Vulcan Meter Co. gas meter

Dry gas meter, made by the Vulcan Meter Co. Ltd, Birmingham, 1926.

As gas companies started to supply gas to homes and businesses, meters were needed to measure the amount used by their customers. The dry gas meter came into use in the mid 1840s. Gas passing through the meter forces bellows inside to move in and out. The bellows operate a dial which records the amount of gas used. Dry meters came to replace wet meters which were introduced around 20 years earlier. Most of the gas meters used today, including the ones in our homes, are dry meters which use a bellows or diaphragm mechanism.