Frequently Asked Questions about Digital Meters
Roanoke Cooperative (RC) is investing in new, digital meters to improve the efficiency and reliability of our electric system. Many member-owners have asked questions about these new meters and how they work. Here are the most common questions we have received and answers:
The installations started this summer. All meters will be replaced with new meters. It is expected to take 18 months to complete the replacement across our system.
Yes, for a few minutes while the old meter is removed and a new meter is installed. You will need to reset electronic clocks and other devices.
With these new meters, RC will continue to read the meter remotely from our central office. Information from the meter is transmitted back to the co-op electronically.
The meter upgrade provides RC member-owners with numerous benefits. The new meters will help us:
- Monitor the service to all of our member-owners to improve the quality of service provided
- Reduce labor costs associated with the maintenance of the electric grid
- Automatically pinpoint the exact location of outages, meaning a faster response time
- Help our member-owners troubleshoot high-bill problems by providing information about power consumption patterns, outage and blink count history and voltage information, reducing usage questions
- Improve electric service reliability and power quality – fewer outages and blinks
- Help secure the overall safety of the co-op employee team
How much is this going to cost?
There will be no additional costs to the member to install the new system. There is no rate increase anticipated in association with this project.
No additional parts are anticipated or required.
Opting out of this upgrade will significantly impact our ability to provide accurate and efficient service. Older meters are not compatible with the new system, meaning we will no longer be able to obtain electronic readings. Instead, a service technician will need to be dispatched to manually read the meter, which will result in a fee. Additionally, opting out will eliminate access to daily updates on the Go RC & Fybe app.
While participation in the new metering system is strongly encouraged, an opt-out option is available. In some cases, a medical waiver may be considered to accommodate special circumstances.
The new meters are digital electronic devices with a more efficient communication system compared to the old meters. They will continue to record the kilowatt-hour and demand data for billing purposes, as well as provide additional information about the electrical condition of the power grid.
Yes, member-owners will continue to stay on the same rate class as they have in the past. There will be NO increased cost to the member.
Contact the co-op office right away to discuss your billing concerns. Electronic meters are more accurate. The new meters installed have been tested and meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) regulations.
The new meters allow for accurate readings and a consistent billing period.
The new meter 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 backward, 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. The meters are equipped to notify RC when the power goes out and when it is restored and can provide engineering data.
All of the co-op’s new meters can be read at a variety of times to obtain a history of account information. However, for billing purposes, member bills will be read on monthly schedules.
No. Reasonable access to equipment still must be maintained. This allows for co-op personnel to either read or maintain the meter if necessary at reasonable times.
The co-op’s computer will communicate with the meter to the readings. The meter reading is sent back to the co-op via a secure network.
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 cell phones – and the meters are installed on the outside of your house not next to your ear!
Routine inspections of all meters and services will continue in order to look for safety hazards, theft, or other problems.
Just like the old meter, the new meter display is visible for member-owners to be able to check their consumption. All other information and data stored in the meter is secure and the meter is sealed.
Yes, meters can have remote disconnect capabilities.
Yes, the meters will be able to notify the co-op when there is a power outage. It will also record outages and duration.