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Smart Meters

We are committed to modernizing the power grid – for greater reliability and enhanced customer service, to help you save energy and money with innovative tools, and for a future that embraces more clean energy, electric vehicles and other advances in technology.

Smart Meters are part of I&M's grid modernization. Smart meters and the smart grid give us a technology platform that we can use to build a brighter energy future.


Smart Meters Give You Control

Smart meters empower you to have more control over your energy use, along with improved customer service.

Smart meters use secure wireless technology to provide timely and accurate meter reading data. You can use this data to better understand and manage your home's power use. Instead of monthly data, you will be able to see your home's usage in 15-minute intervals, which gives you more control over your energy use and bill.

You will also benefit through improved customer service and real-time outage notifications to I&M for more seamless power restoration.


You Have the Power to Save Money

You don't need to wait for your bill to see how much power you home is using. Monitor your usage with easy 24/7 access from your smartphone, tablet or laptop through your IndianaMichiganPower.com account.

Faster Outage Detection and Power Restoration

Your smart meter notifies us when your power goes out - even when you're not home. It provides information to our crews that improves response times and speeds power restoration.

Eliminate Manual and Estimated Meter Readings

We don't have to inconvenience you to read the meter. You don't need to leave the gate unlocked or be available for readings. Your smart meter constantly reports usage information and simplifies the billing process by eliminating estimated bills and the need for a meter reader to visit your home.

Create Good Energy-saving Habits

Get personalized tips on easy ways to save energy. See your home's energy use, in 15-minute increments. Look at your usage in both dollars and kWh and set energy goals and budgets.

Receive Alerts

Get alerts when your energy use – and bill – will be higher than normal. This helps you manage your budget and energy-saving goals.

Enhanced Customer Service

If you call us with a billing question, we'll review detailed usage information with you and answer your questions more efficiently. If you are moving and need to start or stop service, it can be done without an in-person appointment.

Improved Delivery of Energy

Smart meters allow more precise delivery of power which helps reduce fuel and operating costs. This resulting savings are passed onto you.

Smart meters bring all the residential benefits plus more tools for your business. Energy Management Tools allow you to manage, track and optimize your business' energy use with the information provided by your Smart Meter. Go to your IndianaMichiganPower.com business account to get all the benefits.

Energy Management Tools benefits:

Analyze Energy Costs and Usage Trends

See how your business is using energy by the day and 15-minute intervals - in both dollars and kWh. Analyze how your energy use compares year to year, and how the weather impacts your use.

Compare Billing Trends

View your billing history trends and compare charges from the previous month or year.

View an Energy Consumption Map

Find what is using the most energy in your building and identify any abnormal energy use patterns.

Get Personalized Energy-saving Tips

Get personalized tips on easy ways to save energy - including potential savings, carbon savings, and payback period.

Get Alerts and Reports

Receive High Usage Alerts and Energy Reports to help you manage your business and budget.

Go to your IndianaMichiganPower.com business account to get all the benefits.


Smart Meters Coming to Your Home and Business

Smart meters empower you to have more control over your energy use, along with improved customer service.

Over the next several years, we are replacing the outdated meters currently on your home or business. The new smart meters will empower you to have more control over your energy use, along with improved customer service.

You will be notified via mail, email, phone and in-person before your smart meter is installed. The first notification will be at least 60 days before your scheduled installation. The communication schedule is available in the FAQs.


Power Rewards

Enroll Now, Earn Bill Credits All Summer Long

Smart meters give you more control over your energy use and help you save. One of the easiest ways to save, plus earn bill credits, is with Power Rewards.

With Power Rewards, you can earn bill credits when you shift your energy use away from peak times. You choose the program that matches you and your home. There's no cost to join and it's your choice how much and how long you participate in each peak event.

Power Rewards: Smart Thermostat Earn bill credits and save without doing anything. Get $25 just for enrolling and up to $35 in bill credits every summer.

Good for you if own a smart thermostat or want to buy one.

Power Rewards: iControl You manage when and how much power your home uses during peak events. Earn up to $30 in bill credits every summer.

Good for you if you can actively reduce your energy use during peak times.


FAQs

Benefits

Traditional meters, (analog meters) measure total energy consumption and typically only give monthly measurements. These meters aren't connected to an online network, so the measurements must be read manually by a professional meter reader. In fact, analog meters are no longer being manufactured.

Smart meters are connected to your home's online network and provide your home's energy data in 15-minute intervals. The smart meter sends and receives information related to your power service through a secure communication network. We use the data from your smart meter to generate bills, to run a more reliable and efficient power grid, and to deliver a higher level of service to you.

Smart meters are just one of hundreds of possible applications that form the Smart Grid. The Smart Grid consists of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment working together with the power grid to respond digitally to customers power demand needs.

A smarter, more efficient and reliable electric grid means better service for customers, benefits for the environment and lower costs in the long run, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

The power grid is a network of transmission lines, substations, transformers and more that deliver electricity from the power plant to your home or business. The digital technology that allows for two-way communication between the utility and its customers, and the sensing along the transmission lines is what makes the grid smart.

A smart meter can help you manage and lower your home's energy use - which can lead to lower monthly bills. Smart meters also allow us to provide improved customer service.

Yes, I&M has joined the Green Button initiative, a joint effort among utilities, technology companies and the federal government to help you save energy and money. Green Button can help you make better energy and usage decisions. Green Button provides a simple, standardized way to download your energy usage information from our website. This information can then be uploaded to compatible energy efficiency applications or shared with energy efficiency consultants and others to help you analyze how you use energy.

About Smart Meters

Smart meters are equipped with secure wireless communications technology. This allows us to communicate with the smart meters remotely. Meter readings, service connections and outage notifications can all be done remotely.
The electric grid is being upgraded to take advantage of new technologies and offer more benefits to our customers. Smart meters also enhance customer service through remote capabilities; providing faster meter readings and service connections.

Smart meters have an easy-to-read digital display with three separate rotating displays:

  • One display will show whether your electric service is on or off. If the display says "CLOSED" your power is on. If the display says "OPEN" your power is disconnected and you should contact the I&M at 800-311-4634.
  • The next display will show your total electric usage in kilowatt-hours (kWh). This is the amount of energy that has flowed through your meter since it was installed. I&M uses this information to calculate your bill.
  • The third rotating display, which includes a decimal point, shows the electricity demand reading in kilowatts (kW). This is used for operational purposes, and not for calculating your bill.
Yes. Smart meters go through the same rigorous tests as the traditional meters before they are installed. Both are also required to follow the same standards for accuracy.
No, the smart meter enables us to read your meter without setting a foot on your property or disrupting your schedule. The smart meter automatically sends your energy use information to I&M using digital technology - similar to your smartphone when it sends a text. Smart meters have remote turn on and off capability. That means if your power needs to be turned on or off, we will not send a technician to your address. We will still periodically perform field and safety audits of metering and other electric distribution equipment.
Smart meters do not collect, store, or transmit personally identifiable customer information - such as names and addresses. All energy usage information is transmitted between smart meters and I&M through a secure network and is encrypted using U.S. government-approved and -recommended standards. We follow the cybersecurity guidelines published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These standards are regularly reviewed to remain current with industry and government security protocols.
Having information at your fingertips about your energy usage is the best way to manage your energy expenses. Instead of only receiving a monthly bill, you will have online access to view daily usage and estimated costs of daily usage for the bill you have received.
Yes. Smart meters will alert us about most outages in your neighborhood. But it is important that you continue to tell us about any problems you are having so that we can address them as quickly as possible. You can report an outage online or through your I&M App.
All communications equipment meets criteria set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The smart meter will not interfere with any electronic equipment inside a home or business.

Yes, but those emissions are well below the levels produced by other common household devices already used in homes today, such as mobile phones, baby monitors, microwaves and TVs. Smart meters emit a small fraction of the limits set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the agency that enforces the safety limits of RF emissions.:

The following websites provide additional information about the numerous studies conducted on smart meters and RF emissions:

If you would like more information about smart meters, we can be reached by email or by calling 833.446.7627.

Installation

You will be notified at least 60-days in advance and in multiple ways including mail, email, phone and in-person. The communication schedule includes:

  • Postcard - about 60 days before installation
  • Email - 60 days or more before installation
  • Letter - about 45 days before installation
  • Phone - about 10 days before installation
  • In-person - day of installation
  • Door Hanger - day of installation
  • Welcome Letter/Email - about 30 days after installation
  • Understanding Your Smart Meter Letter/Email - about 90 days after installation
No. A meter technician will leave a door hanger indicating the result of the meter change. Please leave a clear path, including unlocking gates, keeping pets indoors and removing objects from around the meter base on the day of installation. We will make three attempts to install your new smart meter. If we are unable to install the meter after three tries, we will contact you to make an appointment.
No. You do not need to have a smart device or Wi-Fi. The smart meter will communicate with I&M. If you want to see your homes' energy use and use the Energy Management Tools, you will need a computer or smart device. However, those tools are optional.
You will experience a brief temporary power outage when we replace the meter. We expect the interruption to be no longer than a few minutes.
There is no additional cost to install a smart meter.
  • You will see your home's energy use, in 15-minute increments, within 2-3 days after the meter is installed.
  • Energy Insights require a history before an analysis of your home's energy use can be provided. Less than 7 days of data: message there is not enough data to provide an energy insight.
    • 7 to 14 days of data: 'Top Energy Use Day'
    • 14 + days of data: 'Top 5 Energy Use Days'
    • 30 + days of data: 'Highest Day of Use'

We are installing a 'Relay' or 'Access Point' that allows your new smart meter to communicate with the smart meter wireless network. Smart meters use lower frequencies to communicate and don't compete with the higher frequencies used by customers for video streaming.

A smart meter is a digital meter equipped with two-way communication technology that provides near real-time meter readings. It securely transfers usage information to I&M for billing and operational purposes. A smart meter improves billing accuracy and gives you the ability to better manage your energy use.

For your safety and security, the crews installing the smart meters have vehicles marked with an I&M logo or an I&M contractor logo. The technician will wear an I&M ID badge or a QUES ID badge. QUES is the contractor who is assisting with the installation. The QUES ID badge looks the picture below.

Our crews are following COVID-19 guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure the safety and health of our customers and our employees. You are not required to be present on the day of installation.

Yes, homeowners may decline a smart meter. The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a $9.75 monthly fee for residential customers who do not want a smart meter installed. The $9.75 monthly fee goes towards the costs associated with sending an I&M representative to read the meter. This charge will be applied to your monthly bill and payment of this fee will be required to maintain service. Failure to pay may result in disconnection.

If you'd like more information about opting out, please provide your contact information. We will contact you within two business days.

Non-residential customers may not decline a smart meter.

Yes, homeowners may decline a smart meter. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved a $16.48 monthly fee for residential customers who do not want a smart meter installed. The $16.48 monthly fee goes towards the costs associated with sending our representative to read the meter. This charge will be applied to your monthly bill and payment of this fee will be required to maintain service. Failure to pay may result in disconnection.

In Indiana, the monthly fee will be waived if you report your monthly usage to us by voluntarily enrolling in the Self-read program. Failure to report usage accurately or on time will result in the $16.48 monthly fee being added to your bill.

If you'd like more information about opting out, please provide your contact information. We will contact you within two business days.

Non-residential customers may not decline a smart meter.


Still have smart meter questions?

Talk with a smart meter representative at 833.446.7627 or email us at IMSmart@aep.com. Please note this phone number and email address are for smart meter questions only.

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