Jersey Central Power & Light 1.1. million smart meter plan gets go ahead

New Jersey utility Jersey Central Power & Light is to start the three-year service territory-wide rollout in 2023.

The rollout of smart meters to homes and businesses forms part of the utility’s plan to modernise the electric distribution system.

Approximately one-third of the smart meters are expected to be installed each year, with the majority of customers receiving a smart meter by 2026.

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“Smart meters help ensure accurate readings and will provide customers with information they need to better manage their electricity use. In the future, it will also help us restore power more quickly, especially in storm situations,” said JCP&L president Jim Fakult.

“FirstEnergy has had tremendous success with this technology in Ohio and Pennsylvania and we are excited to bring it to our customers in New Jersey.”

Jersey Central Power & Light, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, provides electricity to 1.1 million customers in north and central New Jersey.

With the smart meters, customers will be provided with accurate billing each month and they will be able track energy consumption to better manage their electricity costs and reduce energy usage.

Future benefits include the ability to detect and locate outages more quickly and provide more accurate and timely storm restoration information.

The rollout is expected to reach approximately 99% of customers. The remaining 1%, large commercial and industrial customers that already have advanced interval metering, are difficult to reach or may require alternative communications solutions, will receive smart metering in the 24 months following the main rollout.

Residential customers are able to opt-out of the programme with payment of a monthly fee for meter readings services. Customers who elect to replace an AMI meter after it has already been installed with a non-AMI meter will also be required pay a one-time meter change out fee.

However, commercial and industrial customers, as well as customers participating in a net metering programme or taking service under a time varied rate will not be able to opt out.

Jersey Central Power & Light estimates the programme costs at $732 million over 20 years, while the benefits are estimated at $1.36 billion.

FirstEnergy has installed more than 2.7 million smart meters across its service territory since 2014. Smart meter implementation efforts are nearly complete in Pennsylvania by Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power and currently underway in Ohio by Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison and the Illuminating Company.