I mentioned last month my home joined the smart grid with CenterPoint putting a new digital electric meter on my home. I’ve been paying $3.24 per month for the device since March 2009 (as have the rest of you in the CenterPoint area, whether you like it or not), so I’m anxious to find out what it can do for me.
In theory the meters will eventually give me all sorts of data about my power usage, give me more control over how and when I use power and, ideally, make it easier for me to cut my usage. But for now, I’m going to start with the basics, to find out which “super powers of the smart grid” I can tap into now. So…
Smart Meter Super Power No. 1 – Automatic outage notification: In theory my smart meter will tell CenterPoint automatically when our power is out, making it easier for them to pinpoint the problem and get a crew out to fix it. After 15 days without power post-Hurricane Ike (with a newborn kid coming home from hospital the night of the storm), I’m really interested in less grid down time.
We haven’t had an unplanned outage since the meter went in place (just a planned-so-we-can-replace-your-Ike-damaged-poles-outage), so we’ll have to see how that plays out.
Smart Meter Super Power No. 2 – Retail electric plans that let me pay less for power use when demand is low: As far as I can tell there are only two companies in my area that provide power plans that take advantage of smart meter technology — Reliant Energy and TXU.
My choices:*
- Sign up for a Reliant time-of-use plan, which is 10.8 cents per kWh for off-peak hours, 12.5 cents from noon to 4 p.m., 12.9 cents from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., and 12.5 cents (again!) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Sign up for TXU’s time-of-use plan, which is 8.4 cents per kWh for off-peak, 23.9 cents for power used between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.* (Rates subject to change seasonally)
Unfortunately, since it can take up to six weeks for my meter to actually sync up with the grid, I’m still not able to sign up for a plan. The company websites don’t list the time-of-use plans as options, so you need to call customer service to get a price and sign up.
Smart Meter Super Power No. 3 — Get more information about my power usage: If I sign up for any old Reliant or TXU plan and I will get a weekly e-mail that shows detailed electric usuage every day over the past week, including how much it cost me.
I can also register my smart meter at the Smart Meter Texas site to get the same information whenever I log on. But, again, since my meter still isn’t fully communicating with the grid, I can’t get this data yet.
There are a number of in-home devices that can talk to the smart meters to allow you to monitor your usage and even get estimates on how much it is costing you. I will get such a device at my house later this week, so I’ll let you know how that goes in a later post.
I’ll also take a look at how home solar panels and smart meters interface by talking to the handful of Houstonians who are venturing into this new realm (hopefully that includes my neighbor, who goes by the handle “Energy Moron.”)
Stay tuned.
The plans that have lower rates at different times of day aren’t saving anyone any money. Alternatively, a person could sign up at Gexa and pay 9.2 cents for a 6 month plan, or 9.9 for a 12 month and save money at every time of day. Even the green plans there cost less than Reliant.
When can one find out when they will install smart meter in ones home? We have been pre-paying for this for over a year and would like to know when I will be receiving it?
Why would I sign up for any time of use plan for those crazy per kwh prices when I can sign up with someone like sparkenergy or others offering 24 month contracts for .10 or less 24 hours a day? 12 month contracts are even lower than that.
Seems like reliant is using time of use a great way rip people off.
seems like the electric companies are still scaming you and the rest of us as usual no matter how we are billed.you live in a house and i live in an apt.and we both pay through the nose for our electric power.
Here is another instance where the people are being scammed by a high tech device. Nothing that is offered by the new meter is necessary to the point that we the consumer should have to pay for the installation or use of the meter. It would be different if we had requested this divice, but instaed it is being forced on us and we are being told we have to pay for it. AN OUTRAGE! This is all about the company making big bucks at consumer expense.
There is one reason alone why the “smart” meter is being issued, and it has nothing at all with doing anything for the consumer, adjust your language … what is it going to do TO me. I just cannot imagine that the electric company, any electric company is going to do anything FOR the consumer that they are not required to do either by legislation or edict from the PUC.
Hi Sci-guy. Quick question if you don’t mind.
I am with Gexa at 10.4 cents which is fine, but the the Gexa charge is only 6.34 cents while the rest is Center Point TDU charges, so over a third of my bill is TDU Center Point. What exactly am I paying for?
These meters are pretty much a ripoff, as far as I can tell. Their main purpose is to allow power retailers to charge us at peak and off-peak rates, and thanks to our state “regulators,” we get to pay for the privilege!
When Centerpoint installed my meter in April, they made a big deal about how I could register it on the Smart Meter Texas site and get all kinds of great information about my power usage. What they didn’t say was that it would take weeks for the meter to be “registered” on the system. As a result, I was unable to establish an account on the site, even after what was supposed to have been sufficient time. I eventually gave up. I don’t think I’m missing anything. I have been getting e-mails telling me how much power I’ve used each week, but that’s not particularly useful information.
Hey saved1, its worse than that, the real benefits are for the utility, not having to send out a meter reader. So they are charging you the same rates, charging you for the meter, and saving expense and laying people off.
I’m paying for a smart meter that I don’t have. Matter of fact, I’ve had black tape on the glass for over a year now…nobody has read it, even though it says “actual read” on the bill every time. I have the tape where it can’t be torn off without me knowing it…with lots of small cuts in it. When my light bill hit $500, I took a picture of it and sent it to them and said, really? The next bill was $150.
I like the idea of a device to help equalize the load factor (shifting consumption to off-peak periods). It doesn’t surprise me that a regulated entity like Centerpoint would want customers to pay for new hardware. Regulated utilities have always worked physical upgades into their rate base, even if they’re the ones that derive the benefit…ie., more efficient turbines/generators, grid connections & higher voltage and/or DC transmission lines, etc. Maybe this upgrade is objectionable to customers because it’s so visible.
Looking forward to your post on solar panels
I’d like to understand why it is I have to pay $3.54 per month for a smart meter that put a meter reader out of work. It is more efficient for Reliant to know how much power we use, on a minute, second, millisecond by millsecond basis. Not only are we paying for the meter, Reliant is pocketing all the money they aren’t paying a meter reader/s.
It is ridiculous and the State of Texas allows it. Smart Meters are a tool that the electric company NEEDs in order to know how much power we use. It is called COST OF DOING BUSINESS. Why do we have to pay for it? We already pay high bills, we already have to pay for the replacement of all the poles for IKE. I’m sure Relaint’s insurance policy paid for them lost poles too. Looks to me like Reliant is triple dipping in a lot of places.
These new devices can be used to montor those of us who use more electricity than what the government thinks we should be using. Now your power can be monitored much easier by big brother. Welcome to the land of the semi-free and over regulated.
You can go to the website below to find out when CenterPoint is planning on installing your smart meter.
http://www.centerpointenergy.com/services/electricity/residential/smartmeters/deployment/
I like my new smart meter. I read it every morning at about the same time and have been tracking our usage since it was installed in mid-August. My average usage is about 10kwh/day less than it was in August falling from 72 kwh/day to 62 kwh/day. We had a day that dropped to 48 kwh/day a few days ago so I like what I’m seeing. Cirro rates are 10.5 or so if you use more than 1350 kwh/month and 11.5 if less. I barely broke $200 in my little crib this summer even with all the smack about how hot it was.
Without having a smart meter I can tell you that you will use more energy when you are awake than asleep, more energy during the day than the night, more energy in the summer than in the winter (unless you have a really bad electrical heating system) and if the price of natural gas goes up you will pay higher bills than if it it stays low. You can send me $3.24 a month instead of Center Point. You will get about the same benefit.
Does anyone know of a way to opt out of the smart meter installation. Would be nice we had a choice about this.
Everyone is talking like it is “theirs”. If we’ve been prepaying for the thing, does that mean it’s still property of Centerpoint? (i already know the answer, though) It doesn’t seem right to me.
Jay:
You can’t opt out of the smart meter installation. CenterPoint more or less owns the connection and the meter and can install/modify/remove it as they wish (within limits set by the PUC)
Chris:
Just to be clear, CenterPoint is the company that owns the lines and poles. Reliant is just the retail electric provider.
The TDU charges go toward the grid, the lines, poles, meter reading (which in theory will soon go away).
They just installed my smart meter yesterday. I tried to register it on the website, but it needs the meter number. Can anyone clue me in on what number (how many digits) it is? there seem to be 3 different numbers that it could be.
The eventual goal of these meters is to generate profits under the guise
of “going green”.
Wait until their little cap and trade scheme gets enacted, you’ll be paying out the _ss if you use any electricity during any hours the utility companies deem as “peak”.
I pay 8.1 cents/Kwh for power all of the time with Spark. I wouldn’t sign up with the Reliant or TXU time of use plans even if I had a smart meter. Their prices are too high anyway.
I’m paying 6.8 from Cirro
The Smart Meter was just another sell our by the PUC. The only benifit will be tha remote reading and no meter readers. Reliant and TXU are the worst place to buy the resold power. The PUC is the worst thing that has happened in Texas in years.
WHIGGER – the meter number will begin with the letter “I”, followed by 7 or 8 numbers. It will be stamped on the nameplate, not part of the digital reading sequence
Up here (Ft. Worth) Oncor purchased thousands of meters prematurely that didn’t comply with PUC specs. Guess who picked up the tab for those.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/081409dnbusoncor.4009c03.html
“The Public Utility Commission agreed Thursday that consumers will pay for Oncor’s initial round of smart meters, which were replaced because they didn’t meet the standards the commission wrote later”
It never was about consumers saving money, but that’s what center points argument to regulators was lol and the feds fell for it hook / line and sinker 8-)
Now the truth comes out and they will dismiss it and continue on lol 8-)
People can’t even look at these meters and understand what the usage is and the amount from day to day if they wish to, but they can check omline for a couple more bucks a month lol 8-)
I like the old meters because I could put a magnet on it and lower my bill.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/26/92928/obama-energy-official-has-ties.html#ixzz0mK4CB3vI
“WASHINGTON — A top Obama administration official who’s helping lead a campaign for energy conservation has a major financial interest in two companies that are poised to benefit from the government’s spending.”
Cathy Zoi, the assistant secretary of energy for energy efficiency and renewable energy, owns between $250,000 and $500,000 worth of stock in Landis+Gyr, a Swiss-based manufacturer of special electric meters that are used to create an efficient “smart” grid of electricity use.
SinnerPoint is only trying to be helpful.
The people that LIKE these new meters are the same ones who like the new TV-screened slot machines in Las Vegas!
Smart Meter is a big scam and a source for Centerpoint to increase its revenue and profitability and make its investors happy. It is Centerpoint that is going to benefit out of the smart meters. They do not have to send meter readers to homes and business to read the meter. Is Centerpoint passing on this saving to its customers, no not they in turn charge their customers for the smart meters. There charge of 3.74 is way higher than Onchor in Dallas. Centerpoint had receieved 200 millions from the government as assistance and yet they charge its customers. Welcome to the world of lobbying and getting favours from Public Utility Commision of Texas.
Outside of the charge for the new meter, is the smart meter more “sensitive” to your electrical use? Have you noticed an average increase in your bill?
JimH:
We’ve only had one billing cycle with the smart meter and it was split between the two meters, so it’s hard to say, but in theory there should be no difference.
Interestingly, however, for the 5 days with the old meter our usage was 298 kwh. For the 23 with the new one it was 969 kwh. So my average per day pre-smart meter was 59.6 kwh, and post smart-meter was 42.1 kwh.
It’s most likely due to cooler weather since the meter was installed, but I have yet to go back and get the temperature data for each day of the cycle. I will and include that in a future post.
-Tom
The smart meters are just another way for Centerpoint to save money on employees who would have to go out to each location to shut the power off. Now, they just do it from the comfort of the grid HQ.
Howdy Neighbor:
Be happy to chat about the smart grid and solar. Duke had a 100 home trial in Charlotte for example that got a 20% reduction in peak through a combination of solar, storage, and in home appliance coordination (note that the latter does not require a smart meter).
Comments are interesting. Danman’s is similar to those who I have heard as “testimonials” to these things. Yah… 48 kWH/D, not impressed. Your 42 kWH/D is about right for an average American house whose mother’s taught them to turn off the lights when they are not being used. I was at 21 kWH/D in the September billing cycle… I had mine for the whole cycle.
Yes, JimH, this was precisely what I expected given the temperature.
The August 28 kWH/D was also what I expected with the “mixed” bill.
Anyway, why do we need to stare at a meter to learn to turn off the lights?
Very interesting. I guess the “free market” approach is not working, because from the comments above, people are still very unhappy that the “free market” is gouging them. I do like my smart meter however. The cost is spread around to all customers so each of us is only paying $3.24. That’s the kind of socialism I like.
Howdy Neighbor:
“8.4 cents per kWh for off-peak, 23.9 cents [on peak]“?
I am trying to understand this market (the smart meter puts me in a position that I have to compete against all of the traders!) and I ran into the following little gem from the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology today:
http://www.beg.utexas.edu/energyecon/transmission_forum/CEE_Texas_RPS_Study.pdf
The most interesting number is the 4 cents per kWH fee for storing electricity with acid batteries (potentially less with technologies like hydro storage, current being used in Europe). I did look into this on a DYI basis for my system and came up with 6 cents so the number in the report is reasonable for economies of scale.
So, if it only takes 4 cents to store the energy why are all of these companies paying 22 cents or so to invest in peaking plants (that is about the life cycle cost of such an investment from us DOE/EIA numbers)?
No wonder why our energy is so expensive in Texas!!!!
Read the report… storage. Demand storage! That is how to handle peak.
But Duke Energy has already discovered this…
I have researched the smart meter and I do NOT want one. Many people around the country have complained that their bills have doubled and tripled. This is a big scam by our government and the electric companies. Remember that obama said that under his plan, “electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket”. From what I have read, we cannot opt out, but my neighbor claims that she got a letter asking her if she wanted to opt out. Perhaps only “special” people can opt out.
Lou:
In Texas I’m pretty sure you can’t opt out. Have your neighbor send the letter to us as I’d love to see it.
As far as the double- and triple- bills, so far all the investigations I’ve seen on those claims (some near Waco and for one California utility, off the top of my head) they haven’t proven out. Usually they’re occured during a change in weather or rate change. But If you’ve found stories on the investigations finding the meters were to blame please post them here or drop me a line (tom.fowler@chron.com) as I’d like to see them, too.