Though smart meters are already used in many states, the
meters first gained traction in Texas in 2005 and 2007, when
the state legislature passed laws encouraging their
implementation to update the state’s electric grid.
According to the Public Utility Commission of Texas, the
three largest investor-owned utility companies in the state
the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, or ERCOT, Oncor
and American Electric Power Company or AEP Texas are in
differing stages of installing or deploying smart meters.
Oncor, which serves many West Texas counties, first deployed
smart meters in 2009 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Oncor began the task of installing smart meters in the
Odessa area last year.Mercer said that installations are
94.7 percent complete, with 66,227 meters installed in
Odessa, 5,572 in Monahans and 2,184 in Crane. As of May 31,
2.7 million smart meters out of the 3 million goal are on
Oncor’s system, Mercer said.
For Oncor’s entire coverage area, spanning 91 counties and
401 incorporated municipalities in west and northeast Texas,
the estimated capital investment to deploy smart meters is
around $686 million, Mercer said. The surcharge for retail
customers is $2.19 per month for 11 years.
Residents who received or will receive a smart meter are
notified one to two weeks prior to installation.
Oncor technicians placed hanging door-tags at homes to make
the homeowners aware that a meter installer is coming.
If a resident isn’t home at the time of installation and if
their back gate is locked, Mercer said that technicians will
access the meter via a ladder. It takes about 15 minutes to
change meters and test the smart meter’s accuracy, Mercer
said.
Though
smart meters require less physical visits from meter
readers, Mercer said that the position will not be
eliminated. Instead, meter readers’ duties are becoming more
complex and technical with the improvements, Mercer said.
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