But the mistake will be automatically corrected when the meter is read again, because it records continuously, like an automobile odometer. We sometimes compare electric bills with friends and neighbors and then complain when ours is higher. Comparing electric bills is like comparing apples and oranges. No two families have identical living habits. No two families have identical appliances.
Some families are bigger than others.
No two families use electricity the same way. Some may prefer higher or lower thermostat settings than others. While one family may have adequately weatherized their home, another may need to add insulation, storm windows, caulking, and weatherstripping. In addition, one house may face the south and its sunshine, while another may face the north and its colder winds. And when there are children in a family, it automatically means more bathing, more cooking, more clothes washing, more work for the refrigerator, more electrical usage all the way around.