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City of Ashland, Oregon / Electric / Radio Frequency Smart Meters FAQ
Radio Frequency Smart Meters FAQ
Automated Electronic Meters (Smart Meters)
Electric meters are used to measure the amount of electric energy consumed by a residence or business. In order for electric utilities to bill the residence or business for the energy consumed, an employee must read each individual meter and record the amount of energy used each month.
Since the late 1990’s, the City of Ashland Electric Utility Department has been gradually replacing the old style Mechanical Electric Meters to Automated Electronic Meters for two reasons:
1) due to changes in the electric industry it is no longer possible to purchase the mechanical meters
2) the newer meters send the electric consumption information automatically rather than requiring an employee to access, read and record the electric usage at each individual meter.
Progress in this transition has been discussed in open meetings with Council and the Budget Committee on multiple occasions in reference to managing the electric utility and cost savings approaches.
Q. Why is the City purchasing Automated Electronic Meters?
A. Due to changes in industry standards and for cost savings and efficiency reasons, the City is gradually replacing older electric meters with Automated Electronic Meters.
Automated Electronic Meters send the energy consumption information via radio transmitter to city meter readers. This reduces the number of meters the meter reader must access, read and record, thus saving time and money.
Q. How many of these meters are in use today?
A. Currently, there are 11,591 electric meters in the City of Ashland. To date, approximately 5,017 of those meters are Automated Electronic Meters. The radio signal is sent to and collected by the meter reader at the curb.
Q. What are the Automated Electronic Meters the City is purchasing?
A. The Automated Electronic Meters are also referred to as a “Smart Meters”. There are many types of smart meters. The ones used by the City of Ashland are the simplest in that they are not capable of two-way communications, only transmitting limited information (meter ID number, electric consumption, and indication of tampering) on a regular basis.
Q. Why are some citizens concerned about these Smart Meters?
A. Some citizens are concerned about the City’s installations of these meters because of perceived health issues regarding the regular, automated radio transmissions from the meters. Some citizens have concerns about the potential impact of prolonged exposure, proximity, and spikes in transmission of radio frequency signals.
Q. Is there a significant risk posed by Smart Meters?
A. The calculated levels of radio frequency transmissions for Smart Meters are well below the limits established for these devices by the Federal Communications Commission. Therefore, the City does not believe Smart Meters pose a significant health concern.
Q. What is the radio frequency exposure from the City’s Smart Meters?
A. Electric industry information indicates the radio frequency exposure from smart meters is much lower than other radio frequency sources already in your home (and likely closer to your person) such as a microwave oven, wireless computer or cell phone.
The meters used by Ashland comply with FCC standards. The FCC limits on maximum permissible exposure for application to the general public were set using safety factors fifty times lower than the levels of known effects.
Q: Why doesn’t the City just continue to buy the old style meters?
A. Ashland has not found a supplier of the old style meters, both electro-mechanical (analog) or earlier style RF meters. Sources indicate meters with older technologies are no longer being produced, having been replaced by the more accurate digital meters.
Q. Can citizens opt out of having these types of meters at their residence?
A. Currently, the City does not have an opt-out program.
Q. If I have questions whom should I call?
A. You should call the City’s Electric Department at 541-488-5357
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