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[av_heading heading=’PECO to install ‘smart meters’’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Tuesday, February 28, 2017
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ILOILO City – Panay Electric Company (PECO) will slowly phase out the analog and standard digital meters and introduce the modern Automated Metering Infrastructure (AMI).
The installation of these “smart meters” is seen as a new era for PECO as these provide many benefits, the most crucial of which is accuracy in meter reading since no manpower will be needed to read the meters.
PECO sees smart meters as a “permanent solution” for billing issues of its customers.
“All readings are programmed to go directly to the computers of PECO without any actual meter readers needed on the field. This eliminates the human factor in meter reading and customers can fully rely on the accuracy of the billing,” said Mikel C. Afzelius, PECO’s corporate communications officer.
The first 1,000 “smart meters” will be installed this April 2017.
Another advantage of the smart meter is being tamper proof.
“These new meters have sensors inside it that if anyone will try to tamper them they will automatically shut down and be reported in PECO’s system,” said Afzelius.
Prepaid electricity is also a function the smart meters are capable of when activated.
This will also be implemented in the future for customers who would want to choose prepaid purchase of power.
“The first set of these state-of-the-art meters will be placed in high voltage areas first since smart meters need to be clustered together for better efficiency,” said Afzelius.
The high voltage sites are ideal since the meters in those areas are designed to be clustered together, he explained.
These will be installed in the new Elevated Metering Centers (EMCs) in City Proper going towards the Calumpang area in Molo.
After the first phase is accomplished, PECO will be installing around 5,000 smart meters each year to replace all its existing meters, said Afzelius./PN
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