Entergy Mississippi is continuing to modernize.
In early 2019, Entergy Mississippi will begin installing advanced electric meters in its service area.
Once complete, customers will have improved outage restoration, money-saving tools and better customer service. The multi-year project, approved by the Mississippi Public Service Commission, should be finished in 2021.
Over the past two years, Entergy Mississippi has designed and begun building the communications network and IT systems that will support advanced meters for homes and businesses.
“These meters are the foundation for grid modernization technologies,” said Haley Fisackerly, Entergy Mississippi president and CEO. “They will offer many benefits to our customers, which is why the MPSC approved our plan.”
Benefits of advanced meters include:
- New online tools to help customers better understand and manage energy usage. This can lead to reduced energy usage and lower bills.
- The ability to review energy usage daily instead of monthly. Using online tools, customers can view their energy use daily, in 15-minute increments.
- Improved customer service. With better information, Entergy Mississippi can better answer customers’ billing and service questions.
- Faster restoration. The company will have a clearer real-time picture of how the power grid is operating, and can better identify outages. This will allow crews to arrive on the scene faster to make repairs.
Advanced metering is digital technology that enables secure two-way communication between the customer and Entergy. Each meter has a network radio. The radio transmits meter readings to an access point on an electric pole near the meter.
This data is then transmitted to the utility through a secure cellular network. With an advanced meter, customers can access their online account to view daily energy use, displayed in 15-minute increments. Energy use information is updated to the online account every 4-5 hours. Advanced metering also offers the potential for new programs that can help further reduce customers’ energy usage and better support environmentally sustainable communities.
