SDG&E’s Smart Meters: The New Face of Energy Use

When it comes to managing your energy use, the more you know, the more you save. To help, SDG&E® offers a number of programs, services, and tools to show you where you’re using energy and ways to save — including home energy surveys, online energy analyses, and the latest in energy conservation technology: smart meters.

Smart meters are digital devices that record your energy use and — unlike traditional meters — transmit and receive data, too. Your energy use is recorded daily and, after three months of historical data, available to My Account subscribers in 15-minute intervals. Subscribers to My Account, SDG&E’s free, online billing and payment service, can also access smart meter data with the Google™ PowerMeter. The PowerMeter allows you to view hour-by-hour information on how much electricity your home used during the previous day on a secure, iGoogle™ personalized homepage.

SDG&E will replace 1.4 million electric meters and upgrade 900,000 gas meters by the end of 2011. The data collected and transmitted by the new smart meters will help save energy, save money, and conserve natural resources. In addition, future smart meter benefits include:

Because smart meters send information electronically to SDG&E, meter readers will not have to enter your property. Meter readers will still have to access your meters for safety and regular maintenance.

Smart meters will help SDG&E identify potential or existing issues, which will help to prevent outages or restore power faster.

In the future, you’ll be able to use your smart meter to control “smart appliances,” like your thermostat at your home or business by accessing your account through the Internet.

For more information on smart meters, including an installation schedule map, visit sdge.com/smartmeter.