Our Meter Specialists read your meter to get an accurate reading for your electric bill. The best way to help us is to ensure a clear path to your meter, free from obstructions. Challenges we face accessing meters include:

• Shrubs and overgrown vegetation
  
• Dogs protecting their territory
  
• Weather-related issues, including snow, mud, ice, or insects in meter bases during the spring and summer.
  
• Locked access to wherever the meter is located.

If any of these conditions exist at your meter, it may be why we must estimate usage.

Our Meter Specialists read 400,000 meters each month, or about 19,000 meters on average every day. Sometimes a Meter Specialist will use a monocular (similar to a spotting scope) to get a reading over or through a fence in an area where our access is restricted. If we’re unable to read the meter, we may estimate usage based on past use. That’s a last resort, though.

Here are some other ways you can help our Meter Specialists:

• Trim shrubs and trees to keep the meter visible and accessible. Keep the path clear and pruned to the meter area as well.
  
• Work with the specialist to allow access through gates. Some instances allow us to install a company lock along with the customer’s. Instructions for the Meter Specialists about how to get to your meter may be added to your account information.
  
• Snow and ice can restrict our access from meters due to a frozen gate and in remote areas because the access road is not plowed. Please remember this if you have meters/accounts in remote areas.