City of Saskatoon invites smart questions on smart meters

City officials are inviting questions this week about so-called smart meters as Saskatoon Light & Power continues deploying the new technology to its 60,000 customers.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure is able to collect electricity and water usage in real-time, and then transit that data wirelessly to a central computer system.

The project could cost 25 million dollars, and does not yet have full approval from city council. Saskatoon Light & Power however has been replacing old meters with the new smart meters since 2008. About a third of the new electronic meters have already been installed.

The system should save the utility money, because meter reading can be done remotely. On its webpage the City of Saskatoon states that meter reading positions will be phased out over the next 10 years through attrition, retraining and redeployment.

The city is gathering feedback with open house meetings this week.

• February 11, 2014 6:00 p.m. CST to 9:00 p.m. CST at the Cliff Wright Branch Auditorium in theLakewood Civic Centre at 1635 McKercherDrive.
• February 12, 2014 6:00 p.m. CST to 9:00 p.m. CST in the cafeteria at Mount Royal Collegiate at 2220 Rusholme Road.

People unable to attend can also offer their thoughts online.

Provincial crown corporationsSaskEnergyand SaskPower are alsoworking to replace old meters with new electronic smart meters.