| Sitting on my couch one day, patiently trying to get | | | | compare it to a gas pump. As you pump the gas, |
| the little one to sleep, I just happened to look out | | | | you can see the price going up in relation to how |
| my window and was scared to death. I see a huge | | | | many gallons you’re pumping. Immediate |
| man trying to hop over my gate with a special ladder | | | | feedback. This is basically the same idea with the |
| designed for hopping fences! If the limitless thriller | | | | smart meter (except it relates to electricity). You will |
| movies have taught me anything it is not to go | | | | be able to see your usage and resulting cost on a |
| investigate on my own. So what do I do? I go | | | | more real time basis instead of having only one |
| outside to investigate, with the baby in tow. It’s | | | | reading at the end of the month. There is a reading |
| funny; the thought of calling the cops or at least | | | | every 15 minutes and it’s done from a remote |
| taking mace never entered my mind. Thankfully the | | | | location so you get a more accurate and real-time |
| man was not there to kidnap or kill me; he was doing | | | | record of your energy usage. With the elimination of |
| his job for CenterPoint, installing a smart meter. | | | | meter readers, it actually cuts costs for customers |
| Apparently he had been hopping over every fence | | | | and companies because it reduces costs associated |
| and installing these meters all around my | | | | with sending a truck and meter reader to each |
| neighborhood. In a state where anyone can own a | | | | customer. This device is also helpful if you are |
| gun, this seems like a pretty risky profession to me. | | | | working on a budget because if you’ve |
| It’s funny because if I hadn’t busted the | | | | budgeted let’s say $200 for the month on |
| guy installing the meter, I would have never known | | | | electricity and you see that half way through the |
| that anything had changed and I’ll bet most | | | | month, you are already at $150, it serves as a |
| people still don’t. I’m not saying there | | | | warning to let you know that you need to start |
| wasn’t any notice, I am sure there was, but | | | | either cutting back on your usage or you’ll at |
| who really reads those notices in the mail? Anyways, | | | | least be prepared to go over budget. Also, another |
| now that we have this new device on our house I | | | | neat function is just like your grocery store savings |
| thought it would be important to figure out what the | | | | card keeps record of everything you purchase and |
| heck it does and why CenterPoint felt the need to | | | | you’re sent coupons at the end of month for |
| install these in everyone’s homes. | | | | items you buy the most, this meter acts the same |
| In the past, every business and household in Texas is | | | | way by recording and analyzing your usage history |
| required to have an electric meter on their property. | | | | so you can better manage your energy consumption. |
| The reason for this is pretty obvious; it’s to | | | | You can actually see the peaks and valleys of your |
| make sure there is an accurate and consistent way | | | | energy usage and be able to make changes based |
| to measure the electricity going into your home and | | | | on the analysis which could in turn save energy and |
| or business each month. This is helpful for both us, | | | | then save money. One additional perk to this new |
| the customers and electric companies because it | | | | meter is that it sends instant power outage reports |
| allows for a more accurate bill each month. And up | | | | to your local TDSP which leads to a much quicker |
| until now, that is all the meter was designed to do; | | | | response time. |
| interestingly enough it has been this same way for | | | | One thing to clarify is the smart meter doesn’t |
| about 50 years. But because we live in a world | | | | send this analysis straight to you, nor can you go out |
| where new technology is always being developed, a | | | | to your box and get all of the analysis mentioned |
| more interactive and “smart” meter has | | | | above. The TDSP receives the information from the |
| been created to not only help the consumer but to | | | | meter and then they have their own ways of making |
| help the electricity companies and the electric delivery | | | | that information available to you. For Houston and |
| companies as well. | | | | surrounding areas, CenterPoint Energy is providing |
| Something I’d like to point out before I continue | | | | home area network capabilities that will allow for |
| is the companies that distribute electricity are called | | | | customers to review this information online via the |
| electric delivery companies. Another name for them is | | | | web. For Dallas/Fort Worth area Oncor is rolling out |
| TDSP’s (I have no clue where they got that | | | | their own version called Advanced Metering System |
| acronym from but nonetheless that’s what they | | | | (AMS), which began in January 2009. The |
| are known as in the industry). These companies are | | | | REPs are also sure to provide tools and services that |
| responsible for quite a lot. They install and maintain | | | | build on this information, and allow their customers to |
| the meters, poles and transmission lines. They also | | | | make better energy decisions. |
| are the ones who actually provide the power to the | | | | Since I began working on this piece, I’ve noticed |
| retail companies where you get your power from. An | | | | that there has been more and more coming out in |
| example of this type of company is CenterPoint | | | | the papers on this smart meter topic. I’m not |
| Energy in Houston and Oncor for Dallas. These | | | | sure if you’ve heard, but just this week the |
| companies are completely separate from the | | | | government announced they’re awarding $3.4 |
| company you pay your bill to every month, which in | | | | billion in funding to utility companies (and then those |
| the industry are called retail electricity providers, | | | | companies are going to put in another $4.7 billion in |
| often called REP’s (this acronym makes a lot | | | | matching funds) in support of 100 projects aimed at |
| more sense). This may clear up any confusion some | | | | modernizing the nation’s power grid to make it |
| may have – I can’t tell you how many | | | | more "smart. One of those projects is installing the |
| people have told me in conversation that they pay | | | | smart meter in homes across the U.S., and I read |
| their electricity bill to CenterPoint. I think this is | | | | somewhere that these investments could potentially |
| because not many people know the difference | | | | reduce U.S. electricity use by 4% a year! That’s |
| between the two companies. | | | | a big number when you think of the millions of |
| Moving on. Since the meter has basically stayed the | | | | households. Also, the government’s ultimate goal |
| same for the last 50 years, it was definitely time for | | | | is to distribute 40 million smart meters over the next |
| an upgrade. Today, we have access to so much | | | | few years. |
| information, it is almost scary. Like when I was | | | | What are the next steps locally for the smart meter |
| pregnant, we saw so much in our ultrasounds – | | | | roll out? Well, CenterPoint Energy was just awarded |
| her brain, four ventricles of the heart, blood flow in | | | | a $200 million grant to speed up its work to replace |
| and out of the umbilical cord, you name it, we saw it. | | | | all 2.2 million customer electric meters with the smart |
| It was wonderful and scary at the same time, and | | | | meter. These new funds will cut two years off of |
| far advanced from 50 years ago. My point is that | | | | their 5-year goal. In the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, the |
| given our technological advances, it is amazing that | | | | TDSP, Oncor, applied for $315 million to speed along |
| something like an electric meter hasn’t changed | | | | its smart grid projects but didn’t win any of the |
| until now. The smart meter will continue to measure | | | | grants and so their projects will continue on schedule. |
| your electricity usage, but it will also send information | | | | If you are in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, you can click |
| back upstream to allow CenterPoint, the REPs, and | | | | here to see when your area is scheduled to have |
| you, the consumer, make better decisions. I like to | | | | your meters replaced. |