Utilities try to nab the best and brightest

Duke Energy Smart Meters enable remote meter reading, daily energy usage data, and two-way outage detection via AMI, with encrypted data, faster restoration, and remote connect/disconnect for Indiana customers in Howard County.

Key Points

Advanced meters that support remote readings, daily usage insights, two-way outage detection, and secure, encrypted data.

✅ Daily energy usage available online the next day

✅ Two-way communications speed outage detection and restoration

✅ Remote connect/disconnect; manual reads optional with opt-out fee

Say goodbye to your neighborhood meter reader. Say hello to your new smart meter.

Over the next three months, Duke Energy will install nearly 43,000 new high-tech electric meters for Howard County customers that will allow the utility company to remotely access meters via the digital grid instead of sending out employees to a homeowner's property for walk-by readings.

That means there's no need to estimate bills when meters can't be easily accessed, such as during severe weather or winter storms.

Other counties serviced by Duke Energy slated to receive the meters include Miami, Tipton, Cass and Carroll counties.

Angeline Protogere, Duke Energy's lead communication consultant, said besides saving the company money and manpower, the new smart meters come with a host of benefits for customers enabled by smart grid solutions today.

The meters are capable of capturing daily energy usage data, which is available online the next day. Having this information available on a daily basis can help customers make smarter energy decisions and support customer analytics that avoid billing surprises at the end of the month, she said.

"The real advantage is for the consumer, because they can track their energy usage and adjust their usage before the bills come," Protogere said.

When it comes to power outages, the meters are capable of two-way communications. That allows the company to know more about an outage through synchrophasor monitoring, which can help speed up restoration. However, customers will still need to notify Duke Energy if their power goes out.

If a customer is moving, they don't have to wait for a Duke Energy representative to come to the premises to connect or disconnect the energy service because requests can be performed remotely.

Protogere said when it comes to installing the meters, the changeover takes less than 5 minutes to complete. Customers should receive advance notices from the company, but the technician also will knock on the door to let the customer know they are there.

If no one is available and the meter is safely accessible, the technician will go ahead and change out the meter, Protogere said. There will be a momentary outage between the time the old meter is removed and the new meter is installed.

Kokomo and the surrounding areas are one of the last parts of the state to receive Duke Energy's new, high-tech meters, which are commonly used by other utility companies and in smart city initiatives across the U.S.

Protogere said statewide, the company started installing smart meters in August 2016 as utilities deploy digital transformer stations to modernize the grid. To date, they have installed 694,000 of the 854,000 they have planned for the state.

The company says the information stored and transmitted on the smart meters is safe, protected and confidential. Duke Energy said on its website that it does not share data with anyone without customers' authorization. The information coming from the meters is encrypted and protected from the moment it is collected until the moment it is purged, the company said.

Digital smart meter technology uses radio frequency bands that have been used for many years in devices such as baby monitors and medical monitors. The radio signals are far below the levels emitted by common household appliances and electronics, including cellphones and microwave ovens.

According to the World Health Organization, FCC, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Electric Power Research Institute, no adverse health effects have been shown to occur from the radio frequency signals produced by smart meters or other such wireless networks.

However, customers can still opt-out of getting a smart meter and continue to have their meter manually read.

Those who choose not to get a smart meter must pay a $75 initial opt-out fee and an additional $17.50 monthly meter reading charge per account.

If smart meters have not yet been installed, Duke Energy will waive the $75 initial opt-out fee if customers notify the company they want to opt out within 21 days of receiving the installation postcard notice.

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NB Power Smart Meters will replace aging analog meters, boosting billing accuracy, reducing leakage, and modernizing distribution as the EUB considers a $92 million rollout of 360,000 advanced meters for residential and commercial customers.

Key Points

NB Power Smart Meters replace analog meters, improving billing accuracy and reducing leakage in the electricity network.

✅ EUB reviewing $92M plan for 360,000 advanced meters

✅ Replaces 98,000 analog units; curbs unbilled kWh

✅ Improves billing accuracy and reduces system leakage

Home and business owners with old power meters in New Brunswick have been getting the equivalent of up to 10 days worth of electricity a year or more for free, a multi million dollar perk that will end quickly if the Energy and Utilities Board approves the adoption of smart meters, a move that in other provinces has prompted refusal fees for some holdouts.

Last week the EUB began deliberations over whether to allow NB Power to purchase and install 360,000 new generation smart meters for its residential and commercial customers as part of a $92 million upgrade of its distribution system, even as regulators elsewhere approve major rate changes that affect customer bills.

If approved, that will spell the end to about 98,000 aging electromagnetic or analog meters still used by about one quarter of NB Power customers.  Those are the kind with a horizontal spinning silver disc and clock-face style dials that record consumption 

NB Power lawyer John Furey told the energy and utilities board last week that the utility suspects it loses several million dollars a year to electricity consumed by customers that is not properly recorded by their old meters. It was a central issue in Furey's argument for smart meters amid broader debates over industrial subsidies and debt. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
The analog units, some more than 50 years old and installed back when the late Louis Robichaud and Richard Hatfield were premiers in the 1960's and 1970's - are suspected of doling out millions of kilowatt hours of free power to customers by failing to register all of the current that moves through them.   

"Over time, analog meters slow down and they register lower consumption of electricity than is actually occurring," said NB Power lawyer John Furey last week about the widespread freeloading of power in New Brunswick caused by the old meters.

3 per cent missed
A 2010 report by the independent non-profit Electric Power Research Institute in Palo Alto, California and entered into evidence during NB Power's smart meter hearing said old spinning disc meters generally degrade over time and after 20 years typically fail to register nearly 3 per cent of the power that flows through them.

The average age of analog meters in New Brunswick is much older than that - 31 years - and more than 11,000 of the units are over the age of 40.

"Worn gears, corrosion, moisture, dust, and insects can all cause drag and result in an electromagnetic meter that does not capture the full consumption of the premises," said the report.

The sudden correction to full accounting and billing could naturally surprise these homeowners and even trigger consumer backlash in some cases

- Electric Power Research Institute report
About 94,000 NB residential customers and 3,900 commercial customers have an old meter, according to NB Power records. The group would receive about 40 million kilowatt hours of electricity for free this year  ($5.1 million worth including HST)  if the average unit failed to register 2 percent of the electricity flowing through it, while elsewhere some customers are receiving lump-sum credits on electricity bills.  

That is about $41 in free power for the average residential customer and $322 for the average business.

But, according to the research, there would also be hundreds of customers with meters that have slowed considerably more than the average with 0.3 percent - or close to 300 in NB Power's case -  not counting between 10 and 20 percent of the electricity customers are using. 

NB Power senior Vice President Lori Clark told the EUB stopping the freeloading of power in New Brunswick caused by older meters is in everyone's interest. (Roger Cosman/CBC)
That's potentially $400 in free electricity in a year for a residential customer with average consumption.

"While the average meter might be only slightly slow a few could be significantly so," said the report.

"The sudden correction to full accounting and billing could naturally surprise these homeowners and result in questioning of a new meter, as seen in a shocking $666 bill reported by a Nova Scotia senior." 

The report made the point analog meters can also run fast but called that "less common" meaning that if the EUB approves smart meters, tens of thousands of customers who lose an old meter to a new accurate model will experience higher bills.

'Leakage' reduction
NB Power acknowledges it does not know precisely how much power its older meters give away but said whether it is a little or a lot, ending the freebies is to everyone's benefit. 

"It reduces our inefficiencies, reduces our leakage that we have in the system, so that we are  picking up those unbilled kilowatt hours," said NB Power senior vice president Lori Clark about ending the free power many customers unknowingly enjoy.

Smart meter critics change tone on NB Power's new business case
NB Power's smart meter plan gets major boost with critical endorsements
"Customers benefit from reduced inefficiencies in our system. They benefit from reduced leakage in our system and the fact that those kilowatt hours are being properly billed to the customers that have consumed the kilowatt hours."   

NB Power hopes to win approval of its plan to acquire smart meters by this spring to allow installation beginning in mid 2021, even as some utilities elsewhere have backed away from smart home network projects.

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Toronto Hydro Scam Warning urges customers to spot phishing emails, fraudulent texts, fake bills, and door-to-door threats demanding bitcoin or prepaid cards, with disconnection threats; report scams to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Key Points

Advisory on phishing, fake bills, and payment scams posing as Toronto Hydro, with steps to avoid fraud and report.

✅ Hang up suspicious calls; never pay via bitcoin or prepaid cards.

✅ Do not click links in emails or texts; compare bills and account numbers.

✅ Report fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 1-888-495-8501.

Toronto Hydro has sent out a notice that criminals posing as Toronto Hydro are sending out fraudulent texts, letters and emails, similar to a recent BC Hydro scam reported in British Columbia.

The warning comes in a tweet, along with suggestions on how to protect yourself from fraud, especially as policy debates like an NDP public hydro plan can generate confusing messages.

According to Toronto Hydro, fraudsters are contacting people by phone, text, email, fake electricity bills, and even travelling door-to-door.

They threaten to disconnect the power unless an immediate payment is made, even though legitimate utilities must follow proper disconnection notices processes. The website states that in some cases, criminals request payment via pre-paid credit card or bitcoin.

It’s written on the website that Toronto Hydro does not accept these methods of payment, and they do not threaten to immediately disconnect power, a reminder that stories about power theft abroad are not a model for local billing.

If you suspect you are being targeted, you should immediately hang up any suspicious phone calls. Don’t click on any links in emails or texts asking you to accept electronic transfers, as scammers may impersonate well-known utilities during high-profile news such as Hydro One profit changes to appear credible.

Avoid sharing any personal information over the phone or in-person, and do not make any payments related to Smart Meter Deposits, as this fee does not exist and rate-setting is overseen by the Ontario Energy Board in Ontario.

And remember to always compare bills to previous ones, including the amount and account number, since major accounting decisions like a BC Hydro deferral report can fuel confusing narratives.

To report fraudulent activity, please contact:
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501; quote file number 844396

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Calgary Winter Energy Usage Surge highlights soaring electricity demand, added megawatt-hours, and grid reliability challenges driven by extreme cold, heating loads, and climate change, with summer air conditioning also shifting seasonal peaks.

Key Points

A spike in Calgary's power use from extreme cold, adding 22k MWh and testing reliability as heating demand rises.

✅ +22,000 MWh vs Feb 2018 amid fourth-coldest February

✅ Heating loads spike; summer A/C now drives peak demand

✅ Grid reliability monitored; more solar and green resources ahead

February was so cold in Calgary that the city used enough extra energy to power 3,400 homes for a whole year, echoing record-breaking demand in B.C. in 2021 during severe cold.

Enmax Power Corporation, the primary electricity utility in the city, says the city 's energy consumption was up 22,000 megawatt hours last month compared with Februray 2018.

"We've seen through this cold period our system has held up very well. It's been very reliable," Enmax vice-president Andre van Dijk told the Calgary Eyeopener on Friday. "You know, in the absence of a windstorm combined with cold temperatures and that sort of thing, the system has actually held up pretty well."

The past month was the fourth coldest in Calgary's history, and similar conditions have pushed all-time high demand in B.C. in recent years across the West. The average temperature for last month was –18.1 C. The long-term average for February is –5.4 C.

Watching use, predicting issues

The electricity company monitors demand and load on a daily basis, always trying to predict issues before they happen, van Dijk said, and utilities have introduced winter payment plans to help customers manage bills during prolonged cold.

One of the issues they're watching is climate change, and how extreme temperatures and weather affect both the grid's reliability, as seen when Quebec shattered consumption records during cold snaps, and the public's energy use.

The colder it gets, the higher you turn up the heat. The hotter it is, the more you use air conditioning.

He also noted that using fuels then contributes to climate change, creating a cycle.

​"We are seeing variations in temperature and we've seen large weather events across the continent, across the world, in fact, that impact electrical systems, whether that's flooding, as we've experienced here, or high winds, tornadoes," van Dijk said.

"Climate change and changing weather patterns have definitely had had an impact on us as an electrical industry."

In 2012, he said, Calgary switched from using the most power during winter to using the most during summer, in large part due to air conditioning, he said.

"Temperature is a strong influencer of energy consumption and of our demand," van Dijk said.

Christmas tree lights have also become primarily LED, van Dijk said, which cuts down on a big energy draw in the winter.

He said he expects more solar and other green resources will be added into the electrical system in the future to mitigate how much the increasingly levels of energy use impact climate change, and to help moderate electricity costs in Alberta over time.

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Second-Largest UK Grid Operator advancing electricity networks modernization, smart grid deployment, renewable integration, and resilient distribution, leveraging acquisitions, data analytics, and infrastructure upgrades to boost reliability, efficiency, and service quality across regions and energy sector.

Key Points

A growing electricity networks operator advancing smart grids, renewable integration, and reliability.

✅ Expanded via acquisitions and regional growth

✅ Investing in smart grid, data analytics, automation

✅ Enhancing reliability, resilience, renewable integration

In a significant shift within the UK’s energy sector, a major company has recently ascended to become the second-largest electricity networks operator in the country. This milestone marks a pivotal moment in the industry, reflecting ongoing changes and competitive dynamics in the energy landscape, such as the shift toward an independent system operator in Great Britain. The company's ascent underscores its growing influence and its role in shaping the future of energy distribution across the UK.

The company, whose identity is a result of strategic acquisitions and operational expansions, now holds a substantial position within the electricity networks sector. This new ranking is the result of a series of investments and strategic moves aimed at strengthening its network capabilities and, amid efforts to fast-track grid connections across the UK, expanding its geographical reach. By achieving this status, the company is set to play a crucial role in managing and maintaining the electricity infrastructure that serves millions of households and businesses across the UK.

The rise to the second-largest position follows a period of significant growth and transformation for the company. Recent acquisitions have enabled it to enhance its network infrastructure, integrate advanced technologies, adopting a more digital grid approach, and improve service delivery. These developments come at a time when the UK is undergoing a significant transition in its energy sector, driven by the need for modernization, sustainability, and resilience in response to evolving energy demands.

One of the key factors contributing to the company's new status is its focus on upgrading and expanding its electricity networks. Investments in modernizing infrastructure, such as the commissioning of a 2GW substation to boost capacity, incorporating smart grid technologies, and enhancing operational efficiencies have been central to its strategy. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and data analytics, the company is able to optimize network performance, reduce outages, and improve overall reliability.

The company’s expansion into new regions has also played a crucial role in its growth. By extending its network coverage, including assets like the London electricity tunnel that enhance supply routes, the company has been able to provide electricity to a larger customer base, increasing its market share and influence in the sector. This expansion not only enhances its position as a major player in the industry but also supports the broader goal of ensuring reliable and efficient electricity distribution across the UK.

The shift to becoming the second-largest operator also reflects broader trends in the UK energy sector. The industry is experiencing a period of consolidation and transformation, driven by regulatory changes, technological advancements, and the push towards decarbonization, with similar momentum seen in British Columbia's clean energy shift that underscores global trends. The company’s ascent is indicative of these broader dynamics, as firms adapt to new challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving market.

In addition to operational and strategic advancements, the company’s rise is aligned with the UK’s broader energy goals. The government has set ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. As a major electricity networks operator, the company is positioned to support these goals by integrating renewable energy into the grid, including projects like the Scotland-to-England subsea link that carry remote generation, enhancing energy efficiency, and contributing to the transition towards a low-carbon energy system.

The company’s new status also brings with it a range of responsibilities and opportunities. As one of the largest operators in the sector, it will have a significant role in shaping the future of electricity distribution in the UK. This includes addressing challenges such as grid reliability, energy security, and the integration of emerging technologies. The company’s ability to manage these responsibilities effectively will be crucial in ensuring that it continues to deliver value to customers and stakeholders.

The transition to becoming the second-largest operator is not without its challenges. The company will need to navigate a complex regulatory environment, manage stakeholder expectations, and address any operational issues that may arise from its expanded network. Additionally, the competitive nature of the energy sector means that the company will need to continuously innovate and adapt to maintain its position and drive further growth.

In summary, the company’s achievement of becoming the second-largest electricity networks operator in the UK represents a significant milestone in the energy sector. Through strategic acquisitions, infrastructure investments, and operational enhancements, the company has strengthened its position and expanded its reach. This development highlights the evolving landscape of the UK energy sector and underscores the importance of modernization and innovation in meeting the country’s energy needs. As the company moves forward, it will play a key role in shaping the future of electricity distribution and supporting the UK’s energy transition goals.

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Germany's Joint Onshore Wind and Solar Tender invites 200 MW bids in an EEG auction, with PV and onshore wind competing on price per MWh, including grid integration costs and network fees under BNA rules.

Key Points

A BNA-run 200 MW EEG auction where PV and onshore wind compete on price per MWh, including grid integration costs.

✅ 200 MW cap; minimum project size 750 kW

✅ Max subsidy 87.50 per MWh; bids include network costs

✅ Solar capped at 10-20 MW; wind requires prior approval

Germany's Federal Network Agency (BNA) has launched its second joint onshore wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) tender, with a total capacity of 200 MW.

A maximum guaranteed subsidy payment has been set at 87.50 per MWh for both energy sources, which BNA says will have to compete against each other for the lowest price of electricity. According to auction rules, all projects must have a minimum of 750 kW.

The auction is due to be completed on 2 November.

The network regulator has capped solar projects at 10 MW, though this has been extended to 20 MW in some districts, amid calls to remove barriers to PV at the federal level. Onshore wind projects did not receive any such restrictions, though they require approval from Federal Immission Control three weeks prior to the bid date of 11 Octobe

Bids also require network and system integration costs to be included, and similar solicitations have been heavily subscribed, as an over-subscribed Duke Energy solar solicitation in the US market illustrates.

According to Germanys Renewable Energy Act (EEG), two joint onshore wind and solar auctions must take place each year between 2018 and 2021. After this, the government will review the scheme and decide whether to continue it beyond 2021.

The first tender, conducted in April, saw the entire 200 MW capacity given to solar PV projects, reflecting a broader solar power boost in Germany during the energy crisis. Of the 32 contracts awarded, value varied from 39.60 per MWh to 57.60 per MWh. Among the winning bids were five projects in agricultural and grassland sites in Bavaria, totalling 31 MW, and three in Baden-Wrttemberg at 17 MW.

According to the Agency, the joint tender scheme was initiated in an attempt to determine the financial support requirements for wind and solar in technology-specific auctions, however, solar powers sole win in the April auction meant it was met with criticism, even as clean energy accounts for 50% of Germany's electricity today.

The heads of the Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) and German Wind Energy Association (BWE) saying the joint tender scheme is unsuitable for the build-out of the two technologies.

A BWE spokesman previously stressed the companys rejection of competition between wind and solar, saying: It is not clear how this could contribute to an economically meaningful balanced energy mix,

Technologies that are in various stages of development must not enter into direct competition with each other. Otherwise, innovation and development potential will be compromised.

Similarly, BSW-Solar president Carsten Krnig said: We are happy for the many solar winners, but consider the experiment a failure. The auction results prove the excellent price-performance ratio of new solar power plants, as solar-plus-storage is cheaper than conventional power in Germany, but not the suitability of joint tenders.

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