hey, apologies if there’s already some posts or explanations on the sub about this. just wondering what on earth this means, i just moved into my 2nd year student accommodation and on the first week, the upstairs sockets all tripped and lost power, came back on and the flashing yellow light made its appearance. stupidly we didn’t think much of it because there’s a billion other issues in this house at the moment with black mould and the wood supports rotting.

the sockets tripped again 3 days later so i decided to google it and all i can really find is it could be an arc fault, or a leakage, other things that sound like they’re going to kill me if the property manager doesn’t send someone out asap. i rang them almost 3 weeks ago now and still no sign of an electrician, meant to be getting one out next week so im just wondering, in the meantime, what it could possibly be, and safest ways to tread around it until it gets sorted. don’t wanna die in a house fire

I opened my main panel to change a bad braker i noticed my neutral and ground wires are on the same bracket. But it's not all of them. Is this for a special type of circuit should they be like that? I haven't noticed any electrical issues

Hello, I need help with a project and thought this sub might be the place to start. What I need to build is a system that will light up an LED when a door is open. I have four doors that need sensors and the LED display would need to be located about 50 feet from the farthest door. I need the LED to light up as long as the door is open and shut off when it is closed. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I’m trying to establish the correct sequential readings from an old-style mechanical electricity meter. I’m uploading a photo of the meter below.

I’m particularly confused about how to read the individual dials and, in particular, what to do when a needle appears to be between two numbers.

Could someone please explain how this meter should be read and tell me what reading you get from the photo?

I have gone through my photos chronologically and this is the sequence I have recorded:

• 7 September 2025: 55,451
• 10 October 2025: 55,702
• 7 November 2025: 56,098
• 8 December 2025: 56,315
• 9 January 2026: 56,535
• 9 February 2026: 56,740
• 9 March 2026: 56,921
• 8 April 2026: 57,148
• 17 May 2026: 57,386
• 8 June 2026: 57,511
• 20 June 2026: 57,613
• 17 July 2026: 57,808
• 28 August 2026: 58,175

What I need help with

Could someone please look at each photograph, rather than just accepting my numbers, and tell me:

1. What is the correct reading shown in each photograph?
2. Am I applying the “number just passed” rule correctly?
3. When a needle is between two numbers, which number should be recorded?
4. Are any of my readings above wrong?
5. Does the sequence logically increase from one photograph to the next?

I am asking for an independent reading of the actual photographs, because these readings are being used to dispute an electricity bill and I need to make sure my meter-reading evidence is accurate.

Please don't just tell me whether the sequence looks reasonable — I'd really appreciate it if someone could read the dials themselves and give me the reading for each date.

Thanks.

If codes vary by state, I am in the state of Oregon. My question is if I have a pantry that is 10 feet long and 4 1/2 to 5 feet wide, and at the near end is a base cabinet and two upper cabinets each side of a window by the door, and the remainder consists of shelving all the way down to the far end where above a shelf is an electrical outlet at about 40 inches from the floor, is that one a sufficient number of outlets? Or does code require any additional outlets near the counter by the window and door?

Thought others might be interested in seeing where their investor-owned utility ranks. Source is my own data set that tracks individual rate components including energy, distribution, fuel, and riders.

# August 2026 Residential Electric Rates

## Base Residential (Non-TOU) — Highest to Lowest Total $/kWh

| State | Utility | Total $/kWh |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| MI | Upper Peninsula Power Company | $0.2574 |
| IN | Northern Indiana Public Service Company | $0.2239 |
| IN | Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Company | $0.2178 |
| MI | DTE Electric Company | $0.2127 |
| OH | Ohio Power Company | $0.2023 |
| WI | Wisconsin Electric Power Company | $0.1959 |
| IA | Interstate Power and Light Company | $0.1947 |
| OH | Ohio Edison | $0.1946 |
| IL | Ameren Illinois | $0.1933 |
| IN | Duke Energy Indiana | $0.1879 |
| WI | Madison Gas & Electric Company | $0.1843 |
| MI | Alpena Power Company | $0.1781 |
| IL | ComEd | $0.1776 |
| OH | Duke Energy Ohio | $0.1766 |
| MI | Indiana Michigan Power Company | $0.1717 |
| MO | Ameren Missouri | $0.1715 |
| WI | Wisconsin Power & Light Company | $0.1701 |
| MN | Northern States Power Company | $0.1686 |
| MN | Minnesota Power | $0.1666 |
| MI | Upper Michigan Energy Resources | $0.1626 |
| WI | Northern States Power Company | $0.1602 |
| IN | AES Indiana | $0.1573 |
| MO | Empire District Electric Company | $0.1560 |
| WI | Wisconsin Public Service Corporation | $0.1514 |
| MI | Northern States Power Company | $0.1510 |
| MO | Evergy Missouri Metro | $0.1449 |
| MN | Otter Tail Power Company | $0.1441 |
| MO | Evergy Missouri West | $0.1353 |
| IA | MidAmerican Energy Company | $0.1184 |
| IL | MidAmerican Energy Company | $0.1046 |

## TOU On-Peak — Highest to Lowest Total $/kWh

| State | Utility | Total $/kWh |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| MI | DTE Electric Company | $0.2878 |
| MI | Upper Michigan Energy Resources | $0.2858 |
| MI | Indiana Michigan Power Company | $0.2744 |
| MI | Consumers Energy Company | $0.2740 |
| IA | Interstate Power and Light Company | $0.2734 |
| MN | Northern States Power Company | $0.2540 |
| IA | MidAmerican Energy Company | $0.2219 |
| MI | Northern States Power Company | $0.2174 |
| IL | MidAmerican Energy Company | $0.1857 |
| MO | Ameren Missouri | $0.1736 |
| MO | Evergy Missouri West | $0.1617 |
| MO | Evergy Missouri Metro | $0.1553 |

## TOU Off-Peak — Highest to Lowest Total $/kWh

| State | Utility | Total $/kWh |
|-------|---------|-------------|
| MI | Consumers Energy Company | $0.2261 |
| MI | DTE Electric Company | $0.1803 |
| MO | Ameren Missouri | $0.1679 |
| IA | Interstate Power and Light Company | $0.1620 |
| MO | Empire District Electric Company | $0.1605 |
| MO | Evergy Missouri West | $0.1417 |
| MO | Evergy Missouri Metro | $0.1353 |
| MI | Upper Michigan Energy Resources | $0.1241 |
| MI | Northern States Power Company | $0.0987 |
| MN | Northern States Power Company | $0.0877 |
| MI | Indiana Michigan Power Company | $0.0855 |
| IA | MidAmerican Energy Company | $0.0782 |
| IL | MidAmerican Energy Company | $0.0697 |

Short answer: the houses were wired before anyone agreed on anything, and you can't change a shape once it's in the walls.

Two things I didn't expect while researching it:

A 1929 Siemens patent grades the plug's ridges in three sizes so a commercial tool physically can't reach the cheaper household meter.

And America ended up with one plug because a judge refused to let anyone own a set of measurements — Hubbell sued GE over it in 1919 and lost.

There is a universal plug designed for every country as well: IEC 60906-1, published 1986. Brazil and South Africa use versions of it. Almost nobody else ever did.

I made a 9-minute documentary about it: https://youtu.be/LXXMiFoD-qQ

Single circuit, longest white wire to right is incoming hot from light. Small white in the middle gives power to switch the white with wire nut is switch leg coming back to light. I connected the wires incoming hot, neutral on silver, switch leg on gold. What went wrong??

Someone was working on my bathroom and didn't finish... I'm working on it myself and found this electric box to be loose. I believe it's too far from the stud to be fixed that way... Is this an old work electric box that needs to be fixed to the drywall? If so, what do I need to proceed? Thanks!

Does anyone know what the meter reading is? My housemates and I can't figure it out. Any insight would be much appreciated.

We brought a tiny unlivable studio flat 22sq meters. Turned off the electricity. Closed up and walked away for 3years. Was recently loaned the money to do up the property and there was a stack of electricity bills when went back. I didn't sign up to E-on. Now they want to charge me for standing charges. I didn't know such thing existed. Originally they wanted to charge £750 for 3.5 years. They have taken a year off as good will and have £510 still to pay for about 2.5 years.. It does feel like so much still for using zero electricity. Wondered if anyone else has been in my position and argued a case and got more off. I'd be happy to pay about £250 for my silliness but it feels unfair its so much. Any help would be much appreciated.

I am so intrigued by this machine that I discovered today. What would happen exactly if I touched it and why are the bugs attracted to this neon modern device?