MERRILLVILLE – NIPSCO, a subsidiary of NiSource Inc., on Monday announced the deployment of upgraded electric meters through the installation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) technology.
After extensive planning and regulatory engagement, NIPSCO is preparing to install meters for 3,000 electric residential customers in Highland, Ind., beginning in March. This technology will be installed in phases to the remaining 490,000 electric residential and business customers throughout NIPSCO’s service area over the next three years.
“Advanced Metering Infrastructure is a proven technology, designed to improve safety, promote reliability and enable system modernization,” said Ron Talbot, NIPSCO senior vice president, electric operations. “It is central to NIPSCO’s efforts to enable modern energy capabilities and improve the customer experience.”
Full integration of the new meters, after mass installation, will allow NIPSCO to provide improved responses for outages and emergencies, lays the foundation for greater energy efficiency offerings, cost savings and more granular billing information for customers, according to a provided news release. NIPSCO will also have the ability to read customer meters remotely, allowing the company to take faster corrective action in the event of an emergency, further driving safety for customers and employees.
“We are excited to be joining the ranks of nearly 65% of utilities across the United States that have adopted AMI,” Talbot said. “Our goal is to continuously implement new technology that aligns with our mission to deliver safe, reliable energy that drives value to our customers.”
AMI enables companies to build programs focused on improving customer safety, savings, education and choice. These advanced distribution management technologies have been widely used by utilities across the world to create value for customers and the utility.
While much of the company’s focus has been geared toward introducing AMI to its electric segment, NIPSCO is continually evaluating advanced safety features that are becoming available for natural gas AMI meters. In monitoring these advances, NIPSCO is considering how many of the functionalities, capabilities and technologies used for electric AMI could be applicable to gas AMI.
Customers receiving a new meter will be notified via a letter approximately 30 days in advance of their meter installation. Meter installations will be completed by NIPSCO subcontractor Quanta Utility Engineering Services (QUES). QUES technicians completing the work will carry photo identification, wear uniforms and drive marked vehicles. The installation process will be done at no charge and will typically take less than 15 minutes. Customers may notice a brief service interruption during the work. In most cases, the technician will not need to enter customer homes or businesses. However, the technician will request access if the meter is located inside or behind a locked gate.
If a customer is not at home during the visit, the technician will leave a door hanger indicating that the new meter was installed or informing the customer how to schedule an installation appointment if QUES was unable to access the meter.
For more information about NIPSCO’s new AMI technology or the AMI meter installation process, visit NIPSCO.com/AMI.