Meter technology is changing for Eversource customers

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - A change is coming for Eversource customers.

Western Mass News is getting answers on smart meter technology, and how the utility company says homeowners can benefit from it.

Come late summer, western Massachusetts Eversource customers can expect a change to the way their energy information is collected. The company is rolling out smart meters and although this technology has been around for almost 20 years, Luis Pizano, the smart seter Program Director for Eversource, told us that the utility company is catching up with its neighbors.

“What makes it smart is its tracking information pretty much continuously and providing information to the customer and utility on a pretty frequent basis.” Said Pizano.

Traditional meters at Eversource are typically only checked once a month, tracking energy usage, but the new smart meters allow multiple different forms of information to be tracked.

“But also, the voltage, current, safety conditions, and really know what’s happening.”

Pizano said this can benefit customers to see exactly how much energy they are using each month.

“If they only want to spend $300 on their bill this month, halfway through, they can say I’ve already spent $150, I need to do something differently if I want to stay under budget.”

Eversource said another benefit is what happens during power outages, as they won’t need to rely on customer reports.

“With the smart meters, we will know the second the power outage is detected and react more effectively, and the understand the extent of outages.”

However, we have heard from residents voicing concerns over smart meters. We took some of their questions to Pizano, which included what if a customer does not want a smart meter attached to their house?

“Customers have an option of opting out, there will be a fee for getting a meter that doesn’t have communication, but also a fee because we will have to come out monthly and manually read their meter every month.”

Eversource says customers will be notified 90 days before installation, and if Eversource has access to the meter, customers do not need to be home for the change.