The Lewis County Public Utility District (PUD) continues to install new advanced metering infrastructure for roughly 30,000 connections, a move the PUD says will reduce overhead costs while allowing for a reduction in energy consumption.
The PUD began installation of the free meters on Oct. 24, and the process is expected to be completed by late 2024.
David Plotz, PUD general manager, said the program has been in the works for several years, though it was delayed by supply chain issues.
“The advent of smart meters, they’ve been out for some time,” Plotz said. “Many other utilities have already put these in place.”
According to the PUD, the meters allow customers to budget their energy consumption and receive notifications when they exceed their budgets, which could point to a faulty appliance or malfunctioning equipment.
“They will lower our costs and they will provide information that isn’t just more accurate but will give us more detail, to make us understand where we need to build resiliency, where we need to improve the infrastructure of Lewis County,” Plotz said. “So by having that data, we can make better decisions.”
After roughly 10 community members voiced concerns at a Nov. 21 PUD commissioners meeting, Plotz said he had three main takeaways, including a $50 monthly fee to opt out of the program, the radio frequencies associated with the meters and a perceived lack of communication around the program.
The fee covers staff costs to manually read the meters, though Plotz said this could be reduced by “about half” through a proposal at the PUD's Dec. 19 commissioners' meeting. According to Plotz, roughly 75 people have opted out of the program.
The PUD maintains a website page for frequently asked questions at https://www.lcpud.org/account-services/advanced-metering-infrastructure-ami/, which Plotz said is updated with additional information.
The PUD notifies customers before installation and will schedule an appointment if crews have challenges accessing the meters.
“We’re not a faceless bureaucracy. We’re part of this community,” Plotz said. “We are from this community. We want to make sure we continue to engage with the community.”
