PORT ANGELES — City Hall plans to replace home meters with new high-tech versions by the end of next year, in a move the staff members say will ultimately hold electrical costs down.
The new meters — which would cost between $4 million and $5 million — would allow Port Angeles city staffers to track residences’ utility use, which determines monthly payments, and turn service on and off from a single office without the need of meter readers.
But, most significantly, the new meters would allow the city to turn a small number of water heaters off for a few minutes each day when electrical costs are at their highest.
The shutoffs, which would effect between 10 and 15 percent of households for six minutes at a time, would be unnoticeable to residents, city staff say.
But its benefits could be significant, they said.
BPA rates
Beginning in October 2011, the Bonneville Power Administration will increase its peak-demand rates from between $1.30 and $2.30 per kilowatt to between $8 and $10 per kilowatt.
“We need to manage that very effectively for our customers,” said Glenn Cutler, public works and utilities director, referring to the pending increase.
City staff believe that remotely shutting off a few meters when the city is using the most electricity each day would pay off.
Cutler expects the city to have a contract for installation approved by the end of summer. Installation will take about a year, he said.
The project is in the city’s 2010 budget.
The city already increased utility rates last year to pay for the project, Cutler said.
Utility rates went up 3.9 percent, partly for this project.
Cutler said that most of the city’s meters are in need of being replaced.
Less than 1 percent of the meters won’t be replaced, he said.
A part-time meter reader still would be used, Cutler said.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.