Waldoboro residents, like residents of towns around the state, can expect to have their old mechanical electricity meters replaced with digital smart meters in the coming weeks.
Central Maine Power is in the process of replacing all of their meters with smart meters, which they describe as an update to an obsolete technology and an opportunity to integrate homes and businesses in a more advanced network.
As of May 16, CMP had installed 199,000 out of 620,000 smart meters throughout their territory. In Waldoboro, they plan to begin the process of installing 2997 smart meters sometime between May 30 and June 6, CMP Customer Service Advisor Brenda Hendrickson told the Waldoboro Board of Selectmen at their May 10 meeting.
The installation process takes about 15 minutes, during which power will be shut off for about one minute, Hendrickson said.
Although some have raised questions about health risks associated with radio frequency emissions from smart meters, CMP, the Federal Communications Commission, the Maine Center for Disease Control and several national and international health organizations insist that the levels emitted from smart meters are well below acceptable levels, and that there is no indication that even at levels emitted from cell phones (12,667 times greater than smart meters, according to CMP information) there is no indication of significant health risks from radio frequency emissions.
However, in keeping with the Public Utilities Commission’s May 17 decision, CMP will offer two opt-out choices for residents who do not want a smart meter installed. The Public Utilities Commission’s decision also allows CMP to charge customers who opt out for the increased costs associated with their decision, said CMP spokesman John Carroll.
Residents may choose to keep their old mechanical meter. This decision comes with a $40 initial fee and a $12 per month additional fee on their electricity bill.
Residents may also choose to have a digital meter installed, but with the communication device that allows the smart meters to transmit information to the larger network disabled. This decision comes with a $20 initial fee and a $10.50 per month additional fee on their electricity bill.
CMP says the fees offset the increased costs associated with maintaining two different types of meters. In addition, because smart meters are integrated in a wireless grid, no “meter readers” are needed to check electrical usage. So, residents with mechanical meters or digital meters with the communication device disabled represent an additional cost in reading the meters. The data from these opt-out meters will then also need to be manually input into CMP’s system.
“We don’t want customers to have to pay for the people who don’t want [smart meters],” Hendrickson told the selectmen.
The cost of the upgrade process and installation of the smart meters will not be reflected in an increase to customers’ bills, Hendrickson and Carroll both said. The approximately $200 million project is paid for in part by a $96 million federal grant. The rest of the cost will be made up over the next 15 years by decreased costs from maintenance and meter reading, Carroll said.
The decrease in maintenance and reading eliminates 148 positions at CMP, Hendrickson and Carroll said. “Many of those employees” have moved to other positions at CMP, taken early retirement or taken voluntary severance packages, Hendrickson said. About 200 jobs will be created during the period of installing the new meters, according to CMP materials.
The elimination of physical meter reading will eliminate “nearly 2 million miles of driving each year,” according to CMP materials.
Once the new meters are installed, CMP will be able to more accurately track electricity use. Customers will be able to view their electricity use online on a daily basis beginning this fall, Hendrickson said.
After installation, there will be a two-month testing period during which CMP makes sure the meters and the data network work properly.
Residents seeking more information, or who wish to opt out of the smart meter installation may call CMP at 1-877-887-0356 or go online to www.cmpco.com/smartmeter.
