10-06-2022 10:00am

NYSEG to host informational open houses in Brewster, Somers on smart meter deployment

Sarah Gayden Editor

New smart meters from NYSEG will be installed across local service areas beginning in early 2023. (Image courtesy of NYSEG)

As New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) begins to prepare for smart meter installations in the Hudson Valley region, the company announced it will host informational open houses this month for communities in Brewster and Somers. The open houses will provide residents, business owners, municipal officials and other interested parties details about the upcoming installation of smart meters, including its scope of work, timeline and customer impacts. Approximately 88,400 customers in NYSEG’s Brewster division, which includes portions of Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties, will have smart electric and natural gas meters installed over the next year.

Local residents and business owners are invited to stop by at any time during the open houses. Informational displays and NYSEG representatives will be available to share more details about the installation process, answer questions, and demonstrate how smart meters will affect them.

Smart meters are electric and/or natural gas meter modules with two-way wireless communications between the meter and NYSEG systems. The smart meter will securely transmit usage and meter status data to NYSEG automatically, which the company says enables monthly bills to be based on actual use, faster responses to power outages and better control over your energy bills.

Smart meter installations will begin in early 2023, and NYSEG expects to complete installations in the Brewster division next summer. Deployment schedules by service area may change. Customers will receive information about their installation approximately two weeks before installations begin in their neighborhood.

Customers who do not want a smart meter can choose to opt out, though NYSEG will charge a monthly meter reading fee of $13.47 for legacy meters.