The Duncan Banner

Local News

March 9, 2010

New meters produce higher bills

Overages based on accuracy of old meters

Toni Hopper

Getting older means moving a little slower. And so it is with the electric and water meters that are being replaced. But not everyone is happy about the change, since the new meters are now providing a more accurate reading of utility use.

“We received about 50 calls Monday afternoon,” City Manager Clyde Shaw said.

Those calls came from city utility customers who are discovering an increase on their bills for more water and electric that is being used.

“Some of the bills are higher for various reasons,” he said.

Shaw explained that it’s not necessarily more usage, but that the new meters now accurately read how much is being used.

“Those meters being replaced are 40 and 50 years old. Their gears slow down as they get older.”

Shaw said some of the old meters are not being read accurately when Honeywell contractors remove them. He said it’s not a huge amount, but it is enough that city employees have to re-read the meter which has already been taken to the city warehouse for storage.

“We can go read the old ones and are doing so. It’s caused a small problem,” he said. But the issue was quickly caught and it helps when people call in to make a complaint about their reading on their bill, before it’s time to pay it.

“The entire network is not in place. We are still manually reading and have to go out in the field,” he said. Once the project is complete, then the meters will be read online.

Shaw said the city has three meter readers and a fourth temporary reader. They will be able to apply for positions elsewhere in the city, but will not be needed for reading meters.

Gerald Morris, the city’s financial adviser, said that the majority of all electric meters have been changed but not all the water meters have been changed.

“They will see higher bills, because the older meters get slower. These new meters are reading more accurately,” Morris said.

Morris mentioned that after the ice storm, when people returned home, they used their washing machines more to catch up on the laundry. That would increase this month’s bill and and sometimes the monthly cycles were for 35 days. With the new system, the meters would be read every 30 days.

“It will be more consistent,” he said.



— Toni Hopper is a reporter for The Duncan Banner. She can be reached at 580-255-5354, Ext. 132 or by e-mail at: toni.hopper@duncanbanner.com.

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