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Every piece of data inside a meter — the kWh counter, the voltage reading, the serial number, the event log — has a unique address. That address is an OBIS code.

What is an OBIS Code?

OBIS stands for Object Identification System. It is a six-part code that uniquely identifies any measurement or data object in any meter, regardless of vendor.

A - B : C . D . E * F
Field Range Meaning
A 0–9 Medium (0=abstract, 1=electricity, 6=heat, 7=gas, 8=water)
B 0–64 Channel (meter number in multi-channel setups, 0=all)
C 0–255 Physical quantity (1=active power+, 2=active power-, 3=reactive power Q1...)
D 0–255 Measurement type (8=time integral = energy, 7=instantaneous)
E 0–255 Tariff (0=total, 1=tariff 1, 2=tariff 2...)
F 0–255 Billing period (0=current, 1=previous billing period...)

Reading OBIS Codes — Examples

OBIS Code Meaning
1.0.1.8.0.255 Active energy import (kWh), total, current billing period
1.0.2.8.0.255 Active energy export (kWh), total
1.0.3.8.0.255 Reactive energy import (kVArh), total
1.0.32.7.0.255 Instantaneous voltage, phase L1
1.0.31.7.0.255 Instantaneous current, phase L1
1.0.13.7.0.255 Instantaneous power factor, total
1.0.1.6.0.255 Maximum demand (kW), current period
0.0.1.0.0.255 Clock (date and time)
0.0.96.1.0.255 Meter serial number
0.0.99.1.0.255 Load profile (15 min interval data)
0.0.99.2.0.255 Event log

Decoding an Example

Take 1.0.1.8.0.255:

flowchart LR A["A=1\nElectricity"] --> B["B=0\nChannel 0 (all)"] B --> C["C=1\nActive power +\n(import)"] C --> D["D=8\nTime integral\n= Energy"] D --> E["E=0\nTariff total"] E --> F["F=255\nCurrent billing\nperiod"]

Result: Total imported active energy (kWh) for the current billing period — the number printed on your electricity bill.

Tariff Codes

Indian utilities and many European utilities use Time-of-Use (ToU) tariffs — different rates at different times of day.

E value Tariff
0 Total (sum of all tariffs)
1 Tariff 1 (e.g. peak hours)
2 Tariff 2 (e.g. off-peak)
3 Tariff 3 (e.g. night)

So 1.0.1.8.1.255 = kWh consumed during peak tariff hours, and 1.0.1.8.2.255 = kWh consumed during off-peak hours.

OBIS Codes in India (IS 16444)

The Indian standard IS 16444 defines a mandatory set of OBIS objects every meter must support. Key ones include:

  • Cumulative energy (all four quadrants)
  • Maximum demand (monthly, with timestamp)
  • Load profile at 15 and 30 minute intervals
  • Daily energy registers
  • Tamper and power failure event logs
  • Instantaneous parameters (V, I, PF, frequency)

Key Takeaway

If you know the OBIS code, you know exactly what data you are asking for — regardless of meter brand or country. When debugging a DLMS integration, always start by verifying the OBIS code. A single wrong digit in field C or D gives you completely different data.