Advanced Meter FAQs

No. The digital meters are designed not to interfere with home electronics. Please contact customeroutreach@chelanpud.org if you have specific concerns.

Advanced metering are a key building block for a more efficient electric system using the new digital advanced meters. Some of the benefits customers can expect in the coming years include faster outage notification, more accurate billing, access to future tools and technology, and potential conservation savings. Visit our Benefits webpage for more detail.

Yes - Chelan PUD is committed to keeping your personal information safe and secure. With advanced meters, cybersecurity best practices, such as isolation and encryption of customer data are used. Only meter data is transmitted wirelessly, not any customer information. 
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Customer Rights

Yes, but not right away. Advanced metering lays the foundation for expanded services in the future such as better information on customers’ potential conservation savings. See our Benefits webpage to learn more.

No, the PUD will not know any specifics about what you’re using power inside your home for, nor will we control your energy use. 

Chelan PUD will use encrypted data to do things like:

• Respond to outages and restore your power faster
• Ensure accurate billing and reduce estimated bills
• Determine where system maintenance is needed to improve reliability and plan for future growth
• When future technology is available, customers will be able to access their own energy use data to make decisions about conservation and lower their bills

When it comes to your power, Chelan PUD will continue to follow established policies, regulations, and procedures with advanced metering infrastructure.

For residential customers who request that their power be disconnected and/or reconnected, advanced meters will allow the PUD to do so remotely in many cases (some will still need a field visit). This means the PUD may no longer need to schedule a qualified field worker to visit your home to disconnect and/or reconnect your service. 

Know we’re here to ensure the safety of field workers and the public.  When there is a situation, like a house or wildland fire, severe weather, or a car pole accident that requires the power to turned off for safety – the PUD is here to help.  Depending on the situation, to maintain safety and increase reliability, the PUD may disconnect power at the meter, at the transformer, the substation, or another location.

We’ve heard some questions and concerns about radio frequency (RF), electro-magnetic fields (EMF), and the potential of these energy fields to impact your health. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a safe and proven technology widely used across the US. More than half the utilities in the country are already using this technology. Advanced meters use low-energy RF waves to send energy-use information to the PUD through a secure wireless network.

Please visit our Overview and Health Information webpages for more information.

 

Once your new advanced meter is installed, there will no longer be the need for meter readers to check your meter every month for billing purposes. Until your advanced meter is installed, Chelan PUD's meter readers will continue to read analog meters every month.