Molly Ayala
In 2021, Xcel Energy began installing smart meters in Colorado, with the first installed in Littleton. The company plans to have smart meters in almost all of its 1.6 million Colorado homes by the end of 2023. The City of Longmont has also started replacing its electric meters with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), also known as smart meters. The citywide phase of Longmont's advanced metering upgrade began on August 15, 2023, and was effectively completed by December 2024. From July 1, 2025, a new bill will prohibit utilities in Colorado from installing smart meters without customers opting in.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of installation | June 30, 2021 |
| Company installing smart meters | Xcel Energy |
| Number of installations | 15,000 homes and businesses per week |
| Total installations by end of 2023 | 1.6 million |
| Installation cost | $419 million |
| Installation time | Less than three minutes |
| Customer opt-in program | Customers can opt out of having a smart meter installed |
| Customer communication plan | Utilities to communicate with customers before installation and regarding their right to opt out |
| Advanced metering infrastructure | AMI meters transmit data wirelessly and comply with privacy laws |
| Safety standards | Advanced meters must meet ANSI and NESC standards |
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What You'll Learn
Xcel Energy's smart meter installation
In 2021, Xcel Energy began installing smart meters for its 1.6 million customers in Colorado to help them better manage their electricity use. The first of these "smart meters" was installed on June 30, 2021, at a residence in Littleton.
Xcel crews plan to install meters at about 15,000 homes and businesses per week, starting in Denver, Aurora, and the surrounding suburbs. By the end of 2023, almost all 1.6 million Colorado customers will have smart meters installed. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission has approved a budget of up to $419 million for the installation of these devices, known as Advance Installation Meters (AIM). The cost will be passed on to customers.
The new meters will read household energy use in real time and report it back to Xcel, providing customers with more accurate and precise information about their energy consumption. This will enable Xcel to implement time-of-use rates, charging higher prices during peak demand periods and lower prices during low-use periods. Customers will be able to access information about their energy use through their online "My Account" portal, giving them better insight and control over their energy consumption.
According to Xcel, the smart meters will also improve power outage response times and provide multiple layers of security to protect personal data. Additionally, the meters will benefit Xcel by providing real-time data on grid performance and outages.
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Smart meters' real-time energy data
Smart meters are being installed by Colorado electric companies to help customers better manage their electricity use. Xcel Energy, for example, plans to install smart meters at 1.6 million Colorado homes and businesses by the end of 2023.
Smart meters provide real-time energy data, which offers several benefits to customers. Firstly, customers can access near real-time data on their energy use through a company app or website. This gives customers a clearer and more precise picture of their energy consumption patterns, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their usage. For instance, customers can choose to use energy during off-peak hours when rates are lower, resulting in potential cost savings.
Additionally, real-time data allows customers to monitor and control their energy expenses more effectively. With smart meters, customers can track their energy usage and costs at different times of the day, helping them understand the impact of their energy choices. This information can empower customers to make necessary adjustments to reduce their energy bills and increase their energy efficiency.
Smart meters also benefit electric companies by providing them with data on grid performance. With real-time data, companies can quickly identify outages and irregularities, allowing for faster response times and improved grid reliability. Furthermore, smart meters enable electric companies to better integrate renewable energy sources and distributed energy resources (DERs) into their grids, supporting the transition to cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions.
While smart meters offer these advantages, some customers may have concerns about data privacy and radio frequency (RF) emissions. To address these concerns, electric companies must comply with relevant laws and regulations, such as the Longmont Municipal Code, which ensures that customer-specific metering data will not be shared without written permission or a court order. Federal agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), have also determined that advanced metering equipment emits safe levels of RF, with lower RF levels than cell phones, microwave ovens, and home Wi-Fi routers.
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Advanced metering infrastructure
In Colorado, electric companies have been installing smart meters, also known as advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) or advanced metering equipment, to help customers better manage their electricity use. These devices provide real-time data on energy consumption, enabling more accurate billing and improved grid management.
Xcel Energy, for instance, began installing smart meters in Colorado in 2021, aiming to have them in almost all of its 1.6 million customers' homes by the end of 2023. The company received approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to spend up to $419 million on the installation of these devices. The smart meters are part of Xcel Energy's efforts to build a smarter and more efficient energy grid, providing customers with cleaner, safer, and more reliable energy.
The City of Longmont has also embarked on a similar initiative, replacing traditional electric meters with AMI. The citywide phase of this upgrade began on August 15, 2023, and was effectively completed by December 2024. Longmont's advanced meters transmit data wirelessly, ensuring customer-specific metering information remains private and secure.
The advantages of AMI over traditional meters are significant. Firstly, they provide a much clearer picture of energy use by reading energy consumption multiple times a day, as opposed to traditional meters which are read once a month. This frequent reading allows customers to better understand their energy usage and make more informed choices to improve efficiency and save costs. Secondly, AMI enables faster integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources into the grid, supporting the transition to cleaner energy sources. Moreover, AMI facilitates faster warnings of outages and irregularities, allowing for quicker issue resolution. Additionally, AMI allows for faster connection and disconnection of electric service, reducing the need for manual interventions.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have deemed AMI safe for use in and near homes. The radio frequency (RF) levels emitted by AMI meters are significantly lower than those of cell phones, microwave ovens, and home Wi-Fi routers. Advanced meters must also comply with the standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Electric Safety Code (NESC).
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The opt-in program for smart meters
The new law requires utility companies to obtain a signed request from customers before installing a smart meter. Additionally, it mandates that any utility company that installed a smart meter without customer permission prior to July 1, 2025, must uninstall the smart meter and replace it with a manual meter within 90 days of receiving a customer's request.
The opt-in program is part of a broader effort to provide customers with more transparency and control over their energy use. Smart meters provide real-time data on energy consumption, allowing customers to better understand their energy usage patterns and make more informed decisions. This can lead to cost savings for customers, as they can adjust their energy usage during peak demand times when rates are higher.
To facilitate this transition, utility companies such as Xcel Energy have developed apps and websites that customers can use to access their energy usage data. Xcel Energy began installing smart meters in 2021, with the goal of having almost all of its 1.6 million Colorado customers equipped with smart meters by the end of 2023. The company plans to install meters at approximately 15,000 homes and businesses per week, starting in Denver and the surrounding areas.
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Smart meters' safety standards
Smart meters are devices that read household energy use in real-time and report it back to the energy company. In June 2021, Xcel Energy began installing smart meters in Colorado, with the aim of helping its 1.6 million customers in the state better manage their electricity use.
While smart meters have been promoted as a way to give customers a clearer and more precise picture of their energy use, there has been some debate about the safety of these devices. Some people have raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with the radio waves emitted by smart meters. In response to these concerns, several organizations have conducted research to assess the safety of smart meters.
Public Health England (PHE), for example, conducted a three-phase research study to evaluate the safety of smart meters. The first phase involved measuring exposure to radio waves from smart meter devices under laboratory conditions. The second phase calculated and mapped the radio wave energy absorption in the body due to signals from smart meters located close to the body. The third phase assessed exposure in a sample of homes to determine exposures under realistic operating conditions. The research found that the radiation from smart meters was well below the guidelines set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
In addition to the research conducted by PHE, other organizations have also concluded that smart meters do not pose a health risk. For example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has established a standard that provides a factor of safety against known thermally induced health impacts of smart meters and other electronic devices with similar RF emissions. The FCC has determined that exposure levels from smart meters are well below the thresholds for adverse effects and that there is no evidence that additional standards are needed to protect the public.
To address concerns about smart meter safety and privacy, some states and countries have implemented opt-out or opt-in programs. For example, in Colorado, a bill was passed that prohibits utilities from installing smart meters at residential properties unless the customer opts in by submitting a signed request. Similarly, in Maine, the Public Utilities Commission ordered utility companies to offer opt-out provisions for customers, with a one-time fee and monthly charge for retaining an analog meter or installing a smart meter with the two-way transmitter turned off.
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Frequently asked questions
Xcel Energy began installing smart meters in Colorado in 2021.
Smart meters help households better manage their electricity use by providing a clearer picture of their energy consumption in real time.
Smart meters read household energy use and report it back to the energy company. This enables the company to implement time-of-use rates, charging more during peak demand times and less during low-use periods.
Yes, agencies that regulate radio frequency (RF) technologies, such as the Federal Communications Commission, have determined that advanced metering equipment is safe for use in and near homes.
Yes, customers can choose to opt out of having a smart meter installed and request a non-communicating meter instead. However, according to current law in Colorado, a utility company may install a smart meter without the property owner's permission unless the customer opts out.
