FPB has begun the initial deployment of an Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) System. This AMI system will provide FPB with the capability to communicate remotely with both electric and water meters.
What is AMI, and why is it right for FPB customers?
Traditional meter reading requires FPB to manually drive by or walk up to our 21,000 electric and 16,000 water meters at least once a month, year after year. With an AMI system, energy and water usage information will be wirelessly transmitted to FPB, virtually eliminating the costs associated with manual reading process. An AMI system will also improve FPB’s ability to detect and respond to outages and identify water system leaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will my meter be changed?
FPB began full scale AMI deployment in the spring of 2021 and reach completion in the spring of 2024. Customers will be notified prior to their meter change-out.
How much will AMI cost?
The total AMI lifecycle cost is estimated to be around $12.2 million dollars. With an estimated lifecycle benefit of over $36 million dollars, the AMI system is expected to pay for itself in just under five years. The savings generated from AMI will help maintain low electric and water rates for years to come.
Is AMI a new or unproven technology?
No. Utilities have been communicating remotely with meters since as early as the 1970’s, and the systems have been improving ever since. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, over 78 million AMI meters have already been installed in the US alone.
Are AMI meters Safe?
Advanced meters send short encrypted messages to FPB throughout the day. These messages are similar to the RF waves produced by cell phones or wifi routers. Because AMI meters are typically outside the home, your exposure to these RF transmissions is often much lower than your exposure to other common RF sources.
A few facts in regards to meter RF
RF exposure from a particular device varies, depending on the power of the radio in the device, by distance from the device and by attenuation from intervening objects
The RF exposure from a meter for example drops by a factor of 100 when you move from a distance of 1 foot to 10 feet away
Smart meters are typically located on the outside wall of a residence; the RF exposure is inside a dwelling is typically a factor of 10 less than that immediately in front of the meter
Smart meters and automation end points typically transmit radio signals for a very small amount of time during a day
Data from a large smart meter deployment using Sensus technology indicates that the typical meter transmits less than one second per day and that 99.999% of smart meters transmit for less than one minute per day