Press Release - ComEd Smart Meters Installation Update

City of Wheaton Press Release April 4, 2014


ComEd to Begin Installing Smart Meters in Wheaton Next Month

WHEATON, Ill. – ComEd officials have notified the City of Wheaton that contracted crews for ComEd will begin installing digital electric meters, called smart meters, at Wheaton residences beginning in May. A digital electric meter will replace your current analog meter, which measures your energy usage.

Smart meters differ from analog meters because they can collect energy usage information digitally and securely transmit this information to ComEd. Along with the transition to smart meters, ComEd will also be upgrading the electric infrastructure, referred to as the “smart grid.” Once smart meters and the smart grid are in place, ComEd will be able to better monitor outages, collect meter readings remotely, and switch service on or off remotely when customers move.

In addition, smart meters will provide tools that allow customers to track their energy use, receive weekly energy breakdown emails, receive phone or email alerts when your usage is trending higher than normal, and more.

ComEd will provide you with a series of notifications to let you know when crews contracted by ComEd will be installing your new meter, including a phone call approximately a week before installation. The smart meter will be installed in the same location as your current meter, which is typically located outside your home. You do not need to be home for this installation, as long as crews can access your meter.

If you normally have to be present to allow a meter reader to access the meter at your home, you will need to be home to allow the installer to access the meter. If ComEd cannot access your meter, a representative will call you to schedule an appointment.

Before your meter is installed, a uniformed ComEd meter installer with appropriate identification will knock on your door. Installation usually takes about 10 minutes, with a brief interruption in electric service. Installation crews will not charge you to install the smart meter.

If installation crews encounter minor issues with the wiring that connects with the meter, ComEd will send an electrician to complete these minor repairs to ensure safety with the connection to the new equipment. These minor repairs will be at no cost to the customer.

ComEd will be upgrading its customers to smart meters in Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Warrenville, Oak Brook and West Chicago in the coming months.

To learn more about ComEd’s smart meters and smart grid, more information is available atwww.comed.com/smartmeter, or call 1-866-368-8326.

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ComEd's Smart Meters are Coming to Wheaton in 2015

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) made a ruling on Wednesday February 5, 2014. That ruling is in the following ICC press release dated February 6.

         "ICC Approves Charge to ComEd Customers

             Who Decline Smart Meter Installations

The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) on Wednesday approved a new tariff to be applied to bills of ComEd customers who either don’t provide the utility the necessary access to install new smart meters or who refuse the new smart meters.

The Energy Infrastructure Modernization Act (EIMA) requires ComEd to install smart meters, for all customers over a 10 year period. ComEd has filed a deployment schedule with the ICC to meet the requirements of the EIMA. As part of the deployment plan, ComEd also provided its customer communication plan that ensures customers receive adequate notice before the smart meter refusal charge would appear on their bills.

The Commission set a monthly customer charge of $21.53 for customers, which was at the low end of a range of potential fees submitted by the utility.    The Commission determined that the charge is reasonable and reflects additional costs required to read or service the older model, analog meters. Smart meters are capable of sending customer usage data electronically, eliminating costs associated with reading meters manually.

ComEd is required to complete installation of the meters for all customers in its service territory by 2022.   In its order the Commission stated, “If customers make the decision to refuse an AMI meter now and incur monthly charges associated with this choice it should be with full knowledge that this refusal is simply deferring the inevitable.”

The order directed ComEd to ensure customers know that if they decline a smart meter or fail to allow the utility access to their property for the meter installation, they will pay the additional charge for non-AMI service, but the smart meters ultimately will be installed as provided for in the law."

Click below to read more

Severe Storm and Some Tree Damage

Yesterday, a severe storm blew through the area at about 11:30AM.

Returning from religious services, my spouse and I spotted a tree down and I immediately notified management. In fact, several board members contacted management and looked over the association grounds for damage. After the storm had blown out, a few residents were walking the grounds and I met one owner behind Harrow Court en route to Thames.

Here's several photos taken commencing 12:12PM on July 1. A list of locations with damaged trees of note, and several photos were sent to management, the president of the board and to the landscaping director.

Our association has a regular program of tree trimming. It isn't perfect, but it catches most of the problems and limits the damage. Last year, a number of willows on the property were removed. This was a preventative measure.

Not all of our owners agree with this expenditure of fees for prevention.. However, the alternatives are unpleasant or worse. Today we'll have a heat index of about 100F and a lot of people in the area are without power. That includes parts of Wheaton, Winfield, Glen Ellyn and Lombard. As of noon today, ComEd reported 11,637 customers affected in Glen Ellyn! I've attached a link to ComEd's outage map at the end of this post. .

I drove through the village via Main Street at about 8:00am en route to the office and found it blocked north of downtown. Then I had fun taking the circuitous route to get to North Avenue, which had lights out. 

Click on Photos to Enlarge:

Note:

1. I spoke briefly with our landscaping director and we discussed the decision to remove willows on Gloucester. I told him that was a good call in 2011.
2. Some of our owners, the ones who like to complain and make statements such as ":they can't tell us what to do" won't be telling management or the board they did a good job. They'll probably be recruiting a new band of renown for our forthcoming popularity contest. That contest also goes under the name "election." Perhaps it's again time for some change.

Here's a link to ComEd's outage map:

Clicking will open a window toNew Window> ComEd's Outage Map

ComEd on Site for Two Weeks

Our Electrical Utility company, ComEd will be on site for approximately two weeks. They will be replacing nearly 12,000 feet (that's nearly 2-1/4 miles) of underground power distribution cables. Some of these are very large cables (size = 3/0 AWG). This size is prononounced "three ought" and this refers to the size of the conductors, in American Wire Guage. The size determines the current carrying capacity.

This is probably more than you wanted to know!

You will see signs, pickup trucks towing flatbeds with large cable reels, IBEW electricians and a Vermeer boring machine such as the one in the picture below, for about two weeks.

Enjoy the noise, with the realization that this is a positive indication of "Change". This particular "change" has a specific and defined purpose, and a declared outcome. It will improve the power distribution to our Association, and should reduce the power disruptions that we have been experiencing.

Thank You, ComEd!