Meter readers going the way of dinosaurs.

• Author: Mervak, Alexander
• Position: Trends

Many utilities are saying good-bye to the analog meters they've used for decades to track customers' home energy use. Instead, they're turning to new "smart meters," which, like analog meters, are usually installed in some out-of-view location at the home. But unlike the old meters, they record electricity consumption in real time and, like a smartphone, send the information via wireless signals to utilities for monitoring and billing. Utility companies like them because they eliminate the need to send someone out to read meters manually, saving them money, and smart meters can help identify power outages more quickly, allowing for faster restoration of service. Customers can use the real-time data to evaluate their electricity use and make changes to reduce their energy bills.

U.S. electric utilities installed about 52 million smart meters as of May 2015, according to the Energy Information Administration. But not all customers are ready to make the switch. Some want out of their local smart-metering programs, citing concerns about health--like cell phones, the meters use radiofrequency, or RF, transmissions to send information--data privacy and increased electricity bills. At least 17 states allow customers to opt out of smart-meter installation.

But as part of the opt-out, some states have created a tariff structure for customers who want to keep their analog meter instead of getting a smart meter. No surprise, customers oppose the idea of paying a fee to keep the meters they already have, but utilities contend the old meters are costly, requiring staff members and vehicles to perform readings. In Pennsylvania, which requires utilities to install smart meters, two bills (both pending) would allow customers to opt out of the smart-meter...