Most residents are familiar with the traditional type of utility meters, which utility companies use to track homes’ energy usage. These meters generally have a dial that spins and numbers that indicate the amount of energy consumed. The only way to get a reading is to be there physically, and utilities typically send meter readers to each home on a monthly or bimonthly basis.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure, sometimes abbreviated as AMI and better known as “smart meters,” also measures and records a home’s energy usage. However, unlike traditional meters, smart meters are digital devices that use wireless communications (through radio-frequency signals) and provide detailed information on a home’s energy usage in near real-time.

Smart meters are largely becoming the new norm for utility companies. NYSEG, for example, is steadily upgrading its current equipment to smart meters throughout its coverage area. You can learn about the upgrade process and when smart meter upgrades are scheduled in your area by visiting nyseg.com/installation.

Smart meters’ ability to provide near real-time energy usage data provides a number of benefits for residential or business users, as well as for utilities. These benefits include:

● No more estimates — Smart meters measure detailed energy use so monthly bills are based on actual energy use each month.

● No more customer reads — Customers don’t need to provide meter readings; a smart meter does it automatically.

● Fewer onsite visits — Since smart meters send meter readings automatically, this reduces the need for visits to homes and businesses. This saves the utilities money, as it eliminates the need for meter readers. This can also save residents and business time if an appointment or access is needed to read the meter.

● Faster power outage response — Two-way communication allows for faster diagnosis and quicker response by pinpointing power outages based on smart meter status. Without smart meters, utilities rely on customers calling in to report outages. Often, it requires several calls and other diagnostics to determine where the outage occurred.

● More detailed energy use data — Customers can see their hourly energy use and see what times of day more energy is used. This may help pinpoint appliances or other things that use a lot of energy.

● Other tools — Smart meters enable your utility to provide additional tools to help you better understand and manage your energy usage, like customized energy recommendations, usage alerts, and time-of-use plans (described below).

Any resident is welcome to opt out of smart meters for any reason. However, your utility company may charge you to opt out. NYSEG, for example, said their “monthly opt-out fee if you keep a legacy meter is $13.47.” This would be over $150 a year to opt out.

You can still later choose to have a smart meter even if you initially opt out. If you’re a NYSEG customer, doing this will discontinue your monthly opt-out fee. NYSEG customers can call (866) 531-6313 or visit nyseg.com/installations for more information on smart meters.

Smart meters — like TVs, Wi-Fi, laptops, cell phones and baby monitors — use low-power radio signals to communicate information. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets radio-frequency (RF) standards in all equipment using radio signals to ensure compliance with appropriate safety standards. Information about energy use is sent using brief radiofrequency (RF) signals.

The RF signals from smart meters in typical installations are significantly below that of cell phones, with levels considerably below the standards set by the FCC (see this link [pdf]).

To learn more about radio technology and safety, visit the Federal Communications Commission website at fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety.

What data your smart meter collects and provides, where you can access it, and how secure that data is will vary depending on your utility company. Data is typically accessible on a phone app or online — NYSEG customers have access via their account at nyseg.com/MyAccount — and this data may be useful for customers to better understand and manage their energy usage.

As far as security, NYSEG states that they have “implemented policies and controls, based on proven security best practices, that specifically address protecting data/information in transit (to and from the meter and our systems) and at rest. Multifactor authentication and strictly enforced password requirements prevent unauthorized access to your information and any equipment in your home or business.” You can learn more by visiting nyseg.com/smartresources.

As far as whether your data will be sold to other companies, we encourage you to check with your utility provider’s policy on data sharing. NYSEG reports on its website that it does not sell customer data. However, NYSEG states that customers will have the option to share their energy use data with third parties such as ESCOs, solar farms or other energy providers.

With smart meters, utilities can offer different types of plans for customers with pricing based on when electricity is used. These are referred to as “time-of-use” plans.

Under most standard meter plans, you pay the same rate for electricity regardless of when you use it. But under time-of-use plans, you pay more for electricity used during certain hours and less during others. The higher rates apply during times when regional electricity usage is high — also known as “peak times” — and lower rates when there is less demand across the region. In the Southern Tier, peak times are 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

Summer peak times are generally in the late afternoon/early evening when commercial buildings and homes crank up their air conditioners at the same time. Peak usage time during the winter tends not to be as high as in the summer, but with more people electrifying their homes and heating with heat pumps, we will likely start seeing a similar, or even larger, peak in the winter.

By charging more for electricity during peak times, time-of-use plans aim to reduce the load on the electrical grid and cut back on a grid’s use of fossil fuels. The electricity generated at peak times typically comes from fossil-fuel-burning plants because those plants can be ramped up more quickly than renewable energy sources like solar or wind power. Thus time-of-use plans can help reduce our use of fossil fuels in the grid.

Time-of-use plans, unlike smart meters themselves, are opt-in programs, meaning you have to sign up voluntarily. For some households, adjusting their habits under a time-of-use plan could result in savings. However, other households may not see significant savings, or their utility costs could even increase. Households should do their research to see if a time-of-use plan is right for them. More information is provided below.

If you can arrange your life to shift energy use to more off-peak times, then a time-of-use plan may benefit you. If you’re already not using much electricity during peak times, you could save money under a time-of-use plan with little or no change in effort. If you are using a lot of electricity during peak times, your utility bills will likely increase under a time-of-use plan unless you are able to change your habits. If you can run appliances that use a lot of energy only during off-peak times, then you may save money.

Big electricity users tend to be central air conditioning and window units, dehumidifiers, clothes dryers, electric heaters, heat pumps, water heaters, EV chargers, and more. Shifting when these appliances are used is simple for some people but not for others.

For NYSEG customers, new time-of-use pricing options and comparison tools are expected in the future.

Depending on your utility, this may be possible, but opting into a time-of-use plan will permanently change your net metering agreement with your utility, placing you into a new agreement that may be less advantageous for you.

Reducing our energy use during peak times is a good idea for many reasons — it reduces our community’s greenhouse gas footprint by reducing the need for “peaker plants” and can save us money. It also helps the electric grid be more efficient, prevents the building of expensive new power plants, and reduces the risk of blackouts or brownouts.

Whether or not we opt in to time-of-use plans, we can all try to avoid peak times and be more conscious of how much energy we are using and when we are using it. Acting together will increase our impact.