Entergy Arkansas to start installing advanced meters in 2019

Entergy Arkansas, a utility of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., will install advanced meters in homes and businesses between 2019 and 2021 as part of its advanced metering project. Over the past two years, the electric utility has worked to design and build the communications network and IT systems for the multi-year project.

Advanced metering is digital technology that allows for secure two-way communications between customers and Energy Arkansas. Each meter has a network radio, and it transmits meter readings to the electric network access point on a utility pole near the meter. The data is transmitted to the utility through a secure cellular network, and customers will be able to view daily energy use after an advanced meter is installed.

The project will allow the utility to identify outages more accurately, improve electricity restoration times, increase the speed at which billing and service-related questions are answered and could provide for energy saving tools for customers.

“Our goal is to deliver safe, reliable and affordable electricity to our customers,” said Laura Landreaux, Entergy Arkansas president and CEO. “As part of this commitment, we are upgrading our systems with new technology that will allow us to offer additional benefits to our customers.”

Following are some benefits of advanced meters:

• Allow customers to use new online tools to better understand and manage energy usage more effectively.
• Customers can review electricity usage for the previous day over 15-minute increments.
• Entergy Arkansas will have a better real-time picture of the power grid and how it’s operating.

Energy Arkansas provides electricity to about 700,000 customers in 63 counties.