TAMPA, Fla. — A new way to monitor your electric use is coming to the Bay area, and it'll be connected directly to your home.
- "Smart" meters coming to Tampa Bay
- Meters to monitor electric use at homes
- Meters to help during storms, save customers money
Tampa Electric and Duke Energy crews are in the process of installing new “Smart” meters at homes across the area, and it’s all part of a bigger project to improve the grid and help restore power during storms.
TECO has already started installing the new meters in Tampa and officials there say they will be the backbone of the new “smart” grid.
Your current meter can only be read remotely using drive-by technology, but the new Smart meters will provide two-way communication, meaning they can “talk” to TECO and Duke Energy digitally, even letting the companies know the second your power goes out so you don’t have to.
The new smart meters could also help you save some money and cut back on your usage.
“You’ll have a lot more information at your fingertips in terms of your energy use. If you’re a person who really likes data to see 'gosh what am I using? What kind of power am I using at my house? What are my most inefficient appliances?' That’s the kind of thing you can look at with these new meters because it gives you information almost in real time,” said Cherie Jacobs, TECO Spokesperson.
Residents who already have the new meters say they appreciate the new technology and potential savings.
“I think anytime that a provider knows there’s an outage, that’s beneficial, especially for families with kids and also the ability to see where you’re using your energy and to be able to make changes to impact your bill, I think that’s great,” said Jon Fiddelke, a TECO customer.
All of the new meters should be installed by 2022.