STRAIGHT TALK FROM KPUD, part 8 in a series
We have had many people say they are hearing that their bills will go up as a result of the AMI meter installations. This is not correct. There will be no change to our rates or the amount you will be billed when these meters are installed. There may be impacts to your bill when we change rate design in a year or two, but that will be a separate public process we will carry out at that time.
News from our Sponsors:
Part 8 of a series by Jim Smith and Rodger Nichols
Responding to more of your concerns,
As a follow-up to last week’s article, there are a few other questions we have been hearing that we would like to address.
We have had many people say they are hearing that their bills will go up as a result of the AMI meter installations. This is not correct.
There will be no change to our rates or the amount you will be billed when these meters are installed. What will change is that once the new meters are installed, you will be able to see more details about your usage on Smart-Hub than the monthly usage that is currently available. There may be impacts to your bill when we change rate design in a year or two, but that will be a separate public process we will carry out at that time.
We are one of the last utilities in the state to implement AMI, primarily because until recently, we did not see benefits accruing to the PUD and our customers. With the recent changes in electricity markets and load growth, we believe that this is a sound business decision.
There is also confusion about the opt-out option. First, the opt-out only covers the radio communications component. We will install new meters at all locations to record the data necessary to run our business efficiently. Even if you can opt-out, we will be replacing the meter at your service location, but there will not be a radio communications card in the meter.
Second, not all customers will qualify to opt out. The details on opt-out eligibility are available on our website. Third, if you opt out, there will be a monthly charge for us to read your meter and input that data to our billing system. The fee will be $40 a month. Once the system is in place, we will evaluate the actual cost to read the meters and this fee may be adjusted. Reading the meter will require us to connect a computer to the meter to read the data. Reading the meter through the meter faceplate is not practical.
Lastly, we are not installing the AMI system because we are being told to by federal or state government mandates. There is no question that federal and state mandates are affecting the business environment we are working in, and we know this environment could change. We are choosing to install the AMI system as we believe it is in the long-term best interests of our customers for all the benefits we have been talking about in the public and press.
STRAIGHT TALK FROM KPUD, part 7 in a series
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. 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.
News from our Sponsors:
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.
