CTEC can read the meter remotely from our offices. Information from the meter is transmitted back to the co-op via a secure radio frequency system. The meters also allow CTEC to connect or disconnect meters remotely, meaning a serviceman does not need to physically go to the location to remove or connect a meter.
Digital Meters
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI records an electronic kWh reading, the date and time of energy usage, the overall peak demand of the electric account, if the meter has rotated backwards, and the number of times the meter has experienced a loss of power for any reason. In fact, the meter will record the date and time of light blinks and the length of the power outage. Its’ voltage monitoring ability will also aid our dispatchers in analyzing line conditions.
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI utilizes a banking data quality encrypted radio frequency system to transmit meter data from the meter to radio receivers, so it is extremely secure from unauthorized access. Our goal is to upgrade our electric distribution system to make it safer, more secure, and more reliable. Your AMI is part of this effort.
No. Research conducted by the Electric Power Research Institute, the Utilities Telecom Council, and others has revealed no health impacts from digital meters. The radio frequencies emitted by digital meters fall well below the maximum recommended in federal guidelines.
Contrary to some misconceptions, the new meters emit radio frequencies (RF) only when responding to a request for data from the co-op office – either once every fifteen minutes or once every hour for less than a second. Compare this activity to a laptop with a wireless connection, which is constantly sending and retrieving data.
A digital meter equipped to send and receive data has an RF density hundreds of times less than the RF density of a cell phone – and the meters are installed on the outside of your house not next to your ear!
Routine inspections of all meters and services are necessary in order to look for safety hazards, theft, or other problems.
Yes, meters can have remote disconnect capabilities.
Yes, in most cases. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI is capable of initiating two-way communication. This means that the meter can report outages and voltage variances, as well as other line conditions, without being prompted by our offices. This feature will decrease the duration of an outage. However, CTEC still recommends that you report your own outages by phone for extra insurance that your outage is documented.
The RF meters will allow CTEC to maintain a more reliable power distribution system, have improved efficiency throughout the cooperative billing system, have improved system power quality, and provide better member/customer service. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI will allow CTEC to offer members more timely energy consumption data.
On residential meters, there can be three different screen displays. Usually, the meter display will alternate between showing the kilowatt-hours accumulated on the meter and a display refresh screen with all “8”s showing along with the words “VOLTAGE and kWh”. If the meter has been disconnected, it will display an icon showing the status of the meter switch.
Yes, a smart meter is a type of electricity meter that can digitally send meter readings. These meters can automatically register meter tampering, transmit outage information, report variances in voltage, and improve outage response. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI and the digital meters collect this information and transmit the data back to the co-op via a secure radio frequency system. The difference is they do it faster, more accurately, and more reliably.