Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or AMI, is the term used to describe the full set of technologies and systems that create two-way communication between members’ electrical meter and the utility’s billing, distribution and control systems. Historically, information and energy have flowed in one direction only – from the utility to the meter. With AMI, Lane-Scott Electric and its members will have the ability to share information about energy usage in real time and, as a result, boost efficiency.
With these meters, Lane-Scott Electric can read the meter remotely from our office. Information from the meter is transmitted back to us in daily increments. Transmitting this information electronically means that a meter reader no longer comes to your house in person.
The meter upgrade provides Lane-Scott Electric members with numerous benefits. The new meters will help us:
- Maintain competitive rates by reducing operating expenses
- Improve billing accuracy, eliminating misreads or inaccurate readings
- Pinpoint the exact location of outages more quickly, meaning a faster response time
- Help our members troubleshoot high-bill problems by providing information about power consumption patterns, outage and blink count history and voltage information, reducing usage questions
- Improve electric service reliability and power quality – fewer outages, blinks and surges
- Help secure the overall safety of Lane-Scott Electric’s employee team
AMI meters are digital electronic devices while most of the traditional meters were an electro-mechanical device. AMI meters will continue to display the meter reading, but will be in a digital LED format. AMI's have an electronic circuit board module installed. The module receives and stores the kilo-watt-hour (kWh) and demand consumption recorded by the electronics in the meter and transmits back to the Lane-Scott Electric’s computers.
No, all AMI meters transmit readings digitally. The only time a Lane-Scott employee will need to read your meter is if there is an old meter still at the location.
AMI's record an electronic kWh reading, the date and time of energy usage, demand readings when a new peak reading occurs, and the date and time of power outages.
AMI meters record in 15 minute intervals. Bills are sent monthly.
No, meters can be disconnected remotely. The disconnect fee still applies when meters have been disconnected for non-payment.