Smart meters are coming to Nova Scotia.
Earlier today, the Utility and Review Board approved Nova Scotia Power’s plan to upgrade the current analog and digital meters.
The power company says the new meters offer several advantages including: more accurate billing, better information about daily energy use, and faster restoration during outages.
Smart meters will send information about customer’s energy usage over a secure wireless network to NS Power eliminating the need for 72 meter readers.
The power utility will spend the next year building and testing that network before the first meters are installed in late 2019.
Customers who do not wish to be upgraded can opt out, but will be charged a fee.
The $133 million dollars cost to upgrade the meters is expected to be offset by savings over their 20-year life.
Once the new smart meter network is up & running, customers will have:
✅ Access to more info re: daily energy use
✅ More efficient power restoration during outages
✅ More accurate billing by virtually eliminating bill estimatesInstallation expected to begin in late 2019. pic.twitter.com/gWNe9eNo7e
— Nova Scotia Power (@nspowerinc) June 12, 2018