If you are one of our 270,000 customers in the District of Columbia, by now you should know one fact: As of this month, more than 90 percent of the homes and businesses in the District have received the new, digital “smart” meters. If you are one of our 550,000 customers in Maryland, by the end of 2012, these meters will be installed throughout our service territory in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.
What you may not know – and I’d like to explain in my latest blog post – is how important it is for Pepco to ensure that these smart meters provide you with accurate information. A smart meter is a digital meter that records your usage in hourly increments. This new meter also allows for two-way communication in that the meter sends signals to Pepco and we can communicate directly with the meter.
When we announced the news of our smart meter implementation program in 2009, we also told you about some of the meter’s future benefits such as quicker and less expensive meter readings, faster identification of outage locations and remote activation of power without a premise visit.
I’m sure as a customer one of the most important aspects of having these smart meters is being able to accurately record your monthly usage. Let me convey to you that the meters we are installing in homes and businesses throughout our service territory meet high standards set forth by the American National Standards Institute.
For more information about smart meters and their accuracy, you may read a 29-page study entitled, Smart Meters and Smart Meter Systems: A Metering Industry Perspective that was released in March by the Edison Electric Institute, the Association of Edison Illuminating Companies and the Utilities Telecom Council. In the report, all three organizations confirm that before any utilities can accept and deploy smart meters, the devices must meet a number of national standards and comply with state and local codes designed to ensure their proper operation, functionality and safety.
Nothing is more important to Pepco than the trust of our customers. We want our customers to be confident that their meters provide accurate information. The benefits of smart meters will be available to customers once their meters have been fully activated. In the future, we hope that you will partner with us to help manage your energy use and help protect our environment throughout the Washington Metropolitan area.”
To learn more about Pepco’s smart meter program, go to takecontroldc.com and takecontrolmd.com. You will find lots of information including a section on how to view the new data from your smart meter.
Thomas H. Graham
President, Pepco Region
January 17, 2012 at 11:38 am |
A smart meter was installed on my home without my permission and now the temperature in my home will not go above 60 degrees. We have young children in the house and expect a newborn within the next month. I called Pepco countless times to have the meter removed and I am getting the run around. I was given at least 4 or 5 different numbers to call regarding this issue. I left so many voicemails with different people who did not receive a call or a removal date. Who should I speak to regarding this matter? My next step is to speak with an attorney.
January 17, 2012 at 11:52 am |
Your new smart meter shouldn’t affect your thermostat outside of measuring how much usage you incur (if it’s a heat pump you’re running). Email your issue, service address/account number, and a contact number to PepcoConnect@pepco.com and I’ll get it over to our Scope Services department for review.