PORT ANGELES — Clallam County PUD is considering a change to its smart meter policy.
The revised policy would discontinue analog meters as an opt-out meter option, continue offering non-transmitting digital display meters and standardize the current opt-out process, according to a news release on the district’s website. All other existing terms of the policy remain unchanged.
The district’s release cites an inability, due to “various factors,” to obtain and stock analog meters or parts to repair them.
The PUD’s board of commissioners discussed the revised policy at their Jan. 22 meeting and are scheduled to take action on it at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 12 in the Lake Crescent Boardroom at the PUD Administration Building, 104 Hooker Road in Carlsborg.
Comment can be submitted by email on or before Feb. 7 to PUDCustomerService@ClallamPUD.net. It will be submitted to the commissioners for consideration.
The proposed changes do not change the existing procedure to opt out of remote-read or advanced meters, the release stated. Opt-out forms will continue to be processed, except for the following:
• Customers who participate in services or optional rates that require advanced metering (for example, net metering and pre-pay).
• Customers who have tampered with the meter or cut the meter seal.
• Customers who have poly-phase service or are served by a demand meter.
• Customers who have been disconnected for nonpayment.
• Customers or accounts enrolled in the continuous service program for landlords, which allows an account owned by a tenant to revert back into the landlord’s name in the event of a vacancy.
• Customers who violate the facility access policy, which can be found at https://clallampud.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1201-district-facility-access-policy.pdf.
The non-transmitting digital meters to be used in place of analog meters for opt-out customers are “non-smart” meters that only can be read manually by field personnel and do not emit any radio frequency or communicate for any purpose.
