AMR Progress Report

January 2010
If all goes as planned we will begin reading and billing people off the Chamberlain substation on February 1.  This letter will also include a bank draft form you may fill out and mail to us, with a voided check,. We will then take payment out of your checking or savings account (whichever you prefer) each month, saving you the hassle of  make out the check and mailing in your payment. You will still receive your bill, with the amount of electricity you used and the total due.

Once the Chamberlain substation is on AMR we will have only two substations left to connect to the automatic reading system: the Letcher substation which is scheduled for April 1 and the Farmer substation on June 1, 2010.
      
One thing that we want to reiterate is that while the AMR system is a great help when we have an outage, the system does not notify us that you have no power. We need you to continue to call and report an outage.  When we know where to begin looking we can ping meters in that area, see which ones are reading and which are not and in that way find how wide spread the outage is and get a better grasp on where to look for the cause.

October 2009
Central Electric is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. As of October 1, we begin automatically billing members on the Gann Valley substation, which leaves only four substations left to convert to the AMR system.

On September 25, Chapman Metering, the company we contracted with in 2007 to install the new AMR house meters, completed their part of the project and have moved on. 
      
We are right on track. When this project began we estimated our full system would be up and running in three and a half years. The Fedora substation is scheduled to go on line December 1; Chamberlain substation February 1; Letcher substation April, 1; and the last one, the Farmer substation will be converted to the AMR system June 1, of 2010.
      
We are excited about the completion of this project as we are ushering in a new era of technology making our system more efficient and convenient for the cooperative and especially for you our members.
      
As we have said throughout this journey, the dates above for when we plan to begin reading and billing the last four substations automatically are tentative. Please continue to read your meters and pay your bills as you always have until we notified you by letter that your substation is up and ready to be automatically read and billed by Central Electric.

September 2009
We began reading and billing the Wilbur substation, serving the White Lake area, on August 1. We are now working on the Gann Valley substation. Chapman Metering started installing the meters for the Gann Valley substation on August 5. In September we will be calling those of you on this substation whose submeters still need to be replaced with AMR meters. If you are waiting for your submeter to be replaced and have changed your phone number or dropped your home phone for a cell phone, please call us with the new number(s) so we can schedule a time to go out and install the new meters. 

At this time the Gann Valley substation is scheduled to go on line for automatic reading on October 1. However, please continue to read your meter until you receive a notice from Central Electric, through the mail as to when we will be reading and billing these meters.

Within the next two to three months Chapman Metering will complete installation of the meters in all the remaining substations.

As always these are tentative dates, you will be notified by letter when your service is up and ready to be automatically read and billed by Central Electric.
 
Contact us at 996-7516, 1-800-477-2892 or stop in the Mitchell or Plankinton offices, with any questions or concerns you may have.

July 2009
We began reading and billing the Sand Creek substation, serving the Woonsocket area, on June 1. We are now working on the Wilber substation, serving White Lake. Most of the meters have changed out. By the end of June we will be calling those of you on this substation whose submeters still need to be replaced with AMR meters. If you are waiting for your submeter to be replaced and have changed your phone number or dropped your home phone for a cell phone, please call us with the new number(s) so we can schedule a time to go out and install the new meters.

At this time the Wilbur substation is scheduled to go on line for automatic reading on August 1. However, please continue to read your meter until you receive a notice from Central Electric, through the mail as to when we will be reading and billing these meters.

Chapman Engineering will be back in the area in August to begin changing out meters for members on the Gann Valley substation.

Again here is the tentative schedule for the AMR system to be activated on the remaining Central Electric substations:
        October 1, 2009          Gann Valley substation
        December 1, 2009        Fedora substation
        February 1, 2010         Chamberlain substation
        April 1, 2010               Letcher substation
        June 1, 2010               Farmer substation
As always these are tentative dates, you will be notified by letter when your service is up and ready to be automatically read and billed by Central Electric.

June 2009
Most of the meters have been installed for people off the Pukwana and Emery substations. If your submeter hasn’t been changed yet Metering System Coordinator Doug Schley will be calling you to set up an appointment to have it changed out.

At present we are working on three phase meters and won’t be bringing any more substations on line for Automatic Meter Reading until this fall. So please continue to read your meters and pay your bills until you receive a letter notifying you that we will be billing you.

May 2009
As of this writing we have 11 of our 18 substations connected to the AMR system.  Most of the meters on the Sand Creek substation which feeds the Woonsocket area and the Wilbur substation, feeding the White Lake area have now been changed out and Chapman Engineering is in the process of going back and changing out any meters that may have been missed.

If you are on one of these substations and your main meter has been changed, but not your submeter, please call us at 1-800-477-2892 to schedule an appointment to have this done.

We hope to be reading the Sand Creek substation within two months and the Wilber substation in approximately four months. However, please continue to read you meter until you receive a letter from Central Electric telling you the date we will begin reading them for you.

Each meter on the AMR system will record the date and time if loses power. This is extremely helpful to us because when we receive a power outage or blinking lights call our operations manager Brian Bultje will sign into the system and look at a several meters around that location. By doing this he will then be able to pinpoint the area where the problem is for the linecrew, thereby saving time in restoring your power.

Also when you report a power problem on your service we can go into the system and look at your meter to see where the problem lies. If we cannot read the meter, we know the problem is on our side of your meter and we will send linemen out to fix it. If we are able to read your meter this tells us that the problem is on your side of the meter. At that point you will need to contact you electrician or you can speak with our sales/project manager Lincoln Feistner and he will contact one of Central Electric’s electricians. Depending on the urgency of your problem he will send them out to find and repair the problem or schedule an appointment to give you an estimate on the cost for the necessary repairs.

March 2009
Central Electric Cooperative began billing people on the Plano substation as of the first of February. Tim Neises, Howard Area Foreman and Al Spader, Journeyman Lineman, will be completing the installation of submeters on the Howard substation. If you are on this substation and have not had your submeter changed out, please call the Central Electric office so we can schedule an appointment to have this done.

One advantages of the AMR system came to light when in December many members were concerned about the high usage. As it was one of the coldest months we have experienced for some time we were able to go into the system and pull up a graph of usage, showing members on the AMR system the dates of their usage, explaining why their bills were higher than normal due to extremely cold weather. Two peak periods were around the 14th and 21st of December, these dates coincided with storms that came through our area.

By the time you receive this article Central Electric should be close to completing meter installation for those of you on the Hilltop substation (two-and-a-half miles north of Chamberlain). We will then be moving on to the Wilber substation (eight miles south of White Lake) and begin installing meters. Although you will have new meters it will be a while before we have the equipment installed and working at the Howard, Hill Top and Wilber substations. Therefore, please continue to read your meters and pay your bill as usual until you receive a letter from Central Electric notifying you that the AMR system is up and running in your area and we will begin billing you.

Once your new meters are installed, if you have questions or problems figuring the first bill give us a call at 996-7516 or 1-800-477-2892 and we will be more than happy to assist you.

February 2009
Central Electric Cooperative began billing people on the Plano substation as of the first of February. Tim Neises, Howard Area Foreman and Al Spader, Journeyman Lineman, will be completing the installation of submeters on the Howard substation. If you are on this substation and have not had your submeter changed out, please call the Central Electric office so we can schedule an appointment to have this done.

One advantages of the AMR system came to light when in December many members were concerned about the high usage. As it was one of the coldest months we have experienced for some time we were able to go into the system and pull up a graph of usage, showing members on the AMR system the dates of their usage, explaining why their bills were higher than normal due to extremely cold weather. Two peak periods were around the 14th and 21st of December, these dates coincided with storms that came through our area. 

Central Electric will be installing meters on the Hilltop substation (two-and-a-half miles north of Chamberlain) and then moving on to the Wilber substation (eight miles south of White Lake). Please continue to read your meters and pay your bill as usual until you receive a letter from Central Electric notifying you that the AMR system is up and running in your area and we will begin billing you.

January 2009
Chapman Engineering has finished installing all the meters for members on the Plano and Howard substations. If you are on one of these substations and you have been missed, please call Central Electric and make an appointment with Doug Schley our metering system coordinator to have your meter changed out.

We will be replacing old meters for the new AMR ones several months in advance of when we will have the system up and ready to meters automatically, so even though you receive your new meter, please continue to read it and send in your payments, until you receive a letter from Central Electric informing you when we well be ready to read you meters automatically.

Central Electric’s AMR project is moving along as planned and will reach completion sometime in early 2010.

Pukwana the last substation to go on line is working well, as of this writing all but eight meters are being read remotely.

December 2008
As of the last billing cycle ninety-seven percent of Central Electric’s AMR meters were reading, with the exception of the Pukwana substation where we are continuing to work on some meters. This is an impressive number because of the long feeder lines we have out of each substation covering a large geographic area. Our signal coming out of the substation is the same basic technology as an AM radio signal and as everyone knows the further you get away from an AM station, the harder it is to pick up that station. As with an AM radio station our AMR signal gets weaker as it moves further out on the lines away from the substation, therefore we install repeaters on the line to amplify the signal. A repeater is a box that collects the signal and sends out a brand new signal. We continually strive towards reaching our goal of 100 percent of the meters reading on each of our substations.

All of the main meters on the Plano substation have been installed and Central Electric Metering System Coordinator Doug Schley is in the process of testing equipment in the substation so that it will talk to those meters.  If you are on the Plano substation and your sub meter has not been changed out Schley will be calling you to schedule a time to have that done. If you are on the Plano substation please continue to read your meters until you receive a letter from Central Electric notifying you that we will begin reading and billing you.

Chapman Metering now has people changing meters on the Howard substation. If you are home when they change your main meter they will also change your submeter.

November 2008
The Pukwana substation was automatically read and billed in November. With the addition of this substation Central Electric now has eight of our 18 substations on line with the AMR system. We now have approximately 4,900 meters out of 9,000 changed out. This is a little over half of our system in regards to meters.

Those of you on the Plano, Howard, Hilltop, Wilbur and Gann Valley substations will be seeing Chapman Engineering trucks in your yards in November and December as their people change out main meters. When they change out your main meter, if you have a submeter they will knock on your door to request entrance to change out the submeter. If they get no response Central Electric will need to make arrangements to change out your submeters at a later time.

When Chapman Engineering changes out your meter they will place a sticker on the new meter telling you what the reading was when they removed the old meter. They will also leave a card on your door explaining how to figure your bill with your new meter.Some of you will also notice that you now have a multiplier of 20 or 40 etc. The submeters for electric heating which we use with the AMR system and some of our new main meters utilize a multiplier when billing your energy usage. The meters are installed with a device called a current transformer. The current transformer measures the electricity being used and sends a percentage of that electric current to the meter.

October 2008
If all goes as planned Central Electric will be ready to read and bill members on the Pukwana substation by November 1. 
 
If you are on the Pukwana substation and have not had your heat meter changed out, please call Doug Schley, our metering system coordinator to set up a time to have it changed out at 996-7516 or 1-800-477-2892. Schley has been unable to contact some members to schedule this change because the phone numbers we have on your account is not a working number.

Baring any problems our plan has always been to bring one of our 18 substations on line every other month. The five substations slated to convert to AMR following Pukwana are:  Plano, Howard, Hilltop, Wilbur and Gann Valley.

On occasion we have been slowed down because once the meters and the substation are installed we have difficulty getting some of the meters to talk to the equipment in the substation. Then we have to go in search of the problem. The best way to describe how the equipment works is to equate it to an AM radio station. When you are in close proximity of it you pick up the frequency loud and clear, however the farther way, the more faint the signal is. Therefore, when we find meters not picking up the signal from the substation we install relays in different parts of the substation to make that signal stronger.  We have also found obstacles in some areas.  At one substation there were several large trees blocking the signal, once these trees were trimmed or removed the signal was restored.

September 2008
Central Electric began reading and billing members on the Emery substation as of September 2.  We are in the process of installing equipment in the Pukwana substation so for those of you on the substation please continue to read your meters and send in your payments until we send you a letter telling you when we will be reading and billing you automatically.

August 2008
In June 2007 we took our first steps towards installing AMR meters with the installation of the system at the Mitchell substation. Now, a little over a year later, we have six out of 18 substations up and running and have main meters installed in two others.

We realize many of you on our other substations are eagerly anticipating the time when we notify you that we are preparing to install the AMR system in your area. Please be patient. Even though it may seem like a slow process we have always known it would take approximately three years to complete. We are a third of the way there; therefore we are right on schedule.

At this time Chapman Engineering and Central Electric Metering System Coordinator Doug Schley are continuing to install three phase meters in the five areas that are already on the AMR system.

Those of you off the Pukwana and Emery substations continue reading your meters and send in your payments. We will notify you when we are ready to begin sending out your bills. If your heat meter has not been changed out yet, Schley will be contacting you to schedule a time to have that done.

We have had several questions recently from those of you already on the AMR system regarding power outages. We at the office are able to go into the system and pull up a meter and “ping” it (ask it to read usage for us). However, at this time we still rely on you, our members, to call in and let us know if you have no power. Once you call we are able to go into the system, pull up your location and see if the meter reads or not.

July 2008
Six of our 18 substations have been converted to the AMR system for single phase meters and Central Electric Metering System Coordinator Doug Schley is in now installing three phase meters on these substations.

The meters are installed and working in the Emery and Pukwana areas.  However, we have not completed installation of the equipment in these substations.  The substation equipment relays readings from your meter to the office in Mitchell making it possible to automatically send your bill.  We will notify you by letter when we will begin reading these meters.  The time frame at present is early fall. 

There is an item we need to bring to everyone’s attention regarding submeters (air conditioning, electric heat and dual fuel meters) and the AMR system. Central Electric is unable to read these meters if the power to them is turned off. Some of these meters are fed by a separate breaker in your breaker box, while others might be fed by the same circuit as your electric heater or a water heater. If possible please keep the power on to your new submeter. If it is off, the digital screen on the meter will be blank and Central Electric will be unable to read that meter. If we are unable to read it we cannot bill you properly, giving you the lower rate for the use of this meter. Please contact us if you are unable to keep the breaker on to this meter and we will make arrangements to rewire it for you.

June 2008
Most of the meters have been installed for people off the Pukwana and Emery substations. If your submeter hasn’t been changed yet Metering System Coordinator Doug Schley will be calling you to set up an appointment to have it changed out.

At present we are working on three phase meters and won’t be bringing any more substations on line for Automatic Meter Reading until this fall. So please continue to read your meters and pay your bills until you receive a letter notifying you that we will be billing you.

May 2008
As of the first of May the Storla substation was automatically read and billed by Central Electric. By the end of the month we will have completed installation of meters at the Big Bend Substation.

This brings our current total of substations being read automatically to five. As we have reported before this is a giant undertaking for Central Electric and when this project was started we knew it would at least three years before all the meters are completely automated. At present it is taking approximately two months to complete a substation with meter changes, equipment installation and troubleshooting.  We at Central Electric are pleased with our progress and the benefits we and you our member/owners are already reaping. During the April 25 snow storm we were able to access information from the five AMR read substations and pinpoint where their outages were and when they were restored.

Chapman Metering LLC is now in the process of installing meters on the Pukwana and Emery substations.  They will change out submeters (heat meters) if the homeowner is present and they have access to them. If not Central Electric Metering Systems Coordinator Doug Schley, will call and schedule a time to install the new sub-meter.

April 2008
The Mitchell, Mount Vernon, Plankinton and Wessington Springs substations are now being read by Central Electric through the new AMR meters. Chapman Entering LLC has installed all the main meters and Central Electric has completed the installation of the sub-meters for the Storla substation. We are in the process now of installing the equipment in the Storla substation to automatically read these meters.

March 2008
As of the first of March we began automatically reading meters and billing members off the Wessington Springs substation. 

We are waiting on a shipment of AMR meters from Cannon and then Central Electric will schedule Chapman Engineering to return and begin installing AMR meters for the next substations.

The four substations in line for AMR installation are Big Bend, Storla, Pukwana and Emery respectively. Be sure to continue to read your Cooperative Connections each month as this is where we will keep you posted as to our progress in each substation, when we will begin billing that station and moving on to the next one.  Those of you on these substations continue to read your meters and pay your bill as usual until you receive notification from Central Electric that things are working correctly and we will be sending your bill monthly. 

February 2008
The Mitchell, Mount Vernon and Plankinton substations are now being read by Central Electric through the new AMR meters. Chapman Engineering has installed all the main meters and Central electric has completed the installation of the submeters for the Wessington Springs substation. We are in the process now of installing the equipment in the substation to automatically read these meters.

There is no set date at this time as to when we will be ready to read and bill the Wessington substation. Those of you on the Wessington Springs substation will be notified by letter when we will begin this process. Until then please continue to read your meters and submitted your payments as usual.

January 2008
The first bills for the people off the Plankinton substation were mailed the first week in January. Chapman Engineering has completed installing all the AMR meters for the Wessington Springs substation. We are in the process of changing out the submeters for the Wessington Springs substation. At this time there is no definite time table as to when the Wessington Springs Substation AMR system will be operational and billed. 
 
December 2007
If you are served by the Plankinton or Wessington Springs substations please continue to read your meters until you receive a letter telling you the Central Electric will be reading the meters automatically and mailing your bill. 

November 2007
The first bills for the members served by the Mount Vernon substation were sent out November 5. Chapman Metering has completed replacing all the main AMR meters for the Plankinton substation and Central Electric is in the process of replacing the submeters. Chapman Metering has started replacing the main AMR meters on the Wessington Springs substation.

October 2007
Most of the AMR meters have been installed at the Mount Vernon substation and we are waiting for the new underground feeder between the Mitchell and Mount Vernon substations to be completed to begin testing these meters. The contractor, Chapman Engineering will begin installing meters in the Plankinton substation area soon.

September 2007
The second billing has gone out to members on the Mitchell substation. However, we won’t be moving on to the Mount Vernon substation quite yet. This is an important time in Central Electric’s AMR installation project and we are dedicated to making sure the technology is working 100 percent before we move on to the next substation.

August 2007
The Mitchell substation is now up and working and on Friday, August 3 the first automatic bills were mailed to the members served by the Mitchell sub. We have been extremely please with all the positive feedback from members on the implementation of the AMR system.

July 2007
AMR project is an extremely large undertaking for Central Electric, therefore our timetable for completion is a little over three years. Chapman Engineering has been contracted to change out the meters.

June 2007
Central Electric began the implementation of a new automated meter reading (AMR) system in late June. An AMR system is a technology that allows Central Electric to remotely obtain information from the electric meter. The 2 million dollar project is designed to benefit member-owners with convenience and benefit cooperative personnel with increased efficiency and safety.
 
We again ask that you read “Cooperative Connections” newsletter each month as we continue to inform you on our progress.

Below are a number of questions that we have complied to answer some of the questions we are hearing from members. If you should have questions or concerns regarding the implementation of the AMR system please call us at 996-7516 or 1-800-477-2892. Or go to our website at www.centralec.coop, click on the “Contact Us” in the blue box at the top right-hand corner and send us an email.

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