Abstract: A communal electricity metering system supplies electricity to consumer sites via metering sites which each comprise a number of separate metering and meaurement devices, and a common control unit. The control unit stores credit data for each consumer site, and monitors the consumption of electricity at each site, interrupting the supply when the respective credit is exhausted. Display units at the consumer sites communicate with the control unit, which transmits status data to each display unit. In addition, a consumer can use the display unit to communicate with a central control station via the control circuit at the metering site, via a combination of mains-borne and radio communication, to purchase additional credits and to receive confirmation of the entering of such credits at the metering site.