Appalachian Power Company (APCo) is using advanced technology to make energy management easier for customers. With 99% of customers’ homes being equipped with Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters, nearly all APCo customers can use tools to manage their energy use.
AMI technology also enables APCo to adjust billing cycles during high-usage winter months, reducing the impact of holiday-related delays and helping customers keep costs more predictable when energy demand is high.
“With AMI metering providing daily readings, we can level out bill amounts by reducing extended winter billing cycles – often 35 days – down to about 30 days, while extending shorter spring cycles, when usage is typically lower,” said Billy Brumfield, customer processes & systems manager. “This helps keep costs predictable during high-usage months.”
In addition to allowing billing-cycle adjustments, AMI meters provide benefits by transmitting usage data in 15-minute intervals. This data is accessible through customers’ online accounts or via the new Weekly Electricity Update emails launched in November. Delivered every Thursday to all residential customers with email addresses on file with APCo, these reports summarize the prior week’s energy use, helping customers spot trends and adjust habits. The emails also include energy-saving tips and a projected monthly bill amount.
“It’s our hope that the Weekly Electricity Update emails help our customers use data to make changes that impact their bill,” said Tina Massey, customer services supervisor. “Recently, we spoke with a customer and used his specific data to identify the date and time his higher usage started. We were able to give him advice on what to check in his home. He was able to correct the issue mid-cycle – avoiding unnecessary costs and saving energy.”
Customers who haven’t received a Weekly Electricity Update email should check their spam folder or update their email address either through their online account at AppalachianPower.com/Account or by calling the Customer Operations Center at 1-800-956-4237.