counter
In Italian, the word 'contatore' is used to refer to a device that counts or measures something, such as a gas meter or an electricity meter. It can also be used to refer to a counter in a computer program or a website, such as a hit counter or a visitor counter. However, it is not used to refer to a person who counts or tallies things, such as a cashier or an accountant. In those cases, other words such as 'cassiere' or 'contabile' would be used instead.
The water meter is broken.
This sentence uses 'contatore' in the context of utilities. In this case, the 'contatore dell'acqua' refers to the device which measures the amount of water being used in a household or a specific place.
I have to check the gas meter.
In this sentence, 'contatore' is used in relation to gas consumption. The 'contatore del gas' is a device installed by gas companies to measure the consumption of gas in a specific location.
The electricity meter has reached its limit.
This phrase uses 'contatore' in relation to the consumption of electricity. The 'contatore elettrico' is a device that measures the consumption of electricity. The phrase implies that the consumption has reached its limit and the utility might get disconnected if not addressed.