metering

Metering is the process of measuring and recording the amount, rate, or other quantitative characteristics of a physical quantity. It is used to quantify consumption, usage, or production to monitor performance, enforce tariffs, or control processes. Meters translate physical quantities into readable data for analysis and billing.

In utilities, metering tracks electricity, gas, water, or heat consumption. Utility meters can be mechanical or electronic; modern installations often use smart meters that transmit data remotely, enable time-of-use pricing, and support grid management. In buildings, sub-metering measures usage by area or system to allocate costs accurately. In industry, flow metering measures liquids or gases for process control, dosing, batching, and inventory management.

Metering also appears in other fields, such as photography, where exposure metering gauges ambient light to inform camera settings, and in computing and telecommunications for usage accounting. The underlying devices include positive displacement, turbine, electromagnetic, and ultrasonic flow meters, as well as electrical energy meters and water meters.

Accuracy, calibration, and standards govern metering practice. Meters are specified by accuracy classes and require regular testing, verification, and maintenance. The growth of smart metering raises considerations about privacy, cybersecurity, data management, and interoperability, while it offers benefits for efficiency, leakage detection, and demand response.