By MADDY VITALE
Atlantic City Electric began installing new smart meters for its nearly 565,000 customers across South Jersey in the fall and this month, Sea Isle City customers have gotten them, in several locations so far, with more to come.
The installation began in Cape May County in the fall and in Sea Isle on Nov. 14.
About 250 smart meters have been installed in Sea Isle as of Nov. 22, with all of the customers in Sea Isle to receive them by January, according to Emily Kowalenko, of the public relations firm, AKCG, on behalf of Atlantic City Electric.
The entire installation throughout South Jersey began in September and continues through 2024. The goal with smart meters is to achieve reliability, resiliency and efficiency, while maintaining affordability for customers, company officials said.
“These upgrades are a key element of Atlantic City Electric’s Smart Energy Network, the company’s efforts to create smarter and more resilient energy infrastructure to minimize the impacts of more frequent and powerful storms, while providing new tools and programs to help customers save energy and money,” Kowalenko said in an email this week.
There is no upfront cost to customers for their new smart meters.
Similar to other energy services that Atlantic City Electric makes in the local energy grid, the cost associated with implementation of the full Smart Energy Network will be spread across the company’s customer base over a period of many years, according to officials.
“We’re extremely excited about our smart meter installation and the benefits that the Smart Energy Network will provide for our customers,” Morlon Bell-Izzard, senior vice president of Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric, said in a statement.
He continued, “Once the network is fully operational, customers will have greater control over their energy use so they can make more informed decisions about how they manage their energy expenses.”
New upgraded smart meters provide:
- Enhanced reliability with faster and more efficient power restoration efforts.
- More detailed outage information when outages occur.
- Tools that can help customers use energy more efficiently and save money.
- Reduced need for estimated billing.
- Better integration of new clean energy technologies, such as solar.
Upgraded smart meters come with many advantages for customers including enhanced reliability, more timely and accurate information during outages and new tools to further benefit South Jersey residents, according to Atlantic City Electric.
Smart meters, which are the same size and shape as existing analog meters, will also connect customers to a variety of clean energy choices, including installing solar energy, participating in robust energy efficiency programs and accessing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Customers will receive several continuous communications prior to their smart meter upgrade that will provide additional information about the upgrade process and the benefits that smart meters and the Smart Energy Network will provide.
The transition to smart meters plays a role in Atlantic City Electric’s existing workforce development programs.
Atlantic City officials say the installation project creates jobs for field technicians and support personnel that the utility has worked to bring to South Jersey communities since 2018, when it joined a consortium of workforce development boards and vocational schools in a six-year, $6.5 million education program to fill next-generation energy roles.
To learn more visit atlanticcityelectric.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/AtlanticCityElectric, and on Twitter at twitter.com/AcEleCconnect. Atlantic City Electric’s mobile app is available at atlanticcityelectric.com/MobileApp.
