The City of Concord is aware of questions asked in the community about its Smart Community metering infrastructure upgrade project, and wants to update all customers on the deployment progress. The City of Concord always encourages citizens to reach out directly by contacting our Customer Care Center at 704-920-5555 or custcare@ concordnc.gov so we can address concerns in a timely and accurate fashion. Since launching the program this summer, over 8,000 electric meters and 4,000 water meters have been installed to bring multiple benefits to customers, including:
Smart Community program update
•F aster restoration after electric outages • I mproved customer service •R emote electric meter activation •E nhanced water leak detection • T he ability to reconcile energy and water use concerns more quickly •E nvironmental benefits due to reduced emissions from City vehicles •C oming sometime in 2017, an online portal with utility management tools for all customers The upgraded metering technology works by installing a communications network. This, like any technology deployment, requires installing equipment and then checking and adjusting the system to optimize performance. During the deployment of this project, customers may see City staff members manually reading meters from time to time to make sure accurate data are collected, and bills are processed and mailed according to schedule. This is because the meter installation happens in a time window where the City does not need to read the meter for billing, but performance adjustments may continue until and through the end of the billing cycle.
To offer perspective on our progress and success, of the over 8,000 electric meter upgrades currently installed, communications are active on 99.75 percent of these meters. The City will continuously monitor the communications network as deployment continues, and combined with the redundancies possible with a larger network at full deployment (nearly 30,000 electric meters and 40,000 water meters), we expect 100 percent optimization by the end of 2017. The City of Concord has planned for this investment in technology through capital reserves, and the cost of this upgrade and deployment is not being passed on to customers. City utility customers have not and will not see a rate increase due to this technology and associated benefits. Finally, the City of Concord is installing all components of the communications network on publicly owned and maintained property.
“This project is built upon the concept of placing our customers first and providing the best possible service,” said Brian Hiatt, City Manager. “We appreciate our customers enthusiasm about this project and look forward to offering additional benefits through the online portal in the coming year.” The City of Concord will continue to offer customer support and outreach throughout the Smart Community electric and water infrastructure upgrade. For more information, visit concordnc. gov/SmartCommunity. concordnc.gov • WINTER 2017 • CONCORD CITY CIRCULAR • 7