On February 23, the Norwood Light Company unveiled its plans to convert the meters in town to an Electronic Automated Reader System. The switch will begin this summer.
According to Dan Morrissey of the Light Department, the current system has reached the end of its lifespan, substantiating the need for replacement.
“The [Norwood Light Department] reviewed many types of systems, including replacement of the current [power line carrier system], and determined that a new radio frequency system would be the best system for Norwood now and in the future,” Dan Morrissey said. “The new [radio frequency] system allows the [Light Department] to control capacitor banks and water heaters, and to read electric meters.”
The change will begin with replacing commercial meters this summer, and residential meters will start to be replaced in September. Morrissey also stated the switch will cause little-to-no inconvenience for residents.
“[Customers] will lose power for maybe a minute while the old meter is removed and the new meter is installed,” Morrissey confirmed. “All electric customers will be notified via mail that the electric meters are going to be replaced. Notices will be mailed a month before the meters are scheduled [for replacement].”
There are approximately 15,000 meters in town, and more than 12,000 of those are residential. The project is estimated at about $2.5 million and will take approximately two years to complete. The cost of the project is not projected to have an impact on residents’ electrical rates as the money has already been set aside in the Fiscal Years 2016 and 2017 depreciation budget.
“The project has been in the [Light Department’s] budget since 2013,” Morrisey said.
With the change comes many advantages for both residents and Light Department workers; the new meters will being more accurate and accessible.
“The [radio frequency] system has all of the same functions [as the power line carrier system], but with more capabilities,” Morrissey said. “The new system will provide more reliable control of capacitor banks and water heaters, which is a voluntary program that saves customers money and will eliminate the need to estimate meter readings.”
According to the Light Department, estimated readings were an issue last winter when the meters were inaccessible due to inclement weather.
The new system comes with technological advantages as well that will be beneficial for both residents and the Light Department. Some of the new features include, the ability for the Light Department to schedule and read meters electronically when residents move, the implementation of a two-way communications system, as well as access to a customer service representative who will be able to check a reading while on the phone with a customer rather than sending someone out in the field.
Morrissey stated the changes will help eliminate guesswork by both the department and residents.
“The new system will allow the Light Department to record outage times more accurately,” Morrissey said. “Also, it provides real-time usage for the customer through the customer portal, so [residents] will be able to see how much electricity they are using. This should help reduce customer complaints.”
With all these advantages, Morrissey boasted that Norwood Light rates continue to be much more affordable than non-municipal organizations, such as Eversource.
“Norwood’s residential electric rates are, on average, 51 percent less,” Morrissey said.