Seattle City Light will replace more than 420,000 meters by the end of 2018 with new, advanced meters. SEATTLE – Seattle City Light began upgrading existing electricity meters today with advanced meters that will enhance services for customers and help the publicly owned utility operate more efficiently.
Advanced Metering Deployment Manager Joanna Perley does a quality assurance check on a newly-installed advanced meter.
“Today’s installation is a big step toward modernizing the service Seattle City Light provides its customers,” City Light Customer Care Director Kelly Enright said. “Upgrading our metering technology will put more power into our customers’ hands so they can better manage their energy use and it will empower our employees to provide even better service.”
City Light will replace more than 420,000 meters across its service territory by the end of 2018.
The new meters will provide more accurate billing by eliminating the estimated reads currently used to generate a bill when a meter reader is unable to access a customer’s meter or complete a route. Once the Advanced Metering data is connected to other utility computer systems, power outages will be reported automatically and customers will be able to access their energy use information online. The new meters also create opportunities for additional enhancements in the future, such as account balance alerts, monthly billing and optional time-of-use rates to support electric vehicle charging.
“Advanced Metering will be good for the environment too,” Enright said. “Eliminating the need to send a meter reader to your home or business cuts out 200,000 miles of driving and 72 tons of carbon emissions.”
There is no charge for a customer to receive an advanced meter. City Light will provide three notifications before exchanging an existing meter with an advanced meter. A letter will be sent about six weeks ahead of the exchange. A post card will be sent about two weeks before the exchange. And an automated phone call will be made one to three days before the installation.
Customers who do not wish to participate in Advanced Metering can opt out of the program. Fees will apply. For more information, visit www.seattle.gov/light/meters.