The energy landscape is changing, and so are customer expectations.
With Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), customers are able to monitor and manage energy usage in real time using the SmartHub portal. KPUD also has an increased ability to improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of energy delivery for all our customers.
Although advanced electronic technology has become the norm in many aspects of our daily lives, we understand advanced meters are new to customers of Klickitat PUD. Hopefully, the information provided here will help answer any questions you may have.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure Supports:
Customer Empowerment
Through Klickitat PUD’s SmartHub customers can access a variety of tools such as charts and graphs that will improve understanding about their energy usage. Customers will be able to view usage in real-time from anywhere where they have internet access and will have an option to enroll and received usage notifications and alerts as desired.
Faster Response
Improved meter communication notifies KPUD of outages immediately, resulting in faster response and restoration. Daily reads identify service issues faster, so they do not compound over multiple months.
Real-Time Service
Customer service will have more information available to reference when questions arise. Customer service will also be able to request on-demand meter reads, perform disconnects and reconnects, all of which reduces customer wait time and increases cost efficiency of service work.
Enhanced Privacy
Meter reads and some service work can be completed remotely, so KPUD will no longer have to enter your property monthly. The PUD will still need occasional access for maintenance.
Important Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions About Advanced Meters
Advanced meters link with a communications network and a central system to remotely measure utility use, connect and disconnect services, detect tampering, and identify outages. The only difference between AMI meters and the electronic meters we have been purchasing for more than 20 years is that AMI meters will record usage information more often and will have a radio card in them to communicate with our system.
Traditional meters and automated meters record total energy consumption. We collect data from traditional meters on a monthly basis. Smart meters record and transmit your energy consumption regularly throughout the day (via a secure wireless network)
No. Approximately 69% of all meters in America are advanced meters. They have been around for nearly 50 years. Klickitat PUD is one of the last public utilities in the state to convert to an advanced meter system.
No, you will not. This is a budgeted system-wide capital improvement project.
The additional meter data will enable Klickitat PUD to better communicate with you regarding electricity consumption, detect outages and assist in power quality issues. It will also help you use electricity more efficiently.
Yes. If you have an advanced meter installed, there will no longer be a need for a meter reader to come read the meter monthly, though annual meter reads and maintenance will still occur.
Your updated meters will look very similar to the current meters.
You can anticipate that your monthly usage will be recorded on the same day each month. You will be able to more accurately know and compare each month’s usage. You may notice a meter reader no longer has to visit your meter each month.
Advanced meters measure utility usage in exactly the same way as our current meters. The new meters will continue to measure only the actual amount of service you use, and the meter itself will not cause your bills to increase or decrease.
Your bill could be impacted if your existing meter is running slow or if KPUD implements a new Time of Use (TOU) rate structure in the future.
Yes, they are. Advanced meters must meet the UL 2735 Metering Standard for Electric Utility Meters, which is the same standard our current meters must meet. It is important to note that we have been using electronic meters for many years and 70% of our meters are already electronic. We have not bought analog meters in over 20 years. Advanced meters will be installed and uninstalled only by trained professionals exercising standard safety precautions.
Advanced meters should not adversely affect the stability or performance of your home wireless networks. The FCC regulates all electronics to prevent one type of electronic equipment from interfering with other electronic and wireless devices that operate in the same frequency band.
Yes. KPUD’s Data Security Policy requires that meter usage data be treated by the utility and any service provider, like AMI, as Personally Identifiable Information (PII) compliance data.
The strength of the radio frequency (RF) emitted by advanced meters is very low and intermittent. In fact, these meters only transmit for a few seconds out of every hour. Our vendor, Landis & Gyr (L&G), states that on average meters in the systems they have installed communicate for less than 90 seconds a day. RF emitted by these meters is well below the radio frequency limits set by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), International Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). These emissions occur outside your home and are well below the levels produced by other common household devices like cell phones, baby monitors, satellite TVs, and microwave ovens. Independent testing by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) concluded that even if an equivalent L&G meter were to transmit continuously, they would still be less than 0.2% of the published exposure standards.
You can stop in the Klickitat PUD office in Goldendale or contact (800) 548‑8357 and we would be happy to visit with you about the meter changes.
On May 23, 2023 Klickitat PUD Commissioners approved a change to our Electric Customer Service policy that outlines eligibility requirements, fees, and application process that may provide an option to opt-out for some residential customers. At an option you may review our AMI Customer Eligibility Checklist [PDF] to evaluate if your service is eligible for the opt-out program. Please refer to Policy 21- Addendum 1_Advanced Meter Opt-Out [PDF] for specific requirements. You may also contact our offices at 800–548-8357 M‑F 8am — 5pm for further information.
No. The AMI technology will only provide readings on how much electricity you use and when. There is technology that can integrate with in-home control systems, and that may be something we offer to customers who choose to participate in the future, but additional equipment would need to be installed.
Straight Talk Articles by Rodger Nichols & Jim Smith
In this series, we took a closer look at Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and how it fits in as part of our five-point plan to deal with the rising electrical demand that continues to send costs higher.
