The address system your meter speaks: from 1.8.0 to F.F, the most common codes and their meanings.
OBIS (OBject Identification System) is the coding scheme that gives every measured value in the DLMS/COSEM world a unique address. Defined in IEC 62056-61, it follows the A-B:C.D.E*F structure: A is the medium (1 = electricity), C the measured quantity (1 = active energy import), D the processing type (8 = cumulative register), E the tariff number.
A meter readout is really a list of OBIS codes: the line 1.8.0(012345.678*kWh) says total active energy is 12,345.678 kWh. Anyone who knows the code reads the same line on any brand of meter — that is the power of the standard.
The table below summarises the codes you will meet most often in the field. Tariff registers differ in the E digit; 0 always means the total.
| 1.8.0 | Total active energy — import (consumption) |
| 1.8.1 / 1.8.2 / 1.8.3 | Tariff registers T1 / T2 / T3 |
| 2.8.0 | Active energy — export (generation) |
| 5.8.0 | Inductive reactive energy |
| 8.8.0 | Capacitive reactive energy |
| 1.6.0 | Maximum demand |
| 16.7.0 | Instantaneous total active power |
| 32.7.0 / 52.7.0 / 72.7.0 | Phase voltages L1 / L2 / L3 |
| 31.7.0 / 51.7.0 / 71.7.0 | Phase currents L1 / L2 / L3 |
| 0.9.1 / 0.9.2 | Meter time / date |
| C.1.0 | Meter serial number |
| F.F | Error code |
In multi-tariff schemes the registers are kept as 1.8.1, 1.8.2 and 1.8.3; the T1/T2/T3 lines on the bill come straight from these codes.
Reactive penalty monitoring tracks the ratio of 5.8.0 and 8.8.0 to active energy. For a quick field check, reading these three codes is usually enough.
Our Windows, Linux and Android apps include an OBIS browser: connect to the meter, pull the code list, view values as a table and export to Excel in one click. Works identically with every meteroptic probe — from USB to Wi-Fi.