Aug 7 – During the July City Commission workshop, Griffin Power Director Bill Bosh informed commissioners that the “smart” meter project was completed in June. The project included installation of more than 26,000 new digital, or “smart,” meters for City of Griffin power and water customers. Griffin Power meters were installed lasted year, and the meters for water were put in place this spring. This move was driven by a desire to improve operating efficiency improve reliability for Griffin Power customers. With the meters now installed, Griffin Power looks to expand its services for customers.
For traditional meters, a meter reader goes to each customer’s house or business and notes the reading. Smart meters transit the data to Griffin Power via a highly encrypted cellular communications network provided by AT&T. This time saving process allows Griffin Power to read meters from customer service. The new water meters similarly take much less time, but meters work via radio waves. Some water customers still require area visits from meter readers. For these customers, service workers simply have to drive near the house to establish a radio connection with the device. Both processes takes substantially less time and decreases the likelihood of human error.
With the newer meters, Griffin Power is looking into several added benefits for customers. “One of our greatest advantages on the power side is the ability to give you more detailed information,” said Griffin Power Director Bill Bosch. He adds, “It gives us more tools to assist customers if they come in with questions about their bill.”
Additionally, Griffin Power is investigating advancements such as flexible billing days and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) for when customers call customer service during outages or inquiring about their bills.
Bosch notes, “The Smart meter installation was that critical first step. Now that those are installed, we’re looking forward to providing a greater level of service for our customers.” Information is expected to be published in the coming weeks regarding flexible billing days for all Griffin Power customers and water residents within city limits.