What is the correct way to read a gas meter?

Question

I just moved into a new house, and I'm afraid my systems (furnace, hot water heater, and stove top) are using a ton of gas. I have two photos of the gas meter. I'm pretty sure how to read them, but I would love confirmation that I am doing it correctly.

Here are two readings:

Is is correct?

Reading 1: 8,953,000 cf
Reading 2: 9,035,000 cf
Difference of 82,000 cf between readings = 820 Ccf

Or is this correct?

Reading 1: 895,300 cf
Reading 2: 903,500 cf
Difference of 8200 cf between readings = 82 Ccf

Answer 1

Ccf stands for 100 cubic feet. So the meter is read 8953 hundred and 9035 hundred, or 895,300 cf and 903,500 cf respectively.

More Info:

When reading a meter, you'll notice each dial has an arrow. This arrow points the direction the needle spins. The number above the dial indicates how much the value increases, per revolution of that needle. For example. If the needle furthest to the right spins from 0, all the way round and back to 0. You've used 1,000 cubic feet of gas. This number is not a multiplier.

Reading the Meter

If the dial is exactly on a number, that's the number you use. If the dial is between two numbers, you'll usually use the smaller of the two. The exception here, is when the dial is between the 9 and 0. In this case, the 9 is actually smaller, and so should be used.

Here's a graphic from The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, explaining how to read a standard 4 dial meter.

Answer 2

Your second set of readings is correct. The meter face clearly states that for the left most dial, the scale is 1,000,000 cf per revolution. Thus each digit on that dial represents 100,000 cf. Each dial to the right is 1/10 of that to it's left. So each digit for the 4 dials, from left to right, indicates 100,000; 10,000; 1000; and 100 cf, respectively. Also, although the indicator on the left dial seems to point to 9, it is read as 8 because the pointer on the dial to the right is still between 9 and 0. Thus reading 1 is clearly 895,300 cf and reading 2 is 903,500 cf.