Oncor hits 2-million smart-meter mark in Texas

Texas-based transmission and distribution system operator Oncor has reached the tw0-million mark for installed smart meters across the state.

Launched in 2008, Oncor’s smart-meter deployment program is now about two-thirds of the way toward the finish line.

“This is a significant milestone in our efforts to install more than three million advanced meters throughout our service area by the end of 2012,” said Jim Greer, Oncor’s senior vice president of asset management and engineering Jim Greer.

Oncor’s advanced meters record energy usage in 15-minute intervals, giving customers with advanced meters access to daily and cumulative energy usage information online through the state’s Smart Meter Texas web portal. Customers can also review usage information — as well as their carbon footprint and prices per kilowatt hour — in near-real time via energy management devices such as in-home monitors and other home area network devices.

Earlier this month, Oncor — along with Grid21 and CenterPoint Energy — launched the Biggest Energy Saver Consumer Contest, aimed at rewarding customers who use data from their advanced meter to sustainably change their habits and reduce their energy use. The company says that, of customers using information from their advanced meters, 80 percent have already taken action to help reduce their electric bills.

Oncor estimates that customers within its service area could collectively save up to $250 million annually and reduce the need for up to a dozen new power plants over the next decade.