STRAIGHT TALK FROM KPUD, part 7 in a series

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Part 7 of a series by Jim Smith and Rodger Nichols

Responding to your concerns

We’d like to clear up some misinformation that has been circulating recently.

First, I have heard that some customers want to keep their analog meters. We have been replacing analog meters for years and right now, about 70 percent of the meters in the system are already electronic. We have not bought an analog meter in over 20 years.

Electronic meters are just that. Meters. They measure, record and store how much electricity we are providing to customers. The only difference between the electronic meters we already have and the new advanced meters is they will record information more often and there is a radio circuit that saves sending someone out to read the meter, and eliminates the chore for those who now read their own.

It’s important to note that advanced meters only tell us the amount of electricity you use and when, not what it’s being used for. We continue to have no visibility or control on your side of the meter.

Usage information will be readily available to you through SmartHub so you can see all the information that we do. Knowing customer usage information is important to ensure proper sizing of equipment, ensuring quality service and safety.

Are AMI meters safe? The meters we are using, manufactured by Landis and Gyr, are UL tested and are certified to the 2735 standard for electric utility meters. This is the same standard our existing electronic meters meet. The Electric Power Institute (EPRI) tested actual installations of Landis & Gyr AMI meters in 2014 and published their recorded measurements of radio emissions from AMI meters and other common devices, and compared those readings to US and international standards. At a distance of 3 feet in front of the meter, the emissions from the AMI meters were less than 0.2% of these standards for 900 MHz radio emissions.

The radio emission signatures of the meters we are installing are the same as those meters measured. This technology is not new or unproven, it is just new to us. Landis & Gry have sold 50 million advanced meters.

Some folks have noted concerns about fire safety and in particular, that Portland General Electric removed 70,000 AMI meters from their customers in 2014, after three fires. What is frequently overlooked is that PGE replaced that particular production run of meters with similar AMI meters. These were not manufactured by Landis & Gyr. At that time, PGE had 750,000 AMI meters installed in their system.

Some customers have expressed concern about invasion of privacy. Usage information is information on the electricity we are selling to you, how much and when. Usage information is never sold and is only distributed when customers request it. We will protect your information on the power we sell you as we do your personal information, with the utmost care. You will have access to that data through Smart- Hub if you choose.

Klickitat PUD is not a private company and doesn’t owe anything to stockholders. We value our customers and their privacy and would never compromise that for a buck. We are a public nonprofit utility, which answers to our ratepayers, our community, and our PUD commissioners; this gives us a different perspective and it’s never just a money grab.