and read the meter
- Use a flashlight to read through the lid without entering (Correct answer)
- Skip the read and mark it as inaccessible
- Pry the lid off and lean in
Correct answer: Use a flashlight to read through the lid without entering
Meter readers should use a flashlight or mirror to read pit-mounted meters from above to avoid hazardous confined space entry.
Question 3: A water meter shows a small leak indicator (red triangle) spinning continuously even when no water is in use. What should the reader do?
- Ignore it — it is normal
- Note it on the read card and report a potential leak to the customer or office (Correct answer)
- Turn off the main valve
- Replace the meter on the spot
Correct answer: Note it on the read card and report a potential leak to the customer or office
A continuously spinning leak indicator with no apparent water use suggests a leak somewhere in the customer's plumbing and should be flagged for follow-up.
Question 4: On an electric meter with a rotating disc, the disc spinning very fast most likely indicates:
- Low power consumption
- The meter is about to fail
- High power consumption at that moment (Correct answer)
- A reversed meter connection
Correct answer: High power consumption at that moment
The disc rotation speed on an electromechanical meter is directly proportional to the rate of electricity consumption — faster means more load is being used.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes a 'multiplier' on a utility meter?
- The number of dials on the meter face
- A factor by which the meter reading must be multiplied to get actual usage (Correct answer)
- The meter's serial number prefix
- The number of billing cycles per year
Correct answer: A factor by which the meter reading must be multiplied to get actual usage
Some meters use a multiplier (e.g., ×10 or ×100) so that the displayed reading must be multiplied by that factor to determine actual consumption.
Question 6: A meter reader arrives and cannot access the meter because a locked gate blocks entry. The correct action is to:
- Climb the gate
- Estimate the reading based on prior usage
- Leave a door hanger and report the meter as inaccessible (Correct answer)
- Return the following month without noting anything
Correct answer: Leave a door hanger and report the meter as inaccessible
Standard utility procedure requires leaving a notice for the customer and flagging the account as inaccessible so a follow-up read or estimate can be properly processed.
MRAB Meter Reading Techniques 2
What is the primary purpose of a test meter or check meter installed alongside a customer's main meter?