Advanced Metering
Overview
Longmont has begun replacing its electric meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Sometimes called “smart meters,” these allow a number of advantages over the traditional meters that the city has used for decades. For example:
- Traditional meters are read once per month. Advanced meters read themselves multiple times per day, allowing a much clearer picture of energy use and more opportunities for energy efficiency.
- Advanced meters enable us to better integrate renewable energy and distributed energy resources (DERs) into our grid, supporting our goal of providing 100% renewable energy by 2030.
- Advanced meters can give faster warnings of outages and irregularities, allowing us to respond to issues quickly.
- Advanced meters can allow electric service to be connected or disconnected in seconds (for example, when a family moves in or out of a home), saving the hundreds of trips that our crews usually have to make … and saving the greenhouse gas emissions from all that driving, too!
- Advanced meters allow more rate options that may include charging less during times of day when there’s lower electrical demand.
Throughout the United States, advanced meters are steadily replacing traditional manually-read electric meters. In 2021, for example, U.S. electric utilities had installed about 111 million advanced meters according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, meaning that they now make up about 70% of the meters in the country. Of those installations, almost 90% were for residential customers.
News and Updates
The citywide phase of Longmont’s advanced metering upgrade has begun as of Aug. 15, 2023. This transition should be complete by the end of 2024. More information can be found in our news release on the project; a map of the work has been posted below and will be updated throughout the project.
Longmont installed its first advanced meters in October 2022 to more than 500 customers in south Longmont. (See map below.) Find out more about this initial deployment area in our AMI news release announcing the start of work.
As the installation gets underway, we’ll be keeping you informed about what’s going on. In addition to watching this site, make sure to follow us on our Facebook page and check out the latest City news releases and our “More Power to You” blog.
Installation
Installing your new electric meter is a quick, simple process. Find out more by checking out the short video below, available in both English and Spanish.
Common Questions
Who is doing this? This is a City of Longmont project, with the meters and their infrastructure provided by Landis+Gyr. Meter installation will be performed by Aclara.
How do these advanced meters send their information to LPC? Our AMI meters will transmit their information wirelessly for less than a second every hour.
Is this information private? Yes. Under the Longmont Municipal Code (14.20.170) , customer-specific metering data will not be shared with third parties without the customer’s written permission or a court order. Our policy is in compliance with the Colorado Open Records Act, where utility customer information is specifically protected. It is also in compliance with governing state and federal requirements.
What information does the meter record? Among other things, the meter will record how much power is being used and when, the voltage levels and whether there has been any interruption of service. It does not tell us (or anybody else) how that power is being used. In addition, no personal information (customer name, etc.) is stored in an advanced meter or transmitted from one.
How much will this cost and where is the money coming from? Longmont Power & Communications estimates that it will cost about $14 million to deploy AMI. Electric rate adjustments were made in 2020 and 2021 in part to help cover this. No tax dollars are being used.
Will I be notified before my meter is installed? Yes, you will be notified by mail ahead of time.
Do I need to be home when my meter is installed? No, customers do not need to be home. Those who are may see a brief power outage of five minutes or less while the meters are exchanged.
How do I know the person at my door is my installer? Our installers will carry City ID and have vehicles and protective clothing that identify them as City contractors. You can ALWAYS ask for their ID and call Longmont Power & Communications at 303-651-8386 to confirm that this is our installer.
How will I know when my meter has been upgraded? The installer will leave a doorhanger on your front door to let you know the work is complete and your new meter has been installed.
Will I be charged for the new meter? There is no fee to have an advanced meter installed.
Do I still need to keep my meter access clear? Yes. We do still need to have reasonable access to the meter in case of any maintenance needs that may require an in-person visit. So please continue to follow the safety tips on our meter page.
Will these new meters utilize the City’s NextLight fiber network? Yes, in a supporting role. The data sent wirelessly by our meters is received by 13 collectors around Longmont that are directly wired to NextLight’s fiber. This high-speed network allows us to quickly and easily get that data where it needs to go, giving Longmont a huge advantage over many other communities. AMI meters currently on the market do not connect directly to fiber; even if such a meter were available, it would only be able to serve fiber-enabled premises and would require additional wiring at every single building.
If I don’t want an advanced electric meter, can I opt out? Yes. **There will be a one-time cost to install a manually-read meter, and a small monthly charge to help defray meter reading administration costs. This opt-out (and the associated costs) is for the AMI project only and does not apply to any water meter upgrades.
How do I opt out? Simply follow the link to our AMI opt-out form (English) or Opción de exclusión del proyecto de medición avanzada (Español) and then fill it out and submit it online. Please note that there is an extra cost for opting out after your advanced meter has been installed. If you need assistance with the opt-out form, please give us a call at 303-651-8386.
Are there any health impacts from advanced meters? Agencies that study health effects and regulate radio frequency (RF) technologies such as the Federal Communications Commission and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have determined that advanced metering equipment is safe for use in and near homes. According to the FCC, RF levels are greater in cell phones (almost 13,000 times greater), microwave ovens (about 300 times greater) and home Wi-Fi routers (almost 70 times greater) than from an AMI meter. Similar conclusions about AMI safety have been reached elsewhere; for one example, see this fact sheet from Canadian health officials. Information about this and other common AMI-related questions is also available from the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative.
What safety standards govern advanced meters? Advanced meters must meet the standards and requirements of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), specifically the National Electric Safety Code (NESC). Our meters also meet UL 2735 certification, a utility meter safety standard that includes fire safety requirements.
