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What is an advanced meter?

Entergy New Orleans is rolling out a new digital, advanced metering and communications system. The new meters are “advanced” because they record usage in 15-minute increments and can communicate with us on a two way-basis via a new secure wireless communication network.

The majority of utilities across the United States have installed advanced meters. Advanced meters will provide a number of future benefits, including new online tools to help you better manage your energy usage and potentially save money on your energy bills, improved customer service due to better usage information, quicker and more accurate detection of outages, reduced costs due to the elimination of on-site meter reading, faster detection of electricity theft, and faster connection and disconnection of service.

What are the benefits of Advanced Meters?

Advanced Meters offer:

  • Faster identification: Quicker repairs now that we can identify outages more accurately.
  • Greater efficiency: Conserve more energy by accessing your detailed energy usage.
  • Smarter tools: New tools to help manage your energy usage, which could lead to lower bills.
  • Better communication: Improved customer service with faster answers to billing and account questions.

Why am I receiving an advanced meter?

Entergy New Orleans is committed to continuous improvement of its systems and services, and the introduction of advanced meters is the first step toward modernizing and building a smarter energy future for you, our customer. We have studied the costs and benefits of advanced metering. We believe this system will reduce some of our current meter reading and operational costs, benefits that will be delivered to offset some of the costs of this investment. This system will allow us to provide you with new optional products and services that will further enable you to potentially reduce your monthly bill and manage energy usage more efficiently.

What if I’m a gas customer?

For Entergy New Orleans gas customers, we will be adding a smart module to the existing meter to help enable two-way connectivity. Older gas meters incompatible with the smart modules have begun to be replaced with more modern and compatible meters. The functionality will be similar to the advanced electric meter, with gas usage displayed in one-hour intervals and updated several times daily.

What will happen to my old SmartView pilot program information and meter?

The SmartView pilot program in New Orleans ended in 2012, and associated information and tools are not currently being maintained. Installation of advanced meters began in February 2019 with expected completion in New Orleans by the end of 2020. All customers will be notified prior to receiving their meter via multiple communications methods and will receive reminder notifications as well. Once your meter is installed, we’ll let you know when to access your new online energy management tools accessible via your online Entergy account. Depending upon where you are in the order of installations in your area, accessing the online usage information may range from a few weeks to months.

Is there a cost for the meter?

There is a low cost to recover what we incur in preparation for upgrading to the advanced metering infrastructure, including the communication system. The savings in our operational costs will be used to offset some of the new system costs. Over time, we believe the potential benefits will far outweigh the overall costs of meter deployment. We will be providing you with new optional programs and services that help put more control in your hands to better manage and reduce your monthly electric usage.

Do I have to get a new advanced meter?

The choice is 100% up to you if you are a residential customer. If for some reason you do not want an advanced meter, you have the opportunity to “opt-out.” Customers who choose to opt-out will incur a one-time fee that depends on when we receive your request to opt out. As approved by the New Orleans City Council, if you choose to opt out before we install your advanced meter, you will incur a one-time fee of $131.94. If you choose to opt-out after the advanced meter has already been installed, you will incur a onetime fee of $146.96. One-time fees cover administrative costs, a meter inspection and test, and related costs. There is a City Council-approved additional fee of $12.42 per month, which is intended to cover the costs of reading the meter manually each month. Because non-advanced meters do not capture and transmit usage information, customers that opt-out will not have access to their detailed energy usage data or be able to participate in some future opportunities that might be helpful in further managing their electric bill (for example, prepay service).

Residential customers with a service over 200A are not eligible to opt out. Per Louisiana/New Orleans regulatory requirements.

Customer satisfaction is our utmost priority. We believe that advanced meters will offer tremendous benefits to our customers; however, should you have further questions, we are happy to answer them. Please call us at 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749).

What can I expect from the new online portal?

If you’ve had your advanced meter installed, log into your online Entergy account to better manage your energy usage. Once there, you will find: a new dashboard that provides easy access to view energy usage, bills, saving tips and more; near real-time energy views that will be updated to your online account several times over the course of the day, with displayed usage in 15-minute increments for residential electric customers and 5-minute increments for commercial electric customers; personalized efficiency tips with a list of energy efficiency suggestions tailored to your specific needs and interests. With this tool, you can find out how much money each suggestion can save over time; and a personalized saving plan where you can optimize energy usage depending on your unique energy goals.

How will I be affected by the meter exchange if I am registered with Entergy's Life Support Identify Program?

The upgrade to your advanced meter is the same as when we exchange any meters. If you are registered with Entergy’s Life Support Identity Program, then the installer will not exchange your meter without first speaking with you. If you are currently not registered with this program please call 1-800-ENTERGY.

How safe are these meters?

The majority of homes and businesses in the United States currently have advanced meters. They operate by using radio frequency similar to many common devices such as mobile phones and appliances around the home, but at a significantly lower level. Many electronic devices, including televisions, microwaves and baby monitors, use radio frequency technology.

This technology has been deemed safe by the Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization.

Is my personal information secure?

Your advanced meter will only allow access to usage data and will not provide access to any information in the home or on customer devices. Data security has been and always will be of utmost importance to Entergy. We will continue to provide the highest level of protection to customer privacy and data. Please learn more about the company’s privacy policy here.

Are advanced meters more accurate?

All meters are rigorously tested to ensure that there is a smooth and accurate transition. This upgrade to advanced meters brings new equipment that offers accurate readings of energy use and helps improve outage detection to restore power faster.

Will a meter reader still need to come to my home or business?

Once your advanced meter is initially installed, Entergy will continue to manually read energy usage for a period of time, while also conducting automated readings collected from the new advanced meter. This period of time allows us to ensure the communications network and meters in your area are fully installed and working properly together. We’ll be monitoring these energy usage readings as an additional step, but this is temporary. In the long-term, there will be little need for a meter reader to come to your home. Instead, this will be an automated process where we will bill according to your reported energy usage. You may receive a visit on occasion from a field employee to test or maintain equipment.

Will advanced meters be used to remotely turn off service?

Advanced meters will enable Entergy to remotely turn service on and off at customers’ premises, making moving in and out of homes easier and more convenient. This function also can be used to handle accounts with unresolved payment issues, following the consumer protection regulations that are currently in place for residential service.

Will Entergy have more control over how and when customers use their energy?

No. Advanced meters function much like current meters. They read energy use, but cannot do anything to interfere with how you use energy in your home. Advanced meters are designed to provide you with more timely usage information so that you can make necessary adjustments to reduce consumption.

What if I have rooftop solar panels or a generator at my home?

Entergy will be replacing all existing meters including digital, bi-directional net meters for customers with rooftop solar systems. You do not have to do anything differently to prepare for your meter upgrade if you are a net metering customer or if you have a generator installed.

Advanced meters will have additional functionality than current meters used for customers with solar panels. For example, advanced meters are equipped with two-way communications and do not require manual reading as do existing meters used by solar customers. In addition, customers will be provided detailed usage data to better monitor their energy consumption.

There are no changes with advanced meters that will affect billing for net metering, or otherwise impact the operation of a customer’s solar system. Once your meter is installed, you’ll soon have access to detailed usage data and new tools that will create additional opportunities for you to save on your bills.

How will advanced metering help during a major storm?

By communicating with advanced meters remotely, Entergy can determine if power is on or off without sending trucks to the field. This level of precision lets us respond to outages more effectively than ever before. During a storm, data sourced from advanced meters will help us visualize, analyze and efficiently manage repairs, reducing outage times while quickly and accurately verifying service restoration.

How do I read my advanced meter?

Click here for detailed instructions.

Where can I find more information?

The majority of utilities across the United States have installed advanced meters.

For more information, click through industry resources below: