Pacific Power to roll out smart meter upgrades in Oregon
Pacific Power will install smart meters for its customers in Oregon throughout 2019.
The meter upgrades will provide customers with greater insight into their energy use and will reduce outage times. The company removed the $137 fee covering a future replacement of a smart meter and continued to explore other fee options. Further, the program is designed to help alleviate the financial impacts of the monthly $36 meter-reading fee by reducing the number of annual meter reads. It also gives customers greater predictability on their monthly bills with the same amount due each month.
Specifically, the program allows opt-out customers pay a monthly fixed dollar amount for 12 months and have their meter read three times per year. The monthly payment includes an average of the customer’s most recent 12-month energy bills, a 7.5 percent adder fee to cover energy usage fluctuations, plus a $36 meter reading fee charged three times per year across 12 months or $9 per month. Before the end of the 12 months, the customer will receive a new offer for the next 12-month period.
This proposal was presented by Pacific Power this week to the Public Utility Commission of Oregon. If approved, the program will be available as early as March 1 to an initial group of 200 customers.
Customers can provide feedback to the Public Utility Commission of Oregon at 800-522-2404 or the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board at 503-227-1984.
