First Energy, which provides electricity to the region through Penelec and West Penn Power, is installing ‘Smart Meters’ to customers in northern McKean County through November.
Customers in southern McKean County as well as Potter, Elk and Cameron counties will be switched over next year through mid-2019, according to First Energy.
Aaron Ruegg, Penelec spokesperson, told The Era Friday that the Smart Meter is a digital electric meter and that can read a customer’s electric usage remotely, reducing the need for estimated and manual meter readings at the customer’s home.
“It will reduce the cost to customers, but it also provides accurate actual readings more frequently to the customer,” Ruegg explained. “In addition, customers will be able to access more detailed energy information and better understand their energy use. They’ll be able to make more informed decision on how to control their electricity use and use energy more efficiently.”
Functionality of remote readings will be implemented over time, so meter readers will continue to manually read the smart meter for some time after the meter is installed, according to First Energy. Also, the company will not limit the amount of power a customer can use.
Installations for Penelec customers in Bradford, Smethport and the rest of northern McKean County began in July and will continue through November.
Ruegg said they are approximately halfway through installments in the Bradford area, which are expected to continue through November.
Areas under West Penn Power, including southern McKean County and municipalities like Kane as well as much of Potter, Cameron and Elk counties, will see upgrade installations beginning next year and carrying through 2019, according to First Energy.
The map for this region can be found online at: https://uswpm12.newsmemory.com/bradfordera/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/09/PA-SmartMeterInstallationMap-2015-09WPP.414a54d819e9527dd6bde5e717838447.pdf.
On the whole, for all of First Energy’s operating companies, nearly 600,000 Smart Meters have been installed at this point, and the company expects to have 99 percent of its approximately 2 million customers installed by mid-2019, according to Ruegg.
The installation of Smart Meters was mandated by the state for energy efficiency purposes, according to First Energy.
Pennsylvania Act 129 mandates that customers pay for the development and deployment of smart meter technology throughout the service area. The company said a charge for the smart meter program is reviewed and approved by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on an annual basis and is subject to change.
Following the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s approval of the rate case in April 2015, for most customers the cost of the smart meter program was rolled into the customer charge. For West Penn Power residential customers, the cost is part of the distribution charge.
For homes, there will be a brief interruption in electric service when the meter is being installed, so the customer may need to reset some of their electronic equipment, First Energy states. For businesses, power might be interrupted during the installation; the meter installer will be able to determine if an interruption will occur when the work is being done, the company states.
First Energy gives the following explanation of the installment process:
Approximately one month before a customer’s meter is exchanged, they will receive a brochure in the mail with information about the meter and the installation process. A few weeks prior to the actual installation date, customers will receive a letter providing the time period for installation. On the day of the installation, an installer will come to the door to inform the customer that they are installing the meter. If no one is home, they will leave a door hanger either indicating that the meter has been changed or asking the customer to contact the company to schedule an appointment to change the meter.
The meters will be installed by company personnel or our installation vendor, Wellington Energy. Customers should be aware that all installers will be carrying proper identification.
After the meter is installed and the utility starts gathering usage in intervals, customers will be able to access that information using an online Home Energy Analyzer tool at https://www.firstenergycorp.com/save_energy/home_energy_analyzer.html.
In the case a customer isn’t home during installation, they will be able to tell their meter is different because it will exhibit a digital display rather than dials — and smart meters have a blue stripe across the face, according to First Energy.
While smart meters emit a low level of radio frequency, First Energy assures customers need not worry about exposure from smart meters as it is a fraction of the level that comes from other commonly used household devices, such as cell phones, garage door openers, televisions, baby monitors, microwaves and wireless internet. Also, advanced metering systems only transmit data for a few seconds per hour and at average levels far below the safety standards specified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The upgrading effort is in response to Pennsylvania Act 129 which requires all large electric utilities in Pennsylvania to install smart meters.
