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Automated or advanced meters are becoming the standard across the country. In fact, almost 87 million advanced meters have now been deployed in the US. The majority - 88% - are residential customer installations.
All of Benton PUD meters are automated. The system we utilize offers significant benefits to our customers and has increased Benton PUD’s operating efficiencies, which help lower costs. Benefits of the advanced meters are as follows:
For Our Customers
- Enhanced use of SmartHub by allowing customers to:
- Access hourly, daily and monthly electric usage data using an app or via the web to monitor consumption and improve energy management
- Create text and/or emailed alerts at customer-established usage thresholds to keep track of hourly and/or daily consumption and proactively manage energy usage
- Sign up for outage notifications and outage restoration alerts
- Improve management of customer-owned distributed energy resources (i.e. rooftop solar)
- Improved customer privacy due to the reduced need for Benton PUD staff to access customer property
- Consistent billing periods, since meter reads are obtained on weekends and holidays
- Timely processing of customer-requested service starts and stops using actual meter reads from the start/stop date, and real-time service disconnects and reconnects using remote disconnect meters
- Near-elimination of estimated meter reads, which occurred on an occasional basis when meters were manually read
- The ability for customers to select their bill due date
- The ability for customers to enroll in Pay As You Go and avoid deposits and fees
- Increased meter accuracy, as advanced meters are designed by the manufacturer to be within a +/- .2% accuracy in comparison to the old electromechanical meters which had an accuracy range of +/- 2%
Operational Efficiencies
- Improved automatic outage detection enabling a more proactive dispatch of crews and faster restoration
- Enhanced employee safety
- Hot socket detection in customer-owned meter bases for prompt dispatch of crews
- Energy theft protection
- Improved electrical distribution system operations, including high and low voltage alarms and enhanced customer power investigations
- Higher level of automated electrical distribution system operations (enhanced SCADA, automated meter alarms)
- Improved electrical system planning and analysis through the use of meter interval data, coupled with a meter data management system
Frequently Asked Questions
The meter number, meter diagnostic information and energy data is transmitted to Benton PUD through secure signals. Personally identifiable information is not transmitted.
Installation of advanced meters began in 2009 and ended in 2012. Over 51,000 advanced meters are now installed and make up 100% of Benton PUD's meter population. The advanced meters are now considered Benton PUD's standard equipment. In 2016, a portion of the meters were upgraded.
No. Meters will be periodically checked by Benton PUD personnel and need to remain in an easily accessible and visible location.
The system we installed offers significant benefits to our customers including increased operational efficiencies, lower costs, and quicker outage restoration. Customers are also able to select their bill due date. Further, because our meters are read remotely, customer privacy is improved as there is no longer a need to enter our customers' properties each month to read the meter.
Our advanced meters helped enable additional services for customers, including an online portal that offers tools to manage energy usage and a mobile phone app.
Benton PUD's Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) is a technology that enables two-way communications to read, disconnect and connect meters remotely and to detect individual customer outages quickly using wireless communications network. Information from the AMI system can be used to improve electric system performance, customer service and operational efficiency.
According to the American Public Power Association, advanced meters are the new norm for our industry. Nearly 60 million advanced meters have been deployed in the U.S., covering 50 percent of U.S. homes. This percentage is expected to rise significantly over the next three years. Why? Advanced meters are playing a critical role in shaping the electric grid of tomorrow and enabling the integration of new technologies and innovations across the grid.
Get the facts. Check out this video released by the Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative that separates the facts of advanced meters from the fiction.
Benton PUD contracted with Richard Tell Associates to perform a Smart Meter Radio Frequency (RF) study. The scope of work included taking a limited set of measurements on three residential installations of Sensus smart meters on homes, measurement at one apartment complex and measurements at one Tower Gateway Base Station.
Richard Tell Associates is a scientific consulting business focused on electromagnetic field exposure assessment, compliance with applicable standards and regulations on radiofrequency (RF) and power frequency fields and analysis and interpretation of electromagnetic fields.
Mr. Tell has 38 years of experience working on issues related to radiofrequency hazards.
To see the full report – “An Evaluation of Radio Frequency Fields Produced by Smart Meters Used by the Benton PUD”. 7/26/12