I've got a weird situation with FirstEnergy here in Youngstown. Customer has a 1987 Sangamo mechanical meter that's been rock solid for decades - always within 1% accuracy on annual tests. FirstEnergy wants to replace it with AMI but the customer is refusing because they don't trust the smart meters. The mechanical meter has been tested 6 times in 25 years and never failed. Is there any regulation that forces AMI upgrades or can customers keep their old mechanicals if they're still accurate?
Old Sangamo mechanical meter still more accurate than new smart meter?
Jim, in North Carolina Duke Energy allows customers to opt-out of smart meters for a monthly fee - I think it's $11.75 per month. The customer keeps their mechanical meter but pays extra for manual readings. Some states have similar opt-out programs but others mandate AMI for all customers. Check with the Ohio PUC to see what FirstEnergy's tariff says about meter replacement requirements.
Derek's right about opt-out programs but they're not universal. Here in Cleveland, FirstEnergy's tariff allows them to replace any meter "for operational reasons" - pretty vague language that gives them wide discretion. However, if the mechanical meter is still within accuracy tolerance (±2% for residential, ±1% for commercial), the customer might have grounds to challenge a forced replacement. The Sangamo meters from the 80s were built like tanks.
Those old Sangamo mechanical meters are legendary for their accuracy and longevity. I've got several Georgia Power customers still running 30+ year old Sangamos that test perfect every time. The irony is that some AMI meters have higher accuracy tolerances than the mechanical meters they're replacing - mechanical is typically ±0.5% while AMI can be ±1-2%. If the customer's Sangamo is still accurate, they might actually be better off keeping it from a billing standpoint.