By STEVE ODEN
Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative Staff

Need a New Year’s resolution? Buckeye Rural Electric Cooperative urges its members to resolve to do an important thing in 2007 to help ensure wise and economical use of power.

“Record a meter reading this week, and make a note to update the reading in June,” says BREC Consumer Services Manager Russ Elliott.

BREC utilizes a “smart” meter, called a Turtle™, which reports electric use via power line carrier signal. This means consumers don’t have to read their own meters every month, and the bill they receive is for power most recently used.

However, all electronic devices are subject to failure, due to damage, age, or environmental conditions. Also, members might experience an electrical problem on their side of the meter which could cause bill fluctuations and result in wasted energy. Knowing your own energy habits and being able to compare monthly use is simply being a smart consumer.

BREC monitors for meters that are not reporting regular readings. Usually, this is a data transmission glitch affecting the Turtle™ module, which sends the power line carrier signal.

It is important to note that equipment failure affecting the transmitter does not keep the mechanical counter from functioning properly. As power use continues, the counter logs unbilled kilowatt hours. When the problem is detected and corrected, the account is adjusted to reflect the “banked” energy use.

The co-op’s policy is that when these situations are discovered, the meter counter is proved and the amount of unbilled kWh is due and payable.

“If the electricity is used, it should be paid for,” says Elliott. “We will allow the account holder to make installment payments on the unbilled total, but it is not ‘free power’ since it was converted to some type of use: lights, heating, refrigeration.”

Co-op members can help by being mindful of sudden swings in electric bill amounts.

“If your bill drops by a third, half, or more during a period of the year when it should be rising – winter or summer – the reason might be a meter that is not reporting. Also, getting a minimum bill when the month before you got an average bill should make you suspicious, especially if your habits of electric use have not changed,” Elliott points out.

He says it is helpful for members to self-read their electric meters at least twice a year.

“Just write down the reading from the numbers on the face of the meter, then put the note somewhere you can get it to compare with the next bill,” he advises.

Wintertime consumption of electricity on the BREC system varies, according to the type of residence, total heated square footage, heating system, and structural integrity (how “tight” and well insulated the home might be). Typically, January electric use will be the year’s highest. By recording a reading this month, there is a point of comparison in case a meter transmitter malfunctions.

“You might help us catch it so the bill can be corrected as soon as possible,” says Elliott.

Record another meter reading in June, just ahead of the summer air conditioning season. This will be a point of kWh reference for the remainder of the year.

Turtle™ meters have a low failure rate, and the integrated reporting system enables problems – such as meter tampering and electric theft -- to be detected quickly. Elliott recommends that BREC members record two meter readings every year for their own peace of mind and to help the co-op detect transmitter malfunctions.