Smart meters coming to homes and businesses across B.C.Beginning in July 2011, BC Hydro began upgrading homes and businesses across the province with new smart meters. Smart meters are being installed to help modernize B.C.'s electricity system, help customers better manage their energy use and to help us all enjoy safe, reliable, and more affordable power for decades to come. About Corix, our B.C.-based installer BC Hydro's authorized contractor, Corix, will be exchanging the meters at homes and businesses. All installers will be in well marked vehicles and will be wearing photo identification. Corix is an experienced B.C.-based contractor. They have performed over 10 million meter exchanges, other device installations and retrofits for various gas, water and electric utilities. When and how you will be contacted BC Hydro will be sending you a letter in the mail about three weeks before your new smart meter is scheduled to be installed. This letter will notify you of the changes being made and contain a brief explanation of the benefits that you as the customer will receive by getting a smart meter. There will also be information about how to find out more about the Smart Metering Program and the installation process. What we’ve learned from other utilities Utilities around the world are upgrading their electricity systems and adopting smart meters to offer more service options to their customers, improve safety and reliability and save energy. In fact, by 2015, 250 million smart meters will be installed worldwide. BC Hydro has learned a lot from the experiences of North American utilities, including those in Ontario, Alberta, and California, which are completing their smart meter installations. The experience of other utilities has proven the value of using proven meter technology, maintaining existing rate structures through the installation period and dedicating more resources to ensuring customers are informed throughout the process.
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