Sometimes it takes a little time to see the big picture. When it comes to our electric grid, we’ve been taking steps year after year to enhance our grid for our customers. This process never stops, but it changes with our customers’ needs and new technologies.
We know we need technologies that provide our customers with the reliability they deserve as well as access to how and why they use that reliable energy. That’s why we recently implemented two BIG pieces to our smart grid.
In 2021, we deployed smart meters. These meters give our customers data on how and when they use energy at their homes or businesses. And they make our system more reliable and efficient. Smart meters also allow us to detect outages and make it easier to start and stop service without having to dispatch our field personnel.
In 2022, we upgraded our My Energy Link (MEL) self-service portal, which gives our customers access to enhanced features like:
Alerts and notifications – These give you a heads up if you’re using more energy than usual or if you’ve experienced an outage.
Usage data – This useful feature shows you when your home or business uses the most energy. It’s a great tool to see how your home or business operates throughout the warmer and cooler months.
MEL also allows you to set up autopay and personalized alerts for dollar amount or kWh usage thresholds. All these features give you the power to choose how much or little energy you use each month.
Overall enhancements like smart meters and MEL are part of the bigger picture of providing you, our customers, with the experience you deserve.