Electric Meters

Does Columbia have Smart Meters? No.

The biggest difference between a traditional meter and a smart meter is two-way communication. Smart meters can gather electric usage amounts in intervals of an hour or less. The meters can also be used to detect power outages. Utilities can communicate with the meter to turn it on or off rather than manually doing so at the location. These types of meters are called an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI).

At this time, Columbia Water & Light electric meters are not smart meters. They do not have the ability for two-way data communication and they do not record data on an automatic interval. They cannot even report a customer’s loss of power. Columbia did install a residential automatic meter reading (AMR) system starting in 1996. These meters are still being used today. Once a month, a reading from the meter is taken from the street via a radio signal through a hand-held device.

According to Chapter 27-95 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, Columbia Water & Light supplies and installs customer meters. The City of Columbia’s current term and supply contract is for meters that have automatic meter reading capabilities.

Requesting a mechanical meter

A residential customer can request to have a mechanical analog meter installed but they are costly to read and maintain. Because mechanical meters are no longer domestically manufactured, there is a $75 fee to cover the costs of purchasing and refurbishing an old analog meter. A monthly fee of $5 will be charged to manually read the meter. A customer can switch back to a standard meter at any time and the $5 monthly charge will be discontinued. To request a non-standard mechanical meter, contact the City of Columbia billing office by calling 573.874.7380opens phone dialer or drop by their office at 701 E. Broadway. You will need to sign an agreement for this service.

Access to utility data

Columbia Water & Light does not know what customers are doing with the electricity supplied; only the amount used. Employees transfer usage data once a month directly from the handheld reader device through the City of Columbia’s secured computer network to the billing system. Columbia Water & Light does not sell utility usage data. According to the Missouri Sunshine laws, usage data could be requested and a fee assessed in order to facilitate the request. In order for this situation to change, the State of Missouri would have to change the Sunshine Laws to exempt utility data.

RF signals from meters

Electromagnetic fields, radio waves, microwaves and wireless signals are collectively referred to as radio frequency (RF) energy. The transmission frequencies of Columbia’s meters are from 910 to 920 megahertz. This is the same frequency as many cordless phones, remote controls and garage door openers. The FCC allows for up to one watt to transmit the signal. The City’s current meters use 22.65 milliwatts to transmit meter readings to the hand held collection devices. RF signals weaken significantly as the distance between you and the device increases. According to the SmartGrid Consumer Collaborative, a person would have to be exposed to a meter for 375 years to get a dose equivalent to that of one year of 15 minutes-per-day cell phone use.

Electromagnetic fields

Both mechanical and the Automatic Meter Reading meters produce electromagnetic fields (EMF). There are no conclusive studies linking EMF to health problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Despite more than two decades of research to determine whether elevated EMF exposure, principally to magnetic fields, is related to an increased risk of childhood leukemia, there is still no definitive answer. The general scientific consensus is that, thus far, the evidence available is weak and is not sufficient to establish a definitive cause-effect relationship.”

Safety certifications

Columbia Water & Light takes the safety of our employees, customers, friends and families very seriously. Columbia’s meters meet all the utility safety standards including the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).The meters in use are not rated by Underwriters Laboratories because they rate consumer grade equipment.