Despite good news on the tariff front, I just recieved an e-mail from a fellow PV owner whose Net Meter was changed to a radio-read meter without his knowledge last week. It has to do with this: Itron gets $15M contract with Xcel Energy.

On the one hand, it's a good idea, for the average customer. The meter reader just cruises by and collects data (more than just usaage, apparently), saving money and providing a better idea about how energy is consumed. Problem is, it doesn't run backwards. In fact, the meter only goes one way! If a photovoltaic system is feeding energy back onto the grid, this gets charged to the residential customer. I'll be paying for the energy I send to Xcel! And I do say I, because the truck was in the neighborhood on friday, a neighbor on one side has been changed out and the neighbor on the otherside has not. Yikes. I realize that the person doing this has been given a list of houses to instal this meter on, and has no idea that there are PV systems that use a different kind of meter. I expect them to try to switch out my net meter for one of these units tommorrow! I don't know if I will be able to stop them from changing out our meter when they come. If they do, it'll be weeks (months) trying to get it corrected, losing money every single sunny day.

I've got a copy of our contract, the name and number of the Xcel lawyer who negotiated the latest deal (still not approved) and I've put up the following sign in bright red next to the meter:

ATTENTION METER INSTALLER:

This is a NET METER that measures the input of a PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM onto the grid.

The RADIO-READ METER does NOT operate as a net meter, it will not measure the correct usage of this residence, and will violate legal agreements with Xcel Energy !

DO NOT BEGIN ANY WORK UNTIL YOU CONTACT:
1. The RESIDENT of this house (phone #)
2. YOUR SUPERVISOR
3. Xcel Energy (phone # )

Here's more info:

Centron meter

Just starting to research if another of their products will work, though I've been told that communication with the company indicated they did not have a radio-transmitting net-meter.

Mary Anne and others were right, I've got to keep my eyes open.

jms