The Salt River Project (SRP) Agricultural and Improvement Power District in Phoenix, Arizona, is currently deploying 10,000 REX meters per month as part of its EnergyAxis System expansion project. The EnergyAxis System from Elster Electricity is an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system for residential, commercial, and industrial electricity and water metering applications. As a result of the expansion, SRP expects to realize an increase in customer service levels and the ability to offer new products and services to its customers. SRP expects its customers to experience more timely completion of orders and more consistent bill cycles.
“The EnergyAxis System continues to perform well as we enter our third year with the system and as we expand the number of meters in the field,” remarked John Soethe, manager of revenue cycle services for SRP. “Projected savings from automated meter reading (AMR) and automated field services have exceeded our expectations. We’re also beginning to realize the operational benefits in the back office.”
“We are pleased that our customers are realizing greater savings than we initially expected with the EnergyAxis System,” remarked Ronald B. Via, vice president of Elster Electricity. “The REX meter with an internal connect/disconnect switch helps reduce trips to the field—a real plus as we experience an uncertainty of fuel prices. Our customers are seeing hard dollar benefits associated with a reduction in fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, and insurance.”
By the end of April 2006, SRP plans to have an additional 50,000 REX meters installed in the Phoenix area, bringing the total number of REX meters to about 75,000. The system expansion includes 25,000 REX meters installed in new growth areas on the outskirts of the Phoenix metropolitan area, and 25,000 REX meters with an internal power service connect/disconnect switch installed in apartment complexes throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area.
The EnergyAxis System allows SRP to access meters remotely on a daily basis for meter reading and field service activities. The REX meter with an internal switch allows SRP to remotely connect and disconnect power service—often in the same day and with very little effort. In addition, SRP customers benefit from not having to wait hours for their service to be reconnected. The same scenario exists for service turn-ons for new customers or when a home changes hands from the contractor to the new homeowner. The REX meter with an internal switch is particularly ideal for SRP’s apartment applications that have a high move-in/move-out rate along with associated credit work. Meters have also been deployed in areas of concern within SRP’s service territory in order to protect the safety of field crews.
Since May 2005, SRP has worked over 14,000 field orders without having to leave the office. These orders were worked in a timely manner and were not subject to labor availability, weather conditions, or other factors that can delay the completion of an order.
