In the 1990s, Empire Electric deployed its first automated metering system. This allowed for remote readings, so members did not have to read their meters and Empire did not have to send out meter readers each month.
The system has served Empire and its members well. However, the nearly thirty-year-old technology has become outdated and is no longer supported by its manufacturer, making replacement parts difficult to find.
We have seen a steady increase in the number of metering issues over the past several years, and we apologize to those members who have experienced a metering issue or a billing adjustment due to a metering issue. We recognize that it is time to upgrade our metering system.
Empire exists to serve its members and meet their electrical energy needs. This commitment is driving the metering system upgrade. The upgrade will start soon and is expected to be completed in 2017.
Members will see specific benefits with the upgrade, including faster outage recognition, more detailed information about power use, improved billing accuracy and an optional pre-pay program.
The upgrade will allow us to detect problems more quickly and to locate outages more precisely. Additionally, members will have access to their detailed usage data to help better understand how and when electricity is used. More information about the new metering system is available at eea.coop.
We appreciate our members sharing their concerns with us as we strive to provide the best service possible. Thank you for continuing to support your electric cooperative.
Bobbe Jones
Cortez
Editor’s note: Bobbe Jones is Member Services Manager at Empire Electric Association, Inc.