National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: Electricity Meter
When electricity became available to the masses, utilities needed meters to record customer usage. This early 20th century model resembles many in use today. (Java tutorial)
Florida State University
Florida State University: Magnet Lab: Electric Meter 1872
The invention of the light bulb quickly created the need to track people's electricity usage. In 1872, Samuel Gardiner built the first simple power meter: a lamp with an attached clock that recorded the time the light was on.