PSNH has begun a huge program that will replace everybody’s electric meter with a version that transmits wirelessly, but the new technol ogy isn’t the two-way system often known as a “smart meter.”

The system, called AMR – for automatic meter reading – means that meter readers won’t have to get out of their vehicle and check the readout on every electric meter. Instead, they’ll be able to gather the reading from up to a quarter-mile away, while driving down the road.

“It’s the same technology, with the same ability, as meters now,” said PSNH spokesman Michael Skelton. “They don’t do anything different … except transmit the reading.”

PSNH has replaced about 11,000 of its 550,000 customer meters in the state so far, Skelton said. The process will continue throughout the state until 2016 and will cost about $40 million – a charge that will not be added onto people’s bills, Skelton said.

Once installed, the system will save PSNH $6.5 million a year, largely by eliminating the need for 49 meter readers.

It will also improve accuracy, Skelton said, since it will reduce the times that readers can’t access a meter due to snow or other issues, requiring an estimated bill.

“Customers will no longer need to shovel a path for meter readers during the winter months,” notes PSNH in its announcement.

The AMR program is different that the “smart meter” installation recently completed by New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, which provides power to residents in the center of the state.

NHEC’s new meters send their readings all the way back to a central office using a point-to-point system called a mesh network, negating the use of almost any meter readers. They also can do two-way interaction that will eventually allow for time-of-day pricing and other features.

The PSNH system is simpler and cheaper to install, since it didn’t require a mesh network. Replacing NHEC’s 83,000 meters cost about $35 million, or eight times the cost per customer as PSNH.

Spending more to entirely eliminate meter readers makes more sense for NHEC, which mostly serves rural areas.

“We don’t have the kind of customer density that PSNH does. When you send a meter reader out, and there’s just one home every mile he’s reading, it’s a lot more economical to do it this way,” said Seth Wheeler, spokesman for New Hampshire Electric Cooperative.

Skelton said PSNH crunched the numbers and decided against more complicated smart meters.

“What we’re looking to do here is make the most cost effective step for customers,” said Skelton.

Many electric utilities are looking to upgrade the system that carries electricity from power plants to customers, creating a “smart grid” that can be more efficient, flexible and react better to outages.

NHEC’s meters, for example, have the ability to send a “last gasp” signal when power goes out, which when turned on will allow the cooperative to have a better, quicker picture of where and when power is out, making it easier to send crews.

Skelton said PSNH decided to do its “smart grid” investment further up the line.

“We decided on investments that will yield more return in the short term than smart meters,” he said.

Examples include a pilot distribution-automation program for key circuits on system, that can “isolate outages, reroute power, (create a) self-healing grid.”

Smart meters have faced some problems around the country. They include some fires and other hardware problems, as well as claims in California that they resulted in incorrect billing.

The NHEC program drew opposition in the Statehouse from privacy advocates who feared that people could intercept real-time electricity data being transmitted to determine such things as when a home is empty.

As a result, NHEC has not turned on that function. It is testing time-of-use charges on about 400 volunteer customers.

Because they don’t allow two-way communication or release real-time usage data, neither the NHEC nor PSNH meters are so-called “Smart Meter Gateway Devices” that under state law require customer permission to be installed.

David Brooks can be reached at 594-6531 or dbrooks@
nashuatelegraph.com. Also, follow Brooks on Twitter (@GraniteGeek).