How Does the Electric Company Know My Power Usage Without Accessing My Meter?

[Jake Platt]

I put up a security gate requiring a code at the entrance to my property 6 months ago but the electric company has never requested access to read my meter. I have an old fashioned non-digital meter that cannot be seen from the road.

My bill references a specific KWh usage. How does the power company know how much power I am using? Seems they can't.

Thanks.

 

[Jake Platt]

I should add there is no wireless transmitter on the meter so they are not rearing it wirelessly.

 

[Danger]

Welcome to PF, Jake.
I suppose that you don't live where I do (most people don't ), so this might not apply to you. In my area, utility usage (mainly gas) is estimated monthly and then verified a couple of times a year by manual meter reading. Also, it's sometimes averaged over the year to even out the payments rather that walloping us with a $300 bill in December while we pay almost nothing in summer.
Why not just call the Customer Service number of your supplier and ask?

 

[russ_watters]

You should read the meter yourself and verify if the bills are accurate. If they aren't, they are being estimated.