How are advanced meters beneficial?

Advanced meters offer important customer benefits over our current meters:

Outage Notifications

A sample outage map showing the Skamania Public Utility District with fictional outagesSkamania PUD’s current meters do not have the capability to send outage alerts. The new meters will notify staff automatically and instantly when the power goes out, ensuring that crews are dispatched quickly, without waiting for customers to report the outage. Customers will be able to access an outage map showing if their area is affected and anticipated power restoration time.
A sample of what a utility customer's usage in a graph format showing usage over the course of 2 months

Energy Usage

The new meters will report usage frequently and reliably, allowing customers to view their hourly usage online, and if they choose, can even receive usage alerts to help avoid high bills.
A sample of what a utility customer's usage in a table format showing usage over the course of 2 months

Waive Deposits

New customers are often required to pay a deposit when opening a new account. The new meters are built to work with prepayment programs. Customers who enroll in the prepayment program will be able to avoid paying a deposit and will not experience any late or disconnect fees.

Account Flexibility

With the new meters, Skamania PUD will be able to offer more flexibility in how and when you pay your bills including prepaid services, allowing you to tailor your account to fit your budget and lifestyle.

No More Estimating

Consistent billing cycles will be used and meter estimates will not be needed (sometimes used when weather or other access issues prevent meter readers from reading meters).