When Labor Day ended, nearly a decade of hard work began as ComEd initiated the long process of installing digital “smart meters” across its service territory of more than 4 million customers. The meters are part of ComEd’s $3 billion plan to modernize its power grid.
So when will you get one? The deployment began this month in Chicago’s near western suburbs and will continue through 2021. (Click to see a larger image of ComEd’s smart meter deployment map.)
The process of replacing an old analog meter with a new digital meter takes only about 10 minutes, and may involve a brief power outage. ComEd will alert you by letter, bill insert, automated phone call, and a knock on the door before installing a new meter. Also, the utility will hang a sign on your door to let you know a new meter has been installed.
The benefits of smart meters include the elimination of estimated billing, increased reliability, reduced utility inefficiencies and more access to pricing programs that save consumers money. CUB will monitor the deployment closely to make sure consumers receive the benefits of the new meters, and not just the bill. (Read more about the new meters in CUB’s past blog post.)
Are you looking forward to getting a new electric meter? Take CUB’s three-question smart meter survey.
