Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

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.