“Advanced Metering Infrastructure with smart meter components.”

We get it. On the surface, it sounds like fancy meters with a technical name. You may be wondering, What’s in it for me? You may even have concerns about your health and security.

The integration of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (we’ll be calling it an AMI system) with smart meters (the component of the AMI system ECI REC members will have installed) is a big change, and it’s one we are committed to being transparent about.

This is the first of a four-part series of articles ECI REC has written to provide our members with in-depth information about smart meters. In this series, we’ll cover the benefits of smart meters for our Cooperative and members, as well as health and security myths and facts. We’ve also put together a list of frequently asked questions.

The bottom line is this: By installing smart meters, members will benefit from a more affordable and efficient system. You will also have the chance to be empowered by detailed information about your electricity usage provided by your smart meter. Our hope is that you will use this information to make smarter energy choices and join us in Building a Smarter Cooperative, which helps ECI REC keep electricity affordable for all members.

To set the stage for smart meter installation, here is a recap of where ECI REC stands in terms of our system capabilities.

  • We took significant steps toward building a rate structure based on members’ actual consumption when we restructured how we calculate our facility charge. However, our current method of collecting usage data restricts our ability to make the facility charge—and rate setting—even more accurate.

  • ECI REC considered the smart grid within our long-term strategic plan, making sure our SCADA system and other technology upgrades would be AMI-compatible. By ensuring the components of the grid—from substations to switches to home electric meters—are capable of two-way communication, ECI REC can manage distribution more efficiently.

So while this all sounds logical, you may be thinking, Great, but why do we need a smart grid, anyway? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the smart grid “will consist of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment working together … these technologies will work with the electrical grid to respond digitally to our quickly changing electric demand.”

The smart grid will reduce operations and management costs for cooperatives and utilities. In due course, consumers across the U.S. will benefit from lower power costs. And according to the Department of Energy, “A smarter grid will add resiliency to our electric power system and make it better prepared to address emergencies such as severe storms, earthquakes, large solar flares, and terrorist attacks.”

Smart meters are simply the next step in maximizing the capabilities and technology ECI REC has been planning for and implementing over the past decade. To put it in perspective, we would not consider going back to using kerosene lamps to light our homes now that we have access to safe and reliable electricity. In the same way, we are headed toward the electric grid of the future as we install our smart meters.

Finally, the ECI REC team is here to address any questions you may have. As always, please feel free to call or email us for more information.

Please explore the other pieces in this series for more details:

By recording energy usage data and allowing two-way communication between our computer system and the meter, smart meters put ECI REC in an excellent position to secure the affordability, efficiency, and reliability advantages of the smart electric grid of the future.

Below is a comprehensive breakdown of benefits both ECI REC and its members can expect to see following smart meter installation.

Affordability

  • With smart meter technology, ECI REC can read meters remotely from the office. We no longer have to hire a contractor or send out line crews to gather readings, which saves the Cooperative approximately $175,000 per year and lowers our carbon footprint.
  • Smart meters record daily usage data on an hour-by-hour basis. After enough data is gathered, ECI REC can use it to minimize subsidization. Eventually, ECI REC will have enough data to offer rate options that give members the opportunity to lower their electric bills by using energy during less expensive times of the day.
  • Since usage data collected by smart meters is frequently updated on SmartHub, you can easily evaluate changes in your energy usage habits. For example, log into your account to watch your electricity consumption decline after replacing an old appliance with a more efficient model. Or, stay aware of how much your usage increases after plugging in something, like an electric space heater.
  • Smart meters help us monitor your energy demand to ensure your transformer is properly sized to accommodate your needs.
  • Smart meter data helps ECI REC streamline our strategic and financial planning efforts in areas like power-load forecasting, equipment maintenance planning, and power quality and line loss issues.

Efficiency

  • Smart meters provide scheduled readings to ensure consistent billing periods.
  • ECI REC can spend less time uploading meter readings into the billing portal.
  • Two-way communication between ECI REC and smart meter equipment speeds up and streamlines the outage restoration process. In some cases, power could be restored several hours faster than it was with the old system.
  • Smart meters obtain and send readings in seconds, simplifying account transfers when members relocate.
  • ECI REC can connect or disconnect single-phase residential meters remotely. This power-off switch would only be used for member-requested disconnects and safety measures.

Reliability

  • ECI REC’s current meters are nearly 17 years old, which is beyond the recommended life cycle of this equipment. Smart meters are state-of-the-art, and they complement the newer technologies ECI REC has implemented over the past several years.
  • Smart meters integrate with ECI REC’s Outage Management System (OMS), allowing for faster, more efficient outage detection and diagnosis. The meters provide detailed reports on the type and potential cause of the outage, giving line crews an idea of what to expect if they have to go into the field to make a repair.
  • Each meter monitors and identifies blinks at its location to help us accurately detect the location of the problem and gather data to improve power quality.
  • Meter tampering alarms reduce theft and energy diversions.

The ECI REC team is here to address any questions you may have. Please feel free to call or email us for more information.

By installing smart meters, ECI REC is able to operate more efficiently and make sure your rates are calculated as fairly and accurately as possible. The meters record daily usage data for each member account, which empowers you to make informed choices about how and when you use electricity.

But, as is the case with any new technology, there are a few misconceptions about smart meters—especially when it comes to public health and security. To help you separate the myths from the facts, this third article in the ECI REC smart meter series addresses the four most commonly circulated smart meter myths.

Myth 1: Smart meters are dangerous to my health because they communicate using wireless signals.

Fact: Smart meters do transmit data via radio frequencies (RF). However, research by the World Health Organization (WHO) has found that the tiny amount of RF energy produced by smart meters—which is well below the limit set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)—isn’t harmful to human health.

To put it in perspective, smart meters emit significantly less RF than other devices consumers use every day, like cell phones, satellite TVs, wireless routers, baby monitors, and microwaves. In fact, it’s estimated you would have to be exposed to the daily RF emitted by a smart meter for almost 400 years to get a dose equivalent to one year of 15 minutes of daily cell phone use.

Myth 2: Smart meters are an invasion of privacy.

Fact: Smart meters measure how much energy you use over the course of the day, but not how you use that energy. In other words, they cannot tell if you’re using your microwave, your air conditioner, or your cell phone charger; just that you’re using energy.

In addition, ECI REC follows the strict policies set by the State of Iowa that regulate the use of personal information for business actions like billing and customer service. We are committed to protecting your privacy and security.

Myth 3: Smart meters do not keep consumer data secure.

Fact: Security features and encryption technology are built into your smart meter. While the meter display is visible so you can check your consumption, the meters are sealed and the information and data stored within can only be accessed with special software. While it is highly unlikely, if a highly sophisticated “bad actor” were to break into the encrypted system, the smart meters would alert the Cooperative within seconds, allowing us to jump into action and lock down your data.

Myth 4: Smart meters increase the risk of fire and explosion.

Fact: Every smart meter must meet the safety requirements and standards set by the National Electric Safety Code (NESC). Specifically, each manufacturer must get independent certification proving their meters are safe and resistant to heat, fire, voltages, surges, and self-heating. We know the smart meters we use have passed this rigorous certification process.

At the end of the day, smart meters are the key to unlocking the smart grid, which is already reducing the operations and management costs of electric cooperatives and utilities across the country. However, switching from analog to smart meters is a big transition. So, if you still have questions about the safety and security of smart meter installation, the ECI REC team is here to answer them. Please call or email us for more information.

One of ECI REC’s main objectives as we switch from analog to smart meters is to provide our members with the information they need to easily navigate the transition. To that end, we have put together the following list of Frequently Asked Questions about smart meters and the AMI system.

Overview

What is AMI?

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a meter-reading system that allows two-way communication between smart meters and electricity providers.

Why is ECI REC switching to AMI smart meters?

The AMI system supports our goal of making the electric distribution system safer, and more reliable. With smart meter technology, ECI REC will be able to read meters remotely from the office. As a result, we will no longer have to hire a contractor or send out line crews to gather readings, which will result in a cost savings of approximately $175,000 per year and lower our carbon footprint.

What do smart meters do?

For each account, smart meters record the kWh reading, the date and time of energy usage, and overall peak demand. They also record the date and time of light blinks, the length of power outages, and whether they have rotated backwards or been tampered with.

How do smart meters collect and transmit data?

Smart meters collect and store energy usage data. This data is sent to ECI REC through a radio frequency (RF) network. Once the data has been transmitted and validated, it will be made available on the member portal, SmartHub.

Will my smart meter automatically notifies ECI REC when my power goes out?

While your smart meter may help us verify the root of the problem, it will not immediately notify the Cooperative when an outage occurs. When you have an outage or emergency, you should always call us at 877-850-4343.

Can members choose not to receive a new meter?

No. This is a system-wide upgrade program, and all residential and commercial meters will be changed out. Smart meters are an industry standard, serving more than fifty percent of U.S. households.

Cost and Billing

How much will the AMI system cost ECI REC members?

There will be no additional costs to our members, and no rate change is anticipated in association with the project. If a rate change is required, we believe the long-term membership benefits will offset it.

When will my meter be read?

For billing purposes meters will be read at midnight on the last day of the month and the monthly billing cycle will remain the same. Bills will be mailed around the tenth day of each month and are due on the first day of the next month.

What do I do if I think my bill is reporting more kWh usage than normal, or I think my meter is not working correctly?

Contact ECI REC right away to discuss billing concerns. Smart meters are more accurate than analog or mechanical meters. The new meters have been tested and found to meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) regulations and conform to all applicable standards and regulations set forth by the Iowa Utilities Commission.

Installation

Who will change out the meters? 

Chapman Metering will perform all meter changes.

When and where will the smart meter installation begin?

ECI REC has an installation schedule in place for all areas of its distribution system. The first meters will be changed in the first quarter of 2018, with an estimated completion in fourth quarter of 2018—pending weather, adequate staffing, and inventory supply.

Will ECI REC notify me prior to installation?
ECI REC will send out postcards prior to the meter installations. We will also notify members with a phone call the week prior to installation. Smart meter deployment maps and information will be available on ECI REC’s website.

Do I need to be present during the meter change?

No.

How will I know if my meter has been changed?

Chapman Metering will leave a green door hanger on your door.

Will my electric service be interrupted during the meter change? 

Chapman Metering personnel will try to provide advance warning by knocking on your door before performing the change. You may experience a short disruption to your electrical service during the meter change.

What if I have a separate heat meter?

You will also receive a new smart meter for your heat meter, and your Heat Plus rate will continue.

Security

Can anyone other than ECI REC read the new meters?

The manufacturer has incorporated security features and encryption technology into the meter. While the meter display is visible so members can check their consumption, the meters are sealed and the information and data stored within them can only be accessed with special software.

Though these measures make it highly unlikely, the smart meters report any tampering attempts to the Cooperative within seconds.

Can ECI REC disconnect power using the smart meter technology?

Some single-phase residential meters will have a disconnect switch that is capable of remotely disconnecting the service. This switch may be used for member-requested disconnects and safety measures. For example, a meter may be disconnected if there is danger from a fire in the area or a downed line.

Could the new meters impact my health?

To safeguard the health of the public, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) establishes requirements for acceptable RF exposure limits. Smart meters comply with and exceed these requirements, as well as global international requirements. Because of their outdoor installation and infrequent signal transmission, Smart meters also present significantly lower RF exposure than many other products used daily by consumers without concern, such as cell phones and wireless routers.

Will the AMI service interfere with my radio, telephone, cell phone, computer, television, wireless internet access, invisible fence, or other electronic equipment?

No. The transmitting device operates in compliance with FCC regulations to avoid interference with other electronic devices. The AMI system only operates for short periods of time each day at a low power frequency.

Smart meter installation is the next step in maximizing the capability of the technology ECI REC has been putting in place over the past decade. If you have additional questions not covered by the FAQ list, please call or email the ECI REC team.