Q. Why should I read my meter?

A. You may want to learn how to read your meter for several reasons:

• It may occasionally be inaccessible to our meter reader: Northland Utilities reads your meter based on a schedule. In some circumstances, our meter reader may not be able to access your meter. If you aren't home in these situations, our billing system will estimate your consumption.  It is important to note that it will be necessary for Northland Utilities staff to access your meter from time to time.
  
  
• For your own reference: You may want to track your meter readings to get a better idea of your usage and costs over the year.
  
  
• If you're concerned that your bill is too high: You may want to read your meter to confirm that the reading on your bill is accurate before you call us.  If you check your reading and feel that an error was made when we last read your meter, please contact our office to discuss your account.

Q. How can I track my electricity usage?

A. By reading your own meter, you can monitor the electricity you use during a certain time period. Simply subtract the previous reading from your current reading to obtain the difference in kilowatt hours for that period. Your Northland Utilities statement indicates the current and previous readings we have based your bill on.

Q. What is an estimated bill?

A. If we are not able to get an actual reading, we will estimate your consumption and issue a bill that will be based on your previous usage history. Other factors may affect the amount of estimated electricity such as days in the billing period and seasonal consumption patterns. Most estimates are very accurate; however, they only approximate your actual usage. Prolonged periods of estimated readings could lead to inaccurate billing. We must read your meter regularly to ensure you are billed accurately. That way, if an estimate is too high or too low, your bill will automatically reflect your actual consumption once we obtain an accurate read.