PORT ANGELES — City Hall plans to begin installing its new “smart” utility meters for the general public June 6.
Meters were installed for City Council members last week. Next week, up to 50 city staff members will receive them.
Phil Lusk, city power resources manager, said council members and some staff are getting them first to ensure that the new system is operating properly before installing them for other customers.
So far, no problems have been found, he said.
The first phase of installation will involve 1,000 automated water and electrical meters being placed in the I Street neighborhood.
The city is spending $5.4 million to replace the approximately 19,000 meters in Port Angeles.
Installation, which takes five minutes per meter, is expected to be completed citywide in January.
Meters read remotely
Rather than using meter readers, the new meters track electrical and water consumption remotely.
The new meters can be read remotely through wireless devices and Capacity Provision Inc.’s fiber-optic network.
They are more accurate than the current analog meters, many of which are beyond their lifespan, city officials said.
Lusk said the accuracy of some water meters has been reduced by as much as 25 percent.
As meters age, they slow down and often under-read utility use, he said.
Electrical meters also have been shown to slow down over time, though they are likely within the city’s allowable range of 2 percent, Lusk said.
That means some households and businesses will see their utility bills increase.
“It’s an equity thing,” Lusk said.
“We want users to pay for what they use.”
Voluntary program
With the new meters, the city is starting a voluntary program that allows the city to remotely reduce energy use for some appliances when demand for electricity is at its highest.
The program will save participants money since the city will start billing customers more for power used during the peak hours in 2012.
For more information, phone Lusk at 360-417-4703.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.