Approximately 400 smart meters will be replaced in the Davidson area in the next six to nine months in an effort by SaskPower to ensure the safety of their customers.
The decision comes on the heels of nine smart meters being linked to fires across the province and will be part of the around 105,000 smart meters that will be replaced with the old-style meters that SaskPower has been using for the past 10 years.
Robert Watson, president and CEO of SaskPower, said no smart meters have failed in the Davidson area and there is actually only one smart meter installed in Davidson itself. He said the majority of the 400 meters in the area are installed in Chamberlain and Craik.
“We’re starting with those customers who’ve requested a meter removal first, followed by the areas that have experienced meter failures to date,” said Watson, about when the smart meters will be removed. “We estimate that the entire process will take (six to nine months), although we’re looking at ways to speed up the meter removals so that the timeline is closer to (six) months. Certainly we want to do as much as we can while we have good weather. We are able to exchange more meters in the summer months than winter months. However, we will not sacrifice safety for the sake of speed.”
Watson said the crown corporation is currently investigating the cause of the meter failures with two independent labs along with Sensus, the manufacturer of the smart meters, to determine the root cause. He said the investigative process may take several months to complete, as there are a number of contributing factors that have to be considered.
He said the cost to replace the existing smart meters is $15 million, while the total cost-to-date of installing and deploying the smart meter program is an estimated $32 million, which is in addition to the costs of replacing the meters and brings the total price tag to $47 million. In an Aug. 5 statement posted on the SaskPower website, it is stated the cost to replace the smart meters will not impact rates and the crown corporation would work within their budget to correct the issue.
Watson said customers with smart meters will receive a letter approximately two weeks before they replace the meter. He said SaskPower employees would also notify all customers in person on the day of the installation and send a letter to their mailbox once the meter is replaced.
“Customers are invited to contact SaskPower at any time with their concerns by calling 1-855-877-0975,” said Watson. “We have committed to being as responsive to customers as possible.”