Big changes could be coming to how the city tracks residents’ electric and water usage.
The Electric Utility Board met on Tuesday to discuss a citywide move to “smart” meters for utility usage readings. They voted to approve a series of resolutions enabling a move to advanced meter technology and a new customer billing information system.
The new technology will allow a computer to read your usage, instead of a having a meter reader checking for the numbers from the alley.
LP&L Assistant Director Andy Burcham said the changes will improve meter accuracy, customer service, outage management and reliability.
“There’s a large amount of information that over time our customers will have access to to better understand how to better use electricity and ways that they can save,” Burcham said.
In a presentation about the advanced meter technology, a spokesperson said the meters “automatically collect that data and transmit that back,” making reads every 15 minutes.
Some residents expressed concerns about how the new technology will affect our health and our personal data. Burcham said they have done extensive research to ensure the safety of the technology.
“You can stand in front of the meter for 24 hours a day for a year and receive less exposure to radio frequencies than you would on your cellphone for a minute,” he said. “The meters would have zero personal information on them.”
For residents who still have concerns, there is an option to opt-out of the program and request a meter reader to check your usage manually.
“Now, there will be a fee for that. There’s a one time fee for the installation of a non-standard meter, and then there will also be a monthly fee for that,” Burcham said, explaining the fees would cover the cost of paying a meter reader to come out.
The project will cost around $35 million, but LP&L said customers will not see another increase in their bills. The amount was budgeted in their capital improvements project through prior rate increases.
This vote was the first step in the approval process. Now, the resolution will come up at City Council for a vote at their June 14th meeting.
The Board said, if it was approved, they will begin installing the new meters region at a time, over the next 18 months. They said residents can expect to see the system up and running in April 2020.
