The Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
The AMI Project
Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is an integrated system of meters, networks and data that enables ‘two-way’ communication between the utility and its customers. The system can provide ‘real-time’ data about power consumption that will assist the company in its service management and will assist customers in making informed choices about their energy use.
A team of Light & Power employees and contractors have been trained on the new AMI technology and will be installing the meters.
The Benefits of AMI
AMI's Frequently Asked Questions
Are these AMI meters safe and reliable?
The meters comply with international standards. Light & Power will continue to follow a strict inspection and testing process to ensure the reliability and quality of meters that are installed.
Radio Frequency Facts
- The signal from a SmartMeter™ typically lasts between 2 and 20 milliseconds. These intermittent signals total, on average, 45 seconds per day. For the other 23 hours and 59 minutes of the day, the meter is not transmitting any RF.
- Light & Power did extensive research and testing before choosing to use Landis + Gyr meters.
- Electric SmartMeters™ utilize the same digital metering technology that utilities have widely used since the 1980s.
- What is new compared to the earlier technology is the inclusion of a small 1-watt radio that allows two-way wireless communication between our customers and Light & Power, which will eventually enable customers to review their hourly energy usage.
- Radio Frequency (RF) is used in many products that most people use as part of modern daily life such as cellphones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, wireless laptops, radios, televisions, pagers, cordless telephones, garage-door openers and walkie-talkies.
- The RF from an electric SmartMeter™ is roughly one one-thousandth that of a typical cellphone.
- You’d have to have one of our meters on your home or business for more than 1,000 years to get as much exposure to radio waves as a typical cell phone user gets in just one month.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) and many other health agencies confirm that there is no persuasive evidence that low level RF exposure (such as from SmartMeters™) causes any adverse health effects.
Item and Distance Power Density (µW/cm²) Gas SmartMeter™ (1 foot) 0.00166 Electric SmartMeter™ (10 feet) 0.1 Electric SmartMeter™ (1 foot) 8.8 Microwave oven (3 feet) 10 Wi-Fi routers/laptops/cyber cafes (≤3 ft for laptops, 7–16 ft for APs) 10–20 Cell phones (at head) 30–10,000 Walkie-Talkies (at head) 500–42,000 How secure is data transmission?
Data transmitted by each meter through the AMI system is encrypted similar to data used in the banking industry. No personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.) will be accessible or carried by the AMI; only energy consumption data and other technical information will be transmitted.
Will you be able to tell what equipment I have in my home?
No, AMI meters do not measure usage by individual devices in the home. Like the existing meters, they will measure total consumption along with providing other information on power quality issues.
If a customer wants to display their energy profile or usage on the inside of their home the meter can facilitate this.
Any future connectivity will be dependent on a customer enabling their home with smart enabled devices and granting the necessary communication permissions.
Will the customer be able to know how much electricity he/she is using?
Yes. Like the existing meters, the ‘new’ meters will have a digital display which will show a running total of kilowatt-hours used in the same way that an automobile’s odometer shows a running total of kilometers traveled. As an improvement, it will be easier to read the new display than on the electromechanical meters.
Will customers still receive interim bills when AMI is introduced?
Once fully deployed, customers will no longer need to receive interim bills as the actual reading information will be readily available for billing purposes. Eventually interim bills will be a thing of the past.
How do I contact BL&P if I have any more questions?
We would love to hear from you during this process. Feel free to call a customer service representative at 626-4300 or send us an e-mail at amiproject@blpc.com.bb.