Texas TDUs File Fees for Advanced Meter Opt-Out (Monthly Fee As Low As $18)

Texas transmission and distribution utilities have filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas initial tariffs to implement an opt-out from advanced metering, including sought levels for the one-time and ongoing opt-out fees.

At Oncor, the upfront, one-time opt-out fee, for customers with an advanced meter as of February 10, 2014, would be as follows:

New Analog Meter 
   (Self-Contained -- Single Phase)          $470.10
Digital Non-Communicating Meter
   (Self-Contained -- Single Phase)          $500.00
AMS Meter w/ Communications Disabled        
   (Self-Contained -- Single Phase)          $489.35

For Oncor customers with an existing non-standard meter that has not been replaced with AMS, the one-time fee would be $447.25 for a Self-Contained -- Single Phase existing meter.

The recurring monthly AMS opt-out fee at Oncor would be $23.75 for kWh only metering and $28.45 for kWh and demand metering

At CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, the upfront, one-time fee for customers would be as follows:

Existing Analog Meter                        $135.00
New Analog Meter                             $210.00
Digital Non-Communicating Meter              $240.00
AMS Meter w/ Communications Disabled         $210.00

The recurring monthly AMS opt-out fee at CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric would be $38.50.

At AEP Texas Central, the upfront, one-time fee for customers would be as follows:

Existing Non-Standard Meter                  $209
New Analog Meter or New Non-Communicating
    Digital Meter (Self-Contained)           $286
AMS Meter w/ Communications Disabled         $250

The recurring monthly AMS opt-out fee at AEP Texas Central would be $18.

At AEP Texas North, the upfront, one-time fee for customers would be as follows:

Existing Non-Standard Meter                  $203
New Analog Meter or New Non-Communicating
    Digital Meter (Self-Contained)           $318
AMS Meter w/ Communications Disabled         $263

The recurring monthly AMS opt-out fee at AEP Texas North would be $35.

At Texas-New Mexico Power, the upfront, one-time fee for customers would be as follows:

Maintain Existing Analog                     $142.84
Replace AMS w/ Analog                        $220.42
Replace AMS w/ Digital                       $247.48

TNMP's AMS solution does not include turning the communication module off; and does not have an on/off switch; therefore TNMP cannot offer this non-standard metering service.

The recurring monthly AMS opt-out fee at TNMP would be $38.99

The filed costs are dependent on the assumption of the number of customers who elect to opt-out of a provisioned advanced meter. As noted in our related story today, the TDUs vary widely in their estimates of customers electing to opt-out of advanced metering. Related: Texas TDUs' Estimates of Customers Electing to Opt-Out of Advanced Metering Vary Widely.