Smart meters, Smarter Choices

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In the future, customers with smart meters installed will have access to a secure, online account that will help them more closely monitor their electricity use.

Accurate data and billing, plus the ability to monitor and reduce energy use

Imagine filling up at the gas pump every week and not having any idea how much you're spending until a bi-monthly bill arrives in the mail.

That's how you're currently billed for electricity.

Today, you have few tools to manage your electricity use because current meters do little more than capture your total energy consumption. Without specific and timely information about your consumption, it's difficult to make informed decisions to actively manage your electricity use.

New meters, new opportunities 

Smart meters accurately measure your energy use throughout the day and transmit the data to BC Hydro periodically.

Once the smart metering system is in place, you'll be able to track your energy use by accessing your password-protected BC Hydro account online.  New features enabled by smart metering technology will give you new insights, helping you make proactive steps to reducing your energy bills.

Your online account will feature:

• Hourly consumption information in kilowatt hours (kWh) and in dollars – up to the previous day;
• Projected energy costs based on actual consumption patterns; and,
• Optional automatic alerts and reminders to help you manage and monitor consumption.

The experience will be as safe and as simple as signing onto your online banking account to track your monthly savings and pay your bills.

Tracking energy use will help you understand how energy use affects your costs and enable you to take appropriate actions to save energy and save money.

These new online features will be available to customers as the smart metering network is completed in each community. Watch for details about the rollout in your area later this year.

In 2013, you'll also have the option of adopting devices and software solutions to access your near real-time energy consumption information directly from your smart meter.

For more information, see Energy Challenge: Families cut energy use by more than 80% to see how consumption information helped the family win big and Power Smart engineer Tony Mauro's blog post Detailed monitoring of your energy use will make you smarter.

Start saving energy and money today by visiting BC Hydro Power Smart’s Green Your Home guides.