Massachusetts' Transition To Electric Smart Meters

is massachusetts switching to electric smart meters

In the second half of 2025, Massachusetts will begin transitioning to electric smart meters, with the process starting in the western region of the state. The energy company Eversource will replace all electric meters with smart meters, which will provide customers with detailed information about their energy use and enable the company to address issues within the electric system before power outages occur. The transition to smart meters for all Eversource’s Massachusetts electric customers is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

Characteristics Values
Company Eversource
Start Date Second half of 2025
Location Massachusetts
Time to Complete Approximately 3 years
Number of Meters 1.2 million
Technology Itron Gen 5 meters
Installer Grid One Solutions
Benefits Empower customers to make informed decisions about energy use, improve power outage alerts, speed up power restoration, and enable remote service start and end
Cost $620 million
Associated Benefits $743 million

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Eversource to install smart meters in Massachusetts

Eversource, the #1 energy company in Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Responsible Companies for 2023, will begin transitioning homes and businesses across Massachusetts to smart meters in the second half of 2025. The energy company will start by replacing all electric meters with smart meters in western Massachusetts. The transition to smart meters for all Eversource’s Massachusetts electric customers is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

Smart meters are digital electric meters with wireless communication capabilities. They receive data from the smart meters and transmit it to Eversource’s systems, allowing the energy company to communicate with the equipment. This modern technology will provide customers with enhanced, real-time power outage alerts and enable Eversource to start or end a customer’s service remotely, eliminating the wait time for a crew.

Smart meters will also provide customers with detailed information about their energy use, including how they use power and how much they use. This will empower customers to make informed decisions about their energy use and modernize the electric grid.

Jared Lawrence, Eversource Senior Vice President of Customer Operations, Digital Strategy and Chief Customer Officer, said, "Upgrading to smart meters is like replacing an old flip phone with a smart phone. In addition to providing our team with information that we can use to reduce the length of power outages for our customers, smart meters will enable our customers to monitor their energy use in near real time."

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The transition to smart meters will take three years

The transition to smart meters in Massachusetts is expected to begin in the second half of 2025, starting in the western part of the state. This transition is estimated to take approximately three years to complete.

Eversource, the energy company responsible for this initiative, will replace all electric meters with smart meters. This upgrade will provide customers with detailed information about their energy usage and enable them to monitor their energy consumption in near real-time. Customers will be notified in advance of the installation work.

Smart meters offer several new capabilities that will benefit both customers and Eversource. Customers will receive enhanced, real-time power outage alerts, and Eversource will be able to proactively address issues on the electric system before outages occur. The new technology will also speed up power restoration and eliminate the need for customers to report outages.

The transition to smart meters is part of Eversource's efforts to modernize the power grid, enhance electric reliability, and improve customer service. The company serves over 1.2 million residential and small business customers in Massachusetts and is committed to delivering reliable energy with superior customer service.

The latest iteration of smart meter technology is more than just a meter—it's a computer at the grid edge, capable of analyzing real-time data and providing improved accuracy in detecting and reporting power grid health. With the pending omnibus climate bill, Massachusetts is positioned to pursue more aggressive policy objectives and set a standard for leveraging new meter infrastructure.

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Smart meters will provide detailed information on energy use

Massachusetts is set to roll out smart meters starting in the second half of 2025, with the transition expected to take approximately three years to complete. This move will bring several benefits to customers and the energy company, Eversource.

The smart meters will also benefit Eversource by providing real-time data on power grid health and enabling the company to address issues within the electric system before power outages occur. This technology will help speed up power restoration and reduce the length of power outages for customers.

The transition to smart meters is a significant upgrade for Massachusetts, bringing enhanced capabilities and improving the accuracy of data collection. The state has the opportunity to leverage this technology to balance loads through automation and ease the constraints posed by rapid electrification.

Smart meters are a step towards modernizing the power grid, and Massachusetts is now positioned to pursue more aggressive policy objectives and set the standard for how utilities can leverage new meter infrastructure for both customer and operational value.

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Customers will be notified in advance of smart meter installation

Customers in Massachusetts will be notified in advance of smart meter installation by Eversource. The energy company will begin transitioning homes and businesses across the Commonwealth to smart meters in the second half of 2025, starting in western Massachusetts. The transition is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

Smart meters will provide customers with detailed information about their energy use and enable Eversource to proactively address issues on the electric system before power outages occur. The new technology will also deliver automatic, real-time information to Eversource, eliminating the need for customers to report an outage and helping to speed up power restoration.

Smart meters are digital electric meters with wireless communication capabilities. Network devices receive data from the smart meters and transmit it to Eversource's systems, allowing the energy company to communicate with the equipment. This will provide customers with enhanced, real-time power outage alerts and enable Eversource to start or end a customer's service remotely, eliminating the time they wait for a crew to come out.

Customers will be notified several times in advance of the installation of their new smart meter. This advance notification is an important part of the process, as it allows customers to be aware of the upcoming changes and to prepare any necessary information or access for the installation. It also gives customers the opportunity to ask any questions or raise any concerns they may have about the new technology.

Overall, the transition to smart meters in Massachusetts is expected to bring many benefits to customers and Eversource, improving the reliability and efficiency of the energy system in the state.

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Massachusetts can be a national leader in leveraging new meter infrastructure

Massachusetts is set to become a national leader in leveraging new meter infrastructure with its rollout of AMI 2.0 smart meters. In 2023, the state approved plans by National Grid and Eversource to implement smart meters, a decision that has positioned Massachusetts to pursue more aggressive policy objectives.

Eversource will begin replacing all electric meters with smart meters in the second half of 2025, starting in Western Massachusetts. The transition is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

The new smart meters will provide customers with detailed information about their energy use, allowing them to make informed decisions and reduce their energy consumption. Additionally, the technology will enable Eversource to address issues within the electric system before power outages occur and provide automatic, real-time information during outages, speeding up power restoration.

Beyond customer benefits, the next generation of meters in Massachusetts will also allow utilities to leverage demand flexibility for bulk system benefits and local reliability. Grid edge solutions can help balance loads through automation, easing constraints posed by rapid electrification and reducing the long-term rate impact of grid modernization.

With its AMI 2.0 smart meter rollout, Massachusetts is demonstrating how to build a better box and setting the standard for how utilities can leverage new meter infrastructure for both customer and operational value.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, Massachusetts will begin transitioning to smart meters in the second half of 2025, starting in Western Massachusetts.

Eversource will be installing smart meters for its customers in Massachusetts.

The transition to smart meters for Eversource's Massachusetts electric customers is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

Smart meters will provide customers with detailed information about their energy use and allow them to monitor their energy consumption in near real-time. This information can be used to reduce energy consumption and lower bills. Additionally, smart meters will enable Eversource to address issues within the electric system before power outages occur and speed up power restoration.

In 2018, Massachusetts initially opted not to roll out smart meters due to concerns over cost-effectiveness. However, with advancing technologies and the approval of both National Grid and Eversource's AMI plans in 2023, the state is now positioned to pursue a smart meter rollout that offers enhanced customer and operational value.

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