Fiona Taylor, Director of BC Hydro’s Smart Metering Program provided Council with an overview of the Smart Metering Program. Her presentation [PDF, 1.6MB] outlined the reasons for implementation of the Smart Meter Program and many of the common questions that have arisen as the program rolled out into the community.
Ms. Taylor noted that Smart Meters are not a consumer product, they are a key part of the electrical distribution system that is known as the ‘power grid.’ In fact, Smart Meters are the last point of the grid, and as with the current meters, they measure the power consumption for the property that they are attached to. When fully installed and integrated with measurement devices along the distribution network, the entire ‘smart grid’ will allow for better management of the system.
The Smart System will allow for better monitoring and diagnostics of power outages, be able to determine where power is being used illegally, and will help refine the distribution network to ensure that appropriate capacity exists for segments of the system and will provide customers with the option of monitoring their own power consumption to better support conservation programs.
Ms. Taylor reviewed some of the common myths about the Smart Meters, noting that some customers were comparing the BC Hydro equipment to that used in other jurisdictions in North America. In total, 1.9 million meters will be installed in BC when the program is fully implemented. BC Hydro has been doing a lot of testing and providing education on issues related to the technology in response to concerns regarding how the meters broadcast out the usage data. More information on the Smart Meter Program can be found on BC Hydro’s website.
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