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What is an advanced meter?

Entergy Arkansas is about to roll out a new digital, advanced metering and communications system. The new meters are "advanced" because they record usage in 15-minute increments and can communicate with us on a two way-basis via a new secure wireless communication network.

The majority of utilities across the United States have installed advanced meters. Advanced meters will provide a number of future benefits, including new online tools to help you better manage your energy usage and potentially save money on your bills, improved customer service due to the deeper level of insight into your energy usage, quicker and more accurate detection of outages, reduced costs due to the elimination of on-site meter reading, faster detection of electricity theft, and faster connection and disconnection of service.

What are the benefits of advanced meters?

Advanced meters offer:

  • Access to more detailed energy usage information in your online account.
  • Our ability to identify outages more accurately, giving crews the ability to respond more quickly.
  • More detailed information on energy usage that will allow us to answer billing and service related questions more efficiently.
  • New tools to help you understand and manage your energy usage more effectively, which can lead to energy reduction and potentially lower bills.

Why am I receiving an advanced meter?

Entergy Arkansas is committed to continuous improvement of its systems and services, and the introduction of advanced meters is the first step toward modernizing and building a smarter energy future for our customers. We have studied the costs and benefits of advanced metering. We believe this system will reduce some of our current meter reading and operational costs, benefits that will be delivered to you to offset some of the costs of this investment. This system will enable us to provide new products and services to you that will enable you to reduce your monthly bill and manage your energy usage more efficiently. The Arkansas Public Service Commission agreed with our proposal and has approved the deployment of advanced metering for all of our customers.

Is there a cost for the meter?

Beginning in January 2018, your bill has included a small amount to recover the costs we incur in preparation for upgrading to the advanced metering infrastructure, including the meters and communication system. The savings in our operational costs will be used to offset some of the new system costs. Over time, we believe the potential benefits will far outweigh the overall costs of meter deployment. We will be providing you with new programs and services that help put more control in your hands to better manage and reduce your monthly electric usage.

Do I have to get a new advanced meter?

If you are a residential customer and do not want an advanced meter, you will have the opportunity to "opt-out" of receiving your meter upgrade. Customers who choose to "opt-out" will incur a one-time service and administration fee of $63.50, in addition to a monthly manual meter-reading fee of $21.80, which will be added to your monthly bill. Because the older, analog meters do not capture and transmit interval usage information, opt-out customers will not have access to their detailed energy usage data or be eligible to participate in some future programs that might be helpful in further managing your electric bill.

Customer satisfaction is our utmost priority. We believe that advanced meters will offer tremendous benefits to our customers; however, should you be unsure about the meter or have further questions, we are happy to answer them. Please call us at 1-800-ENTERGY. 

What can I expect from the new online portal?

If you’ve had your advanced meter installed, log into your online Entergy account to better manage your energy usage. Once there, you will find: a new dashboard that provides easy access to view energy usage, bills, saving tips and more; near real-time energy views that will be updated to your online account several times over the course of the day, with displayed usage in 15-minute increments for residential electric customers and 5-minute increments for commercial electric customers; personalized efficiency tips with a list of energy efficiency suggestions tailored to your specific needs and interests. With this tool, you can find out how much money each suggestion can save over time; and a personalized saving plan where you can optimize energy usage depending on your unique energy goals.

How will I be affected by the meter exchange if I am registered with Entergy’s Life Support Identify Program?

The upgrade to your advanced meter is the same as when we exchange any meters. If you are registered with Entergy’s Life Support Identity Program, then the installer will not exchange your meter without first speaking with you. If you are currently not registered with this program please call 1-800-ENTERGY.

How safe are these meters?

The majority of homes and businesses in the United States currently have advanced meters. They operate by using radio frequency similar to many common devices such as mobile phones and appliances around the home, but at a significantly lower level. Many electronic devices, including your television, microwave, and baby monitor, use radio frequency technology. This technology has been deemed safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Federal Communications Commission and World Health Organization.

Is my personal information secure?

Data security has been and always will be of utmost importance to Entergy Arkansas. We will continue to provide the highest level of protection to your privacy and data. Learn more about our privacy policy.

Does Entergy Arkansas share my personal information with any of its vendors?

Entergy Arkansas only shares personal information with vendors assisting it with providing regulated services, and as further described in our privacy policy. Our privacy policy can be accessed here. For example, Entergy Arkansas shares information found on its customers’ bills with vendors who print such bills. Similarly, vendors who support Entergy’s IT infrastructure may have access to personal information.

Will Entergy Arkansas sell my personal information to third parties?

Entergy Arkansas will only share your personal information in a manner that complies with our privacy policy; as detailed in that policy, we do not share personal information with third-party organizations for their commercial or marketing purposes, nor will we intentionally disclose your Personal Information to any third parties except for the limited purposes set forth in, and in compliance with, our privacy policy.

Under Arkansas law, Entergy Arkansas may only provide aggregated or non-customer identifying data to third parties for purposes other than regulated utility services without customers’ consent. For example, aggregate data may be shared with regional transmission organizations for resource planning purposes. Entergy Arkansas will follow Arkansas laws regarding use of your personal information.

Will a meter reader still need to come to my home or business?

Once your advanced meter is initially installed, Entergy will continue to manually read energy usage for a period of time, while also conducting automated readings collected from the new advanced meter. This period of time allows us to ensure the communications network and meters in your area are fully installed and working properly together. We’ll be monitoring these energy usage readings as an additional step, but this is temporary. In the long-term, there will be little need for a meter reader to come to your home. Instead, this will be an automated process where we will bill according to your reported energy usage. You may receive a visit on occasion from a field employee to test or maintain equipment.

Will advanced meters be used to remotely turn off service?

Advanced meters will enable Entergy Arkansas to remotely turn service on and off at your premises, making moving in and out of homes easier for our customers. This function can also be used to handle accounts with unresolved payment issues, following the consumer protection regulations that are currently in place for residential service.

How do I read my advanced meter?

View detailed instructions to read your advanced meter.

Where can I find more information?

The majority of utilities across the United States have installed advanced meters.

For more information, click through industry resources below: