This is a new one for me. EPB installed smart meters throughout Chattanooga but now they're telling a client they can't get readings due to 'communication issues' and have been estimating for 3 months. How does a smart meter have communication issues for 3 months? Shouldn't there be automatic daily reads? The whole point of AMI is to eliminate estimated bills. Anyone else seeing utilities use smart meter 'technical problems' as an excuse for estimates?
EPB in Chattanooga claiming they can't read smart meters??
Georgia Power has pulled similar nonsense. They'll claim the smart meter is malfunctioning but won't replace it for weeks. Meanwhile they keep estimating and the customer pays the price. The Tennessee PUC should have strict rules about smart meter performance standards. If the meter doesn't work, they should replace it immediately or provide manual reads.
PG&E tried this game with us in San Jose. Smart meter 'communication failure' for 2 months of estimates. Turned out they just weren't processing the data correctly on their end. The meter was transmitting fine. I demanded they pull the interval data and prove the meter wasn't working. Suddenly they found 8 weeks of hourly readings. Always challenge the technical excuse.
Entergy Arkansas did something similar last year. The smart meters were working but their billing system wasn't pulling the data properly. Three months of estimates while they 'fixed their software.' The customers shouldn't pay the price for utility IT failures. File complaints and demand interval data to prove the meters are actually broken.
Great advice Pete. I requested the interval data and EPB is now claiming they need 'additional time' to retrieve it. If the meter is broken, there should be no interval data. If there is interval data, then they've been estimating unnecessarily. Either way they're in the wrong. This is going to the Tennessee Regulatory Authority next week.
Brenda, I'd be interested to hear how TRA responds. Mississippi utilities tried similar games until our PSC started fining them for 'avoidable estimation.' The smart meter excuse is getting old. These systems cost billions and if they don't work reliably, that's the utility's problem, not the customers'.