The instruments used to measure how much electricity has been consumed are known as energy meters. Although they were traditionally used to gauge electricity usage, nowadays their usage has expanded into water and gas measurement too. However, our discussion here will be limited to energy meters for measuring electricity. The cost of electricity has risen in the recent past because it is in high demand all over the world. Consequently people are looking for simple means of reducing their electricity usage and its attendant costs. One of the products of these searches is energy meters. Conventional meters are limited in that they only give the total units consumed, but do not give details such as when or where the electricity was guzzled. Today these are the devices that are advanced technologically speaking. Not only do they measure the total energy consumed but they provide a breakdown of additional details like time and voltage. Consequently it is widely believed that these advanced meters are a cheaper alternative as compared to their old school counterparts. Another school of thought says that energy meters are reliable as well as rational. Data obtained from these meters concerning a user's electricity consumption and the subsequent billing is accurate. Electricity companies are able to maintain complete databases of their consumers through these meters because each can be uniquely numbered. Then the electricity provider can notice the slightest abnormal behavior including electricity theft or power outage and pinpoint the occurrence with a large degree of accuracy. Both the provider and the users derive benefits from using such meters. From the user's end there is accuracy. No longer does the billing company have to come up with estimate bills, which by the way, were the source of many a customer's complaints. The exact data available enables accurate billing. The energy meter also helps users to keep an eye on their electricity usage. The meters display the units consumed and the amount charged with utmost accuracy. Thorough this accurate and up to date information, users are constantly aware of their responsibilities. Energy meters have led to a reduction in the dependency of the consumers on the utility service provider. No longer do users have to make endless calls to the offices for billing questions because all details are displayed on the meter. For the provider, an energy meter is a two-way system of communication. The meter is linked to a centralized database, thus allowing the utility company to keep records even remotely. Remotely read energy meters have brought a lot of savings to the energy company. There is the reduced cost of human resources, since the firm doesn't need one to physically go and take meter readings. These minimized costs have in turn increased the net profit of the company.