Jo høyere strømforbruket er, desto viktigere blir en riktig målerstand.

It is a comparative pattern meaning the ..., the ... in English.

So:

• Jo høyere strømforbruket er = The higher the electricity consumption is
• desto viktigere blir en riktig målerstand = the more important a correct meter reading becomes

This pattern is used when one thing changes in relation to another:

• Jo mer du leser, desto mer lærer du. = The more you read, the more you learn.

In modern Norwegian, you may also hear jo ..., jo ... instead of jo ..., desto ....

Because the sentence uses a comparison.

• høy = high
• høyere = higher

Since the structure means the higher ..., the more important ..., Norwegian needs the comparative form.

The same is true for:

• viktig = important
• viktigere = more important

So both adjectives are in the comparative because the whole sentence is about increasing degree.

Because Norwegian very often forms compound nouns as a single word.

• strøm = electricity / power
• forbruk = consumption / usage
• strømforbruk = electricity consumption / power usage

Then the definite ending is added:

• strømforbruket = the electricity consumption

This is very normal in Norwegian. English often writes these as separate words, but Norwegian usually combines them.

Other examples:

• bil
  • dør = bildør = car door
• vann
  • flaske = vannflaske = water bottle

The ending -et is the definite article attached to the noun.

• et strømforbruk = an electricity consumption / a power usage
• strømforbruket = the electricity consumption / the power usage

In Norwegian, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

Here, forbruk is a neuter noun, so the definite singular ending is -et.

Because Norwegian usually puts definiteness on the noun itself.

English:

• the electricity consumption

Norwegian:

• strømforbruket

So the idea of the is already included in -et.

This is one of the most important differences between English and Norwegian noun phrases.

Because they express slightly different ideas:

• er = is
• blir = becomes

In the first clause:

• Jo høyere strømforbruket er
• The higher the electricity consumption is

This describes the level of electricity consumption.

In the second clause:

• desto viktigere blir en riktig målerstand
• the more important a correct meter reading becomes

Here blir suggests that something gains importance as the consumption increases. That is why becomes is a good English match.

In some contexts, er might also be possible, but blir nicely expresses changing importance.

Because Norwegian follows the verb-second rule in main clauses.

The phrase desto viktigere is placed first for emphasis. When something comes first in a Norwegian main clause, the finite verb usually comes next.

So the order is:

1. desto viktigere
2. blir
3. en riktig målerstand

That is why the sentence says:

• desto viktigere blir en riktig målerstand

and not:

• desto viktigere en riktig målerstand blir

The same pattern appears in many Norwegian sentences:

• I dag kommer han.
• Nå forstår jeg.

The verb comes right after the first element.

Because the sentence is talking about a correct meter reading in a general sense, not one specific previously mentioned meter reading.

• en riktig målerstand = a correct meter reading
• den riktige målerstanden = the correct meter reading

The indefinite form sounds natural here because the sentence is making a general statement:

• As electricity consumption gets higher, having a correct meter reading becomes more important.

It is not referring to one particular reading already known to the listener.

Målerstand means meter reading.

It is another compound noun:

• måler = meter
• stand = reading / level / position

In this context, it refers to the number shown on an electricity meter.

So en riktig målerstand means a correct or accurate meter reading.

Here riktig means correct or accurate.

So:

• en riktig målerstand = a correct meter reading

In many cases, riktig can mean:

• correct
• right
• proper

The exact English translation depends on context. In this sentence, correct or accurate is the best fit.

Yes. That is very common.

You can hear both:

• Jo høyere strømforbruket er, desto viktigere blir en riktig målerstand.
• Jo høyere strømforbruket er, jo viktigere blir en riktig målerstand.

Both mean the same thing.

Very generally:

• jo ..., desto ... can sound a bit more formal or written
• jo ..., jo ... is very common in everyday speech

So it is useful to recognize both patterns.

Yes, the comma is standard here because the sentence has two linked comparative clauses:

• Jo høyere strømforbruket er, desto viktigere blir en riktig målerstand.

The comma helps separate the two parts of the the ..., the ... structure.

This punctuation is normal and helpful for readability.

A fairly close English version is:

• The higher the electricity consumption is, the more important a correct meter reading becomes.

A more natural English phrasing might be:

• The higher the electricity consumption, the more important a correct meter reading becomes.
• The more electricity is used, the more important it is to have a correct meter reading.

So the Norwegian structure matches English quite closely, even though the exact wording may vary.

Yes. The jo/desto comparative structure is very common and useful.

You can use it with many adjectives and adverbs:

• Jo eldre han blir, desto roligere blir han. = The older he gets, the calmer he becomes.

• Jo tidligere du drar, desto bedre. = The earlier you leave, the better.

• Jo mer du øver, desto flinkere blir du. = The more you practise, the better you become.

So this sentence is a very good example of an important Norwegian pattern.