Tombigbee Electric Cooperative - Alabama Living/Local Hero Series

The Technical Side of Solid State AMR Meters

Article by Buell Harris

In last months issue you were given an in-depth look at the new meter being used to record your power usage. How this meter works and its accuracy was explained in great detail. This month we want to explain how the readings are transferred from your meter to the office and turned into the bill that you receive.

The readings, along with the serial number of the meter, are transmitted over the power line from your meter to the substation that supplies power to your location. Once the signal from your meter reaches the substation, a device collects that reading and stores it. Due to the way this data is collected and stored an interruption in the process does not cause data to be lost. Should a problem arise, once it has been corrected, the data is still available. Several times a day a computer located at the office calls each substation and downloads these stored readings. Teresa Kell is shown reviewing the Pre-Bill Edit report.

Each billing cycle these readings are transferred to a program that checks them for accuracy. Once the readings have passed this check they are then posted to individual accounts. The meter serial number attached to the reading is matched to the meter serial number of each individual account to assure that the reading is posted to the correct account. During the posting processes, if any thing does not match 100%, an error report is printed and the necessary correction is made.

Once the readings have been posted a second series of steps are taken to assure the accuracy of the bill you receive. A program is run that goes through 14 steps of checking the readings to catch any potential problems. Some of the checks that occur are: does the current reading exceed last months reading by a certain percentage, are the days of service greater or less than they should be, how does it compare to last years service period, etc. If any of these are not within in the normal range, that account information is printed on a report that is checked by someone in the billing department. Any necessary corrections are made and the program is run again. If there is still concern about a reading an employee is sent to double check the reading and the meter. This process is repeated until the billing is as accurate as possible.

With the accuracy of the meters that was referred to in last months article, the safety built into the system to preserve the readings in case of a power or communication failure and the extensive checks before billing, you can be assured that your bill is as accurate as we can make it..

We utilize technology to provide more and better services as economically as possible. But we haven’t forgotten the value of personal service. That is what makes your Co-Op different, neighbors helping neighbors. FMI: 205.468.3325

View image of AMR report sample #1

View image of AMR report sample #2

View image of Energy Calculator online access

Please join us next issue for a continuation of this article on the Solid State AMR meters! If you have questions relating to this article please feel free to phone Mark Carden at 205.921.3025 X28 or email mcarden@tombigbee.net.

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(ARA) Caulk around doors and windows. Check. Blow extra insulation in the attic. Did it years ago. Make sure the damper is closed when not using the fireplace. Always do. Turn down the thermostat a little more. C’mon, how low do I need to go?

You’ve done a good job of implementing all the obvious energy-savings tips around your home, yet your energy bills are still high and you still feel a mysterious cold draft coming from somewhere within your home. Perhaps the draft is coming from someplace you have never considered. Make this the year to solve the cold draft mystery by discovering the last frontier for possible energy savings – your garage which can be a huge drain on energy consumption.

Let’s face the energy truth: A garage door opening is basically an enormous hole in your home. If your garage is attached to your home, any cold air in the garage can travel through the doorway and directly into your living areas. An insulated garage door helps keep extreme cold and hot outside temperatures out of your garage, and, more important, out of your house.

Energy efficient insulated garage doors are no longer just a practical option; they now come in a wide variety of stylish options to coordinate with the exterior of any home. Unlike the plain white, flat-front garage doors of the 1950s, garage doors today are much more attractive, leading to a new enthusiasm for garage doors among consumers for new construction and remodeling – and energy savings.

According to Teresa Lowry, director of marketing for Amarr Garage Doors, “In terms of saving energy, it is crucial to have a garage door that is highly energy-efficient in its design and construction,” Lowry said. “In the past decade alone, a new generation of garage doors has emerged that is much more energy-efficient than older doors, and they come in a wide variety of styles and finishes to coordinate with the architecture of any home.”

We’re not talking about installing a garage door that looks like bank vault door. Energy efficient insulated garage doors are no longer just a practical option; they now come in a wide variety of stylish options to coordinate with the exterior of any home. Unlike the plain white, flat-front garage doors of the 1950s, garage doors today are much more attractive, leading to a new enthusiasm for garage doors among consumers for new construction and remodeling – and energy savings.