A characteristic of a first utility meter is detected with a first probe head, and a characteristic of a second utility meter is detected with a second probe head. The characteristic of the first utility meter is dependent on a usage of a first utility metered by the first utility meter, and the characteristic of the second utility meter is dependent on a usage of a second utility metered by the second utility meter. Information related to the characteristic of the first utility meter is communicated from the first probe head to a communication unit, and information related to the characteristic of the second utility meter is communicated from the second probe head to the communication unit. A message is also sent from the communication unit indicating the usage of the first utility or the usage of the second utility.