Energy Biz - September/October 2008 - (Page 68) (MeterinG » Guidebook Oncor Gives customers control UTiLiTy SAyS BENEFiTS OUTWEigH $1 BiLLiON COST By PAM RAdTKE RUSSELL oncor elecTric is Making an almost $1 billion gamble that its customers will take control of their own energy usage through the installation of advanced meters in its 3 million homes and businesses in north Texas by 2012. “This is about helping the people we serve by stepping up technology and reliability,” said Megan Wright, a spokeswoman for Oncor. “The current meters use 100-year-old technology. They’re like rotary phones, and the new advanced meters are like iPhones. They both get the job done, but one works significantly better and has much better benefits. The benefits with advanced meters for consumers are saving energy — good for the environment and the wallet.” Customers will be able to access their real-time energy use through a Web site that Oncor will be setting up. Customers who don’t have access to the Internet can purchase in-home monitors, and Oncor will provide such monitors for low-income residents. The company expects that customers will be able to save at least $300 million a year through real-time pricing or time-of-use programs that will be offered by the state’s retail electric providers. That amount, Oncor said, should more than offset the charge of $2.29 a month that residential customers will pay for 11 years for the meters. Nonresidential customers will pay $3.90 a month for 11 years, according to a filing with the Texas Public Utilities Commission. Oncor is paying $690 million for the Landis+Gear meters and $148 million for operation and maintaining the meters over 11 years. An education component, including a traveling exhibit, will cost an additional $5 million, as will providing the in-home monitors to low-income residents, according to filings with the PUC. Switching to the and data ManaGeMent) advanced meters will save Oncor about $176 million because the company will be able to eliminate about 300 meter readers. Oncor will also be able to save money because the advanced metering technology will allow the company to remotely switch power off and on to individual homes. But not everyone is convinced the meters will yield the promised savings. “We’ll never realize any cost savings benefit to anyone,” said Carol Biedrzycki, executive director of Texas Ratepayers’ Organization to Save This is about helping the people we serve by stepping up technology and reliability. Energy. While Bierdrzycki’s organization didn’t intervene in the advanced meter case with the PUC, Biedrzycki sits on an advanced meter task force with the state. “From my experiences, I cannot find anyone out there in the general population who is waiting out there for an advanced meter,” she said. While there may be benefits to customers with larger homes and amenities such as pools, who have the option of turning off some electric appliances in their homes, Biedrzycki said the advanced meters aren’t going to help lower income residents who might simply have the choice of turning off their window unit air conditioner in the middle of the summer. Oracle Utilities Comprehensive. Copyright © 2008, Oracle. All rights reserved. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation and/or its affiliates. 68 308M00434_UTL_MoreComplete.indd 1 E n E rgyB i z September/October 2008 2/12/08 4:01:09 PM http://oracle.com/industries/utilities
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