Itron, Inc. has announced the installation of the four millionth smart meter by Southern California Edison, one of the nation's largest electric utilities serving central, coastal and southern California. The smart meters and associated smart metering systems installed by SCE are already supporting a variety of programs and services that enable consumers to better manage their electricity usage and take steps to save energy and save money on their utility bills.
Itron’s smart electric meters and network communication infrastructure are key components of SCE’s smart metering program, Edison SmartConnect. The technology is enabling a growing number of SCE customers to take advantage of new, advanced programs and services, including Budget Assistant and Save Power Days, and provides convenient access to hourly and 15-minute (for small-business customers) electricity usage data through SCE’s secure online My Account page or customer call center.
With Budget Assistant, SCE customers can set a target for their monthly bill and receive alerts based on timely and accurate data from their smart meter. If their usage is projected to exceed their budget, they can make adjustments accordingly. Customers can also participate in Save Power Days, an incentive program to reward residential customers with a bill credit for reducing their electricity consumption on specific days when there is peak demand. In addition, with an enhanced website, residential and business customers have 24/7 access to their electricity usage data as well as current and projected bills.
SCE began introducing these programs and services last year and close to 2 million customers now have access to them. By providing customers with the tools needed to reduce their electricity usage, SCE is targeting a reduction in peak load of 1,000 Megawatts and reduced GHG (greenhouse gases) of 365,000 tons per year, which equates to removing about 79,000 vehicles from the road. In addition, SCE has already seen reduced residential energy consumption, improved customer experience and increased operational efficiency.
