כמו שהמונה החכם מראה, הצריכה החריגה התחילה ביום שלישי.

Here כמו ש־ means as / just as.

So כמו שהמונה החכם מראה means as the smart meter shows.

A very close, slightly more formal alternative is כפי ש־:

• כפי שהמונה החכם מראה

The ש־ is a very common short connector in Hebrew. It can mean things like that, which, or in this case part of as.

It is usually written attached to the following word:

• שהמונה
• שאמרתי
• שצריך

This is normal Hebrew spelling. It works like a prefix.

In Hebrew, adjectives normally come after the noun they describe.

So:

• מונה חכם = smart meter
• צריכה חריגה = unusual consumption

This is the standard order in Hebrew:

• noun + adjective

Not:

• adjective + noun

Because in Hebrew, when a noun is definite, the adjective describing it also becomes definite.

So:

• מונה חכם = a smart meter
• המונה החכם = the smart meter

And:

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

This is an important Hebrew rule: adjectives agree with the noun in definiteness, as well as in gender and number.

Yes. In this sentence, צריכה means consumption / usage.

You are right that the same spelling can also mean you need when speaking to one female:

• את צריכה = you need

Hebrew often leaves out vowel markings, so different words can look identical in writing. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

Here, because of words like המונה החכם and החריגה, it clearly means consumption/usage.

חריגה means something like:

• unusual
• abnormal
• irregular
• excessive

With electricity, water, or gas usage, צריכה חריגה often means abnormally high usage or an unusual spike in consumption.

So it is not just any consumption; it is consumption that stands out from the normal pattern.

Because the two clauses are talking about two different time perspectives.

• המונה החכם מראה = the meter shows now / currently indicates
• הצריכה החריגה התחילה = the unusual consumption started in the past

This is completely natural in both Hebrew and English. The meter is giving present evidence about a past event.

Because the subject is הצריכה, and צריכה is a feminine singular noun.

In the Hebrew past tense, the verb agrees with the subject in gender and number:

• masculine singular: התחיל
• feminine singular: התחילה

So:

• הצריכה התחילה = correct
• הצריכה התחיל = incorrect

Literally, ביום שלישי means on the third day.

But in everyday Hebrew, this is the normal way to say on Tuesday.

Hebrew weekdays are traditionally numbered:

• יום ראשון = Sunday
• יום שני = Monday
• יום שלישי = Tuesday

The prefix ב־ means in / on, so:

• ביום שלישי = on Tuesday

Because יום שלישי is the name of the weekday Tuesday.

If you say:

• ביום שלישי = on Tuesday

But:

• ביום השלישי = on the third day

So adding ה־ to שלישי changes the meaning. In this sentence, the writer means the weekday, not the third day in a sequence.

It could be changed, but the current version is very natural.

Current order:

• כמו שהמונה החכם מראה, הצריכה החריגה התחילה ביום שלישי.

This starts with the background/frame:

• as the smart meter shows

Then it gives the main statement:

• the unusual consumption started on Tuesday

You could also say:

• הצריכה החריגה התחילה ביום שלישי, כמו שהמונה החכם מראה.

That is also grammatical, but it places the main statement first and adds the meter information afterward.

The comma is natural and standard here because the sentence begins with an introductory clause:

• כמו שהמונה החכם מראה, ...

The comma helps separate that opening clause from the main clause.

In very casual writing, people sometimes leave out commas more than they should, but in standard writing the comma here is a good choice.

Yes. That would be perfectly correct.

• כמו שהמונה החכם מראה = common, natural, conversational
• כפי שהמונה החכם מראה = a bit more formal or polished

Both mean essentially the same thing in this sentence.

A simple pronunciation guide would be:

kmo she-ha-mo-NE ha-kha-KHAM mar-EH, ha-tsri-KHA ha-kha-ri-GA hit-khi-LA be-YOM shli-SHI

A more natural transliteration:

• Kmo shehamone hachakham mar'eh, hatsrikha hachariga hitchila beyom shlishi.

Main stresses:

• מוֹנֶה → mo-NE
• חָכָם → kha-KHAM
• מַרְאֶה → mar-EH
• צְרִיכָה → tsri-KHA
• חֲרִיגָה → kha-ri-GA
• הִתְחִילָה → hit-khi-LA
• שְׁלִישִׁי → shli-SHI