Hi all,
a pure resistor takes only "active power". Inductors and capacitors also take "reactive power", both kinds of power combined are called "apparent power" (all of the names translate similarly to dutch).
There are cheap devices, which do measure neither of the three but completly wrong values when loaded inductively or capacitively. But, from what I read before, the meter is provided by your utility company, therefore it must be a device which correctly measures "active power". It could, however, also output one or both of the other powers, or a number called "power factor" or "cos phi".
Greets,
Kiste