Ever Wonder How to Read Your Meter? Better Learn Soon

Local resident Scott Gordon is helping to lead the charge on solar energy in California.

Gordon, whose family has been in the area for more than a decade, not only has solar on his home but also helps others go solar. But he also wants to help those who don't want to go solar learn more about coming changes, such as the "smart meter."

Smart meters are the residential points of information collection for the smart grid. They connect homes to the smart grid much the same way a cable or DSL modem connects a home to the Internet.

Millions of smart meters are being installed on homes across California. Mandated by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the smart meters are being installed at residential and business customer properties by all investor-owned utilities, including Southern California Edison (SCE), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).

Scott is helping homeowners understand how the smart meter works in this short video filmed at his home in Laguna Niguel. 

Have questions about the new power meter installed on your home? Do you wonder how it works? Will it record energy use differently than the "old" version?

In the YouTube video, he talks about how to read the smart meter and  how it records energy use and explains new billing systems that are coming. 

“While most homeowners are familiar with the installation of smart meters on their homes, many are seeking more information about the smart meters’ impact on their electric bills,” said Gordon, vice president of residential sales for HelioPower, a solar company.

Installation of the new smart meters will be completed by 2012. By 2014 there will be a rollout of "time of use," which means you will be paying more for power during the summer months than the winter months and evenings.