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| (Photo: Arizona Public Service Co) |
State settles 'smart' meter debate
by Ryan Randazzo, The Republic, azcentral.com,
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by Ryan Randazzo, The Republic, azcentral.com,
13 December 2014
· Utility regulators settled on a fee to charge customers who don't want smart meters.
· APS customers will pay $50 plus $5 a month to refuse smart meters.
Arizona Public Service wants your meter reader to go the way of the milk man and the rotary dial phone. But the wireless technology it is using has at least 20,000 customers up in arms.
The utility's solution? If customers still want someone to come to their house and read their meter in person, they'll have to pay for it.
On Friday, regulators came up with a compromise that left no one happy.
Customers who don't want wireless "smart" meters will have to pay for the privilege: a $50 fee and $5 a month. But the amount is far less than the utility had sought.
About 20,000 APS customers have refused to allow the company to install smart meters on their homes. More than 1.1 million have been installed since the company began phasing out analog meters in 2006.
· Utility regulators settled on a fee to charge customers who don't want smart meters.
· APS customers will pay $50 plus $5 a month to refuse smart meters.
Arizona Public Service wants your meter reader to go the way of the milk man and the rotary dial phone. But the wireless technology it is using has at least 20,000 customers up in arms.
The utility's solution? If customers still want someone to come to their house and read their meter in person, they'll have to pay for it.
On Friday, regulators came up with a compromise that left no one happy.
Customers who don't want wireless "smart" meters will have to pay for the privilege: a $50 fee and $5 a month. But the amount is far less than the utility had sought.
About 20,000 APS customers have refused to allow the company to install smart meters on their homes. More than 1.1 million have been installed since the company began phasing out analog meters in 2006.