What is AMI?

AMI stands for advanced metering infrastructure, also known as smart-meter technology.

Our proposed AMI plan aims to create a more equitable grid and reduce economywide emissions while realizing customer and operational benefits. The proposed AMI system will provide the equipment and data necessary to build the electric grid of the future in Connecticut.

How Would AMI Improve the Customer Experience?

Customer awareness and ways to save

AMI provides several benefits and capabilities that allow customers to better understand and control their energy usage and bills.

This includes near real-time energy usage information that can be accessed via new web tools, apps and alerts. It also enables time-based rate choices that can give customers more control over their energy bills.

Key AMI-enabled benefits include: 

• Detailed energy usage insight 
• Enhanced web and mobile app experience 
• Customized high bill alerts
• Availability of time-based rate options 

In the same way people can glance at a gas gauge on their vehicle or the battery life of their smartphone, visibility to this data will enable customers to modify behavior more quickly to better manage their usage and bills.  

Access to more timely and detailed usage information can help customers better plan for their energy expenses and enable them to turn their insights into money-saving actions.    

Customers will also be able to set thresholds to receive alerts when their bill exceeds a certain amount, and we can proactively set high-bill alert thresholds for customers based on their past usage. For example, a customer can receive a high bill alert in the middle of their billing cycle if their usage is already at their monthly average or higher.  

Better customer service

Our customer service representatives will have access to this near real-time information to better answer customer inquiries about topics such as high bills, one of the most common types of calls we receive.

With easy access to customers’ usage information, customer service representatives will be able to provide more targeted recommendations to callers for participation in time-varying rates or energy efficiency or demand response programs. 

During outages

AMI technology provides increased awareness  of outage occurrence and location, eliminating the need to rely on customers to report outages. Earlier detection will enable us to dispatch crews faster during minor storm and non-storm days, resulting in power being restored more quickly than it would have been without AMI. 

We'll also be able to provide customers with a more accurate restoration status by leveraging the ability to remotely ping and check AMI meters.  

This capability is particularly valuable to customers that are required to evacuate or are not at their property to avoid any inconveniences from electric service outages.  

Remote pinging capability also allows for accurate identification of nested outages (outages caused by more than one reason), allowing us to provide more accurate power restoration estimates and avoid an inaccurate restoration notification to customers impacted by this type of outage.  

Industry research has proven the improved outage capabilities enabled by AMI lead to higher customer satisfaction.