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CONTACT:
Mashi Nyssen, (626) 302-2255
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON TO INSTALL “SMART” METERS IN
SAN GABRIEL FOOTHILL COMMUNITIES
(Note to Editors: Photos, a map, animation and a fact sheet are
available in the online press room at
www.edison.com/smart.)
ROSEMEAD, Calif., Feb. 22, 2010 – Southern California Edison (SCE)
will install smart electric meters throughout communities in the San
Gabriel foothills as part of the Edison SmartConnect program. SCE
customers in neighborhoods from Arcadia to Sunland will begin to
receive new meters this week through the end of March. Customers
with the smart meters will soon be able to take advantage of new
programs and services enabled by the meters that will help them save
energy, money and the environment.
Edison SmartConnect meters are digital, secure, two-way
communicating devices that will replace traditional mechanical
meters and provide a key step in transforming the electric system to
a smart grid. Smart meters measure electricity usage up-to-the
minute and, starting in the second half of 2010, customers will be
able to view their energy usage from a computer, cell phone, or
other electronic device to track how much they use and how much it
costs.
“We have spent several years developing and testing our smart meters
to ensure their quality and performance,” said Ken Devore, director
of SCE’s Edison SmartConnect program. “Installing these new meters
is key to providing our customers with new programs and services
that will help them to become smarter energy consumers.”
Within the next year, SCE will roll out new pricing plans, programs
and services that will empower customers to make better-informed
decisions about their energy use. In the second half of 2010 and
beyond, once the advanced features are fully activated, the meters
will be enabled to communicate with the next generation of smart
thermostats, appliances and other devices.
The first meter was installed in Downey, Calif., last Sept. 14 and
installations will continue through 2012 for nearly 5 million SCE
residential and small-business customers in the utility’s
50,000-square-mile service territory. To date, SCE has installed
nearly 300,000 meters.
Communities in the upcoming installation phase include Altadena,
Arcadia, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Covina, Duarte, El Monte,
Flintridge, Irwindale, La Cañada, La Crescenta,
Monrovia, Montrose, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, South
Pasadena, Sunland, and Temple City.
SCE contracted with Corix Utilities, Inc. to perform most of the
installations. Here is some important information for customers
getting the new meters:
· Customers will be notified by mail in advance when installations
are scheduled in their neighborhood.
· Customers do not need to be home, but they do need to provide
clear access to their meter. The installer will leave a door hanger
indicating if the installation was successful.
· Corix installers will carry identification indicating they are
approved SCE contractors.
Edison SmartConnect is a $1.6 billion program authorized by the
California Public Utilities Commission. SCE anticipates customers’
use of the information provided by the new meters will reduce demand
on the electricity grid by about 1,000 megawatts, the amount of
energy produced at an average power plant. Sustained energy
conservation resulting from customer response to their energy use
information is also expected to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases
and smog-forming pollutants by a minimum of 365,000 metric tons per
year — the equivalent of removing 79,000 cars from the road.
Customers can find more information at
www.sce.com/smartconnect.
About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company,
Southern California
Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a
population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in
a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and
Southern California.
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