Smart meters coming to NJ homes — how they can help you save money

Are you one one of those homes with a dumb electric meter?

The days of the typical meter at your home — which requires a human being to come out and track your usage — are gradually going extinct, as utilities step up their game with the installation of so-called smart meters.

PSE&G on Monday announced that it reached a "key milestone" by installing more than two million smart meters for residential and business customers.

The goal is to make this switch for any customers who want one; the utility still has more electric meters to switch out.

“This is a critical milestone on the path to an improved customer experience enabling our customers with even greater access to understanding and managing their energy use,” said Dave Johnson, vice president of customer care and chief customer officer for PSE&G. “There are already more than 110 million smart meters installed across the United States and we’re pleased to support this roll out across our electric service territory."

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The multi-year effort to replace meters began in 2021 for PSE&G, the state's largest gas and electric public utility. The plan was to get most customers equipped with the up-to-date technology by the end of 2024.

JCP&L is replacing customers' meters as well. The utility's plan is to install 1.1 million smart meters.

The modernized meter is said to help both utilities and customers. According to PSE&G, smart meters will deliver a number of benefits "over time," including easier tracking of customers' usage and better tracking of system outages.

At the same time, customers won't have to worry so much about "estimated" charges on their bills. Also, through an online portal, customers can view their electric use and create energy-use thresholds that come with an alert when they're getting close.

According to PSE&G's website, customers can opt out of receiving a smart meter installation, but that would result in a $12 monthly fee.

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