Smart Meters

For OUC, digital electric meters provide detailed information for monthly billing without the need for a field visit by a traditional meter reader. In many cases, the meters can be outfitted with a remote switch capability, allowing the utility to remotely disconnect and reconnect power after payment or move-in, preventing the need for a field visit by an OUC technician. The meters also provide additional visibility for OUC into outages and voltage information at the location.  

For the customer, digital electric meters provide detailed usage data that can be accessed online by the account holder after registering for a myOUC account. Lastly, these meters enable OUC to offer the OUC Power Pass (prepaid) program. 

Most digital electric meters are outfitted with a remote switch, allowing OUC to remotely disconnect and reconnect power for that specific location. This prevents the need for field visits by an OUC technician, resulting in a reduction of emissions. Many studies show that customers who are able to access their usage data online have more awareness of their usage patterns and are more empowered to decrease their overall energy usage.

The meter itself does not require any maintenance by the customer. While the meter allows for remote communications with OUC for data acquisition, there are still circumstances that will require OUC technicians to access the meter for maintenance, safety inspections, etc. As always, OUC asks that access to the electric meter remains safe and clear.

A digital electric meter measures electricity consumption (usage) in kilowatt-hours (kWh). The display on the digital meter shows the current kilowatt-hour reading in the same way that a car’s odometer records current mileage.

Usage information is one of several screens the smart meter cycles through. Wait for the display to read “Tot KWh” on the right side of the display screen. Then, read the display from left to right for the usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Apart from solar photovoltaic (PV) customers, the display with a negative (-) value should be ignored as the (-) display shows the energy a customer has delivered to OUC. All other displays on the screen are related to the operation of the meter and connection to the communication network for meter technicians’ use.

To determine your energy (kWh) usage over a period of time, take an initial meter reading. At a later time, take a second reading. Subtract the first reading from the second reading to determine how much electricity you have used during that time.

Using the meter shown below as an example, the initial meter reading is 113 kWh. Looking at the meter at a later time for a second reading, the meter reads 29,611 kWh. Subtracting the later reading of 29,611 kWh, from the initial reading of 113 kWh means 29,498 kWh (29,611 kWh-113 kWh = 29,498 kWh) was used during that period of time.

In addition to energy consumption (kilowatt-hours/kWh), which is how much energy is used over a period of time, OUC’s digital meters also measure demand, the highest amount of electricity used at one time during the billing cycle. Demand is measured in kilowatts (kW). Some accounts include a separate charge based on demand.

Not all meters display demand the same way. The label and layout can vary by meter model, but the reading generally falls into one of the patterns below.

Meters that label it “KW DEL”

Some meters show maximum demand for the current billing cycle directly on the display next to “KW DEL,” meaning kilowatts delivered, the peak kW delivered to the customer during the cycle. In the example below, the display reads 0.2 KW DEL.

Meters that label it “MAX KW”

Other meters identify maximum demand for the current billing cycle with “MAX KW” shown on the left side of the display, with the reading shown next to it. In the example below, the display reads 0.007 kW.

Reading demand on a CT-rated service with a multiplier

Some services use a Current Transformer (CT) rated meter. On these services, the meter only measures a fraction of the actual current flowing to the premise, so a multiplier must be applied to get the true demand reading. CT rated meters step down the current to a safer more manageable level that can be wired directly to a standard meter.

The multiplier is stamped on a silver tag attached to the meter base, not the meter itself. To calculate actual maximum demand:

Meter reading (kW) × Multiplier = Actual demand (kW)

In this example, the meter base tag reads X300, meaning the multiplier is 300. The meter display shows a maximum demand reading of 0.247 kW. Multiplying the two together:

0.247 kW × 300 = 74.1 kW

So, the actual maximum demand for that billing cycle was 74.1 kW.

The digital meters that OUC installs meet all Federal Communications Commission (FCC) guidelines and safety standards. OUC utilizes a low power “mesh network” where the meters act as repeaters passing the data to other nearby meters until it makes it to a main collector. The meters emit only a ¼-watt signal for just 1.5 seconds every four hours, which is significantly less than the radio frequency emitted by cell phones.

Digital meters send information about electricity use to utilities by RF signals. The exposure from digital or smart meters is much lower than other common sources for two reasons: 1) infrequent signal transmission, and 2) distance from the source.

For more information and research on smart meters, please visit the links below:

California Council on Science and Technology:
Health Impacts of Radio Frequency from Smart Meters

Electric Research Power Institute:
EPRI Radio-Frequency Exposure Levels from Smart Meters: A Case Study of One Model