BOIL WATER ADVISORY IS LIFTED as of 10:40am today, July 22, 2025, for homes on Lena Street, portions of...
AMI FAQ’s and Information
Berea Municipal Utilities Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Metering Project FAQ
Berea Municipal Utilities (BMU) is excited to launch the AMI Smart Meter Program as part of our commitment to upgrading our technology and providing enhanced service for our customers. Powered by our new Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) system, this initiative will bring real-time data and greater control for you to monitor your energy and water usage.
What is AMI and why are we installing it?
The meter upgrade provides BMU customers with numerous benefits. The
new meters will:
- Save operational costs by eliminating the labor and transportation expenses of in-person and drive-by meter reading.
- Pinpoint the exact location of outages more quickly, meaning a faster response
- Allow our technicians and CSRs to troubleshoot billing issues by providing detailed information about consumption patterns and possibly leading to reduced
energy and water use. - Identify areas needing preventive maintenance by providing us with
outage and voltage information, improving our electric service reliability and power quality – fewer outages, blinks, and surges. - Proactive notifications for water leaks or high-usage situations.
- Allow customers to monitor daily electric and water usage
- Support future customer tools such as detailed usage insights. This will provide our customers with 24/7 access to the customer portal for usage tracking. This will launch in summer 2026.
- By getting continuous access to your energy and water usage data, you can make informed choices. You will now have much more detailed information about when and how you are using energy and water. This will provide you with better insights to make decisions about managing your consumption and increasing your energy efficiency, your way.
What’s the difference between the new meters and the old meters?
The technologies are very similar. Your current meter already uses an older form of RF communication technology. This is simply an upgrade that allows for more data to be collected and transferred, 2-way communication, and the ability to disconnect the electric meter from the office.
Is AMI a new technology?
No. BMU has used a version of this system, Automated Meter Reading (AMR), since 2008. Your current Itron devices work on the same RF (radio frequency) radio band as the new meter. The difference is that more information will be available to be sent from the meter to our office, eliminating the need for drive-by or walk-by meter reading. Different forms of this communication have been available since the 1970’s and smart meters have been in operation in the United States since 2006. As of 2024, over 136 million smart meters were in service in the US alone, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
What data is being collected from my meter?
The new meter records 15-minute electronic kWh (energy) and kW (demand) readings, the date and time of energy usage, the overall peak demand of the electric account, if the meter has rotated backwards, voltage readings, and the number of times the meter has experienced a loss of power for any reason. In fact, the meter will record the date and time of light blinks and the length of the power outage.
Water meter usage data will be collected every hour. This will allow BMU to monitor your water meter for leaks and meter backflow more quickly than ever before and provide BMU with the ability to track hourly usage data and trends to provide the customer with an in-depth usage history.
Is my data secure?
Yes. The new advanced meters record fully encrypted customer usage data and deliver it wirelessly to the utility offices. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as customer names or addresses is not stored or accessible by the meters or meter reading software. The readings will be used for billing purposes and to monitor power outages, water leaks, and other operational parameters to provide more reliable service to our customers.
Will I be able to access my energy and water usage information from the AMI system?
Yes. Customers will soon have access to their energy and water usage information through a secure, online customer portal. Customers will be able to see when they use electricity and water and how much they use as well as access to online payments.
Will I see a change on my utility bill?
No. However, the new meters will measure water consumption in gallons as compared to the old meters which measured in cubic feet. To address this change, BMU has implemented a gallon rate that is equivalent to the old cubic feet rate.
Will I be charged for the new meters or installation?
No. There will be no charges to the customer associated with these meter changeouts.
When will my new meters be installed?
BMU will begin full scale deployment of the AMI metering system in the coming weeks. We will post weekly working area updates on Facebook that will include the streets our crews will be visiting. All customers will be notified by a door knock from our technicians before your changeout and a door hanger if we are unable to install the meter.
Who will be changing my meters?
BMU personnel will be installing the new electric meters.
Subterra Solutions LLC, a specialized contractor, will be installing the water meters. These contractors can be identified by an official City of Berea/BMU contractor logo placed on their trucks.
BMU will only require access to your water and electric meters. That means we may need to ask for access to your backyard. BMU and Subterra Solutions LLC will NEVER ask to enter your home.
As always, BMU will continue to require meter access for occasional onsite readings, inspections and water meter connections and disconnections.
Will my electricity and water service be interrupted during the installation?
The technician will attempt to notify customers prior to beginning work since customers will experience a brief service interruption during the upgrade process. Your power will be turned off for 5-10 minutes and your water will be turned off for 10-20 minutes. You will not be required to be at home before or during the meter changeouts.
Are AMI meters safe?
BMU has been using a version of this Itron RF system since 2008. The only difference in the new meters is that more data can be stored and transmitted. AMI meters will send short, encrypted messages to BMU’s servers throughout the day. These messages are sent in a fraction of a second and are similar to what is sent by your cell phone or wireless (Wi-Fi) router in your home.
Customer Questions
Questions may be directed to our offices at 859-986-4391 during normal business hours.