Nebraska Public Power continues meter upgrade project in Bassett, Long Pine
Electric meters in the towns of Bassett and Long Pine will be upgraded by the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) this month.
The upgrade is part of NPPD’s plan to replace 43,000 existing electric meters in 33 Nebraska communities. Work on replacing the meters for residences and businesses in Bassett and Long Pine will begin Sept. 10. NPPD will contact customers in advance to alert them as to when the new meters will be installed. Residents or business owner do not need to be there when the meters are switched out.
The new meters feature a two-way communication capability known as Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The new meters display the reading in digital LED format and include an electronic circuit board that will receive and transmit data on the number of kilowatt hours used back to NPPD.
“The installation of the AMI systems will help maintain competitive electric rates by reducing operating expenses,” NPPD Retail General Manager Tim Arlt said. “With these units we can also pinpoint the exact location of outages quicker, meaning a faster response time to restore power.”
The new meters will allow NPPD personnel to automatically read electric meters from service centers, provide better customer service, more effectively troubleshoot billing concerns, and improve electric service reliability and power quality for customers. The meters are also safer than the old meters for NPPD employee to repair and maintain.
The upgrades will run throughout 2018 in other Nebraska communities.
