Techniques for detecting interactions with a utility meter. In an example, a method transitions from a locked user input state into an unlocked user input state. While in the unlocked user input state, the method performs operations, including displaying, on a display of the utility meter, a menu that includes objects. The operations further include receiving, from an accelerometer, an acceleration measurement that represents three-dimensional movement. The operations further include comparing the acceleration measurement to an expected user input. The expected user input is associated with an interaction with a selected surface of the utility meter and is based on the displayed menu. The operations can further include when the acceleration measurement corresponds to the expected user input, updating the displayed menu to indicate a user selection of a selected object on the displayed menu and updating the display by navigating the menu to indicate the selected object.