Client in Savannah getting hammered by Georgia Power after they switched to new smart meters in March. Same facility, same loads, but power factor penalties jumped from zero to $12K per month on their Schedule PL-1 service. GP claims they're now measuring "more accurately" but the client's power quality equipment shows PF consistently above 0.90. Anyone else seeing Georgia Power change their measurement methodology without proper notice? This feels like a money grab to offset COVID revenue losses.
Georgia Power changed PF measurement method mid-contract
Ray, I've got three Atlanta clients with the exact same issue since Georgia Power's AMI rollout. They switched from measuring displacement power factor to true power factor without adequate customer notification. The new meters capture harmonics that the old mechanical meters ignored. Your client needs to file a formal complaint with the Georgia PSC - there's supposed to be a 30-day notice period for billing methodology changes under PSC rules.
Seeing similar issues with FPL down here in Florida. They rolled out new Itron meters that measure true PF instead of just displacement PF. Suddenly customers with older facilities are getting penalties they never had before. The utilities are technically correct that true PF is more accurate, but they should have grandfathered existing customers or provided transition time. File with your PSC immediately - Georgia's usually pretty good about protecting customers from surprise billing changes.
This is exactly why I always specify harmonic-immune capacitor installations for new clients. The writing was on the wall that utilities would eventually measure true PF with smart meters. Your Savannah client needs both harmonic filtering and additional reactive power compensation. The good news is Georgia Power has to honor their tariff filing dates - if they changed measurement methods, there should be a PSC docket number and public comment period.
Check Georgia Power's Tariff Schedule PL-1 section on power factor measurement - they filed an amendment in February 2020 that changed from "lagging power factor" to "total power factor." The PSC approved it but with only 60-day customer notice. Your client might have grounds for a billing adjustment back to March if they can prove they never received proper notification. OG&E tried the same thing here in Oklahoma and had to provide 6-month credits to affected customers.
Found the tariff amendment - Georgia Power filed it as Docket 43719 in February. Client never received the required notice letter, so we're filing for billing adjustment. Also discovered their new meters are sampling at 1-second intervals instead of 15-minute averages, which creates much more volatile PF readings. This is going to affect every industrial customer in Georgia with harmonic loads.
Ray, that 1-second sampling is huge. PSO here in Oklahoma tried the same thing and the Corporation Commission shut it down. Power factor naturally fluctuates with load changes, and 1-second sampling captures every motor start and equipment cycle. The industry standard is 15-minute demand intervals for PF billing. You've got a strong case for challenging the measurement methodology, not just the notification issue.
Following this closely - JEA here in Jacksonville is rumored to be planning similar meter upgrades. The 1-second sampling issue is critical because it violates IEEE standards for power quality measurement. Industrial loads are designed around 15-minute demand windows, not instantaneous readings. Document everything for your PSC filing - this could set precedent for other Georgia customers facing the same issue.
Update from Louisiana - Entergy tried this same smart meter PF change here and the LPSC forced them to grandfather all existing customers for 12 months. Georgia PSC should do the same. The key argument is that customers made capital investments in power factor correction equipment based on the existing measurement methodology. Changing the rules mid-stream without adequate transition time is essentially regulatory taking.