| During the past month, Henryetta area homeowners have been finding a card from PSO on their front doors. Those are not disconnect notices but, instead, an introduction to the new digital meters taking the place of the decades-old technology. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), or smart meters, provides a number of benefits to homeowners. It also eliminates the need for meter readers to come to the homes monthly. According to PSO customer service representative Lyle Stogner, the digital meters use low-frequency transmissions to keep up with energy use at the home and send it to the PSO office. That information is used for billing and monitor operations. |  |
| "We are installing the meters at a rate of about 1,000 a day," Stogner said. The program started in 2011 with a pilot installation in Owasso. All meters are expected to be installed throughout the PSO service area by the end of 2016. Stogner said the digital information is also available to customers through the internet. "Customers can see near real-time energy usage data that allows them to make informed decisions about their electric consumption. They will be getting faster service, more accurate readings and shorter outages." The customer benefit includes service turned on at the homes remotely after calling PSO. In the days of the older meters, a two-day notice was required for service connections. Once the installations are completed, customers will be able to use a secure website that can allow them to see their current energy use, bill-to-date information and forecasted billing information. They will be able to do rate comparisons and see how their usage fluctuates with local weather conditions. Information from the meters only shows how much energy is used and when but not what appliance, television, computer or connection is using it. The information's encrypted with the latest technology to protect against cyber-attacks. Anyone wishing more information can go to www.psoklahoma.com/ami | |
