הצריכה החריגה כתובה ליד מספר המונה.

Here it means the consumption.

The form צריכה can mean two different things in Hebrew, depending on context:

• צריכה = consumption / usage as a noun
• צריכה = she needs as a verb-like form

In this sentence, the ה־ at the beginning gives you a strong clue: הצריכה means the consumption / the usage. Also, it is followed by החריגה, which is an adjective describing it, so this is clearly a noun phrase, not a verbal form.

Because in Hebrew, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

So:

• הצריכה החריגה = the unusual consumption
• literally, the order is the consumption unusual

This is the normal Hebrew pattern. English usually puts adjectives before the noun, but Hebrew usually puts them after.

Because when a noun is definite in Hebrew, an adjective describing it also has to be definite.

So:

• צריכה חריגה = unusual consumption
• הצריכה החריגה = the unusual consumption

This is called agreement in definiteness. The adjective agrees with the noun not only in meaning, but also in:

• gender
• number
• definiteness

Here it is an adjective, meaning something like unusual, abnormal, or exceptional.

The word חריגה can sometimes function as a noun in other contexts, meaning something like deviation or exception, but in this sentence it clearly describes הצריכה, so it is acting as an adjective.

Because כתובה has to match הצריכה, which is feminine singular.

In Hebrew, words used as predicate adjectives or participles often agree with the subject. Since צריכה is feminine singular, the sentence uses:

• כתוב for masculine singular
• כתובה for feminine singular

So:

• הצריכה ... כתובה = feminine agreement
• if the subject were masculine, you would expect כתוב

It is best understood here as a participle used like an adjective, meaning written.

Hebrew often uses forms like this to describe a state in the present:

• הוא סגור = it is closed
• היא כתובה = it is written

So כתובה comes from the root כ-ת-ב related to writing, and here it means written.

In natural English, we often translate it with is written, but Hebrew does not need a separate present-tense word for is in this kind of sentence.

There is no separate word for is here, because Hebrew usually omits the verb to be in the present tense.

So:

• הצריכה החריגה כתובה... literally looks like
• the unusual consumption written...

But in normal English, we translate that as:

• the unusual consumption is written...

This is very common in Hebrew. Present-tense sentences often do not include a separate word for is / are / am.

ליד means next to, beside, or by.

In this sentence, it tells you where something is written:

• כתובה ליד מספר המונה = written next to the meter number

It is a very common preposition for physical or visual closeness.

Because Hebrew often uses a compact noun-noun structure called the construct state instead of using של.

So:

• מספר המונה = the meter number / the number of the meter
• המספר של המונה would also be understandable, but it is less compact and often less natural in formal written language

This noun chain is very common in Hebrew.

Because in a construct chain like מספר המונה, the definiteness of the whole phrase is usually determined by the second noun.

So:

• מספר מונה = a meter number
• מספר המונה = the meter number

Even though מספר itself does not have ה־, the whole phrase becomes definite because המונה is definite.

That is a very important feature of Hebrew noun chains.

Here מונה means meter, as in a utility meter such as:

• electricity meter
• water meter
• gas meter

The basic idea of מונה is something that counts or measures. In this sentence, מספר המונה is the identification number of that meter.