Frequently Asked Questions

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• What is a smart meter?

  Unlike your current meter which is usually read once per month, smart meters can transmit energy usage information to the utility at more frequent intervals throughout the day. The meters can send and receive information related to your energy service through a secure communication network. We use the data from your smart meter to generate bills, to run a more reliable and efficient power grid, and to deliver a higher level of service to you.

• Why smart meters?

  Having information at your fingertips about your energy usage is the best way to manage your energy expenses. Instead of only receiving a monthly bill, you will have online access to view daily usage and estimated costs of daily usage for the bill you have received. You will have access to daily usage almost real time and eventually usage information in more frequent intervals. By the end of 2020, smart meter deployment is expected to reach 107 million in the U.S. as it is becoming the standard in utility metering. In fact, analog meters are no longer being manufactured.

• Who is installing the new smart meters?

  The meter installation team will be identified as Utility Partners of America (UPA), contractors for Dominion Energy. The installer should also have a Dominion Energy contractor badge as well as copies of the materials that were sent to you regarding the smart meter installation process.

• When am I getting my new smart meter?

  The installations will happen Monday – Friday during business hours, though there may be cases when evening or weekend installations are necessary.

  Dominion Energy will send a postcard and an email several weeks before your installation, letting you know when we’ll be in your area. Refer to the map above for our current deployment plan and timeline. This map and timeline may change based on our progress.

• How can I see my energy information from my new smart meter? *

  You can see your information online when you log in to your Dominion Energy account. If you don’t have an online account, the registration process is simple and takes only a few minutes. Just be sure to have your account number available. Register your account online.

  After the meter has been installed, the functionality of the new smart meter will be available to you in the next few weeks. We will begin recording your daily energy usage information and make that available to you within the next billing period or two.

  You will be able to view your energy usage and costs associated with that usage on a daily basis. We will also provide estimated costs for your daily usage. For each day in your billing period, you can see how much your usage cost on a daily basis. Even after your bill has generated, you can check online to see daily usage and costs since your last bill. That information will be available to you almost real time, which gives you better command of your utility bill.

  We encourage you to set usage alerts to proactively alert you if the costs for your usage exceeds the threshold you have established. You can choose to get an email or, better yet, an even quicker notification through the Mobile App.

  *At this time, solar customers and a few other meters will not have insight into daily usage. Dominion Energy will continue to work toward a solution to present this data to this segment of customers.

• Is my information protected?

  A smart meter records your energy use information and safely and securely communicates this information to Dominion Energy using digital technology – similar to your smartphone when it sends a text. The information includes the amount of energy you use and when you use it. We use this data to help ensure that your monthly bill is accurate and to provide information to help you manage your usage.

  Smart meters do not collect, store, or transmit personally identifiable customer information – such as names and addresses. All energy usage information is transmitted between smart meters and Dominion Energy through a secure network and is encrypted using U.S. government-approved and -recommended standards. We follow the cybersecurity guidelines published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. These standards are regularly reviewed to remain current with industry and government security protocols.

• Will my service be interrupted during the installation?

  There may be a brief interruption of electric service for a few minutes as the meter is being installed. We apologize for any inconvenience the brief outage may cause. In most cases, the installer will knock on the door prior to beginning the meter exchange process.

  If your gas meter is scheduled to be upgraded, we do not anticipate an interruption to your gas service for the majority of our customers. Smart meter upgrades to gas meters typically will not involve a need to exchange the gas meter, which would require the gas to be turned off. However, at this time, we anticipate about 300 gas meters will need to be physically changed. We will make arrangements to get gas service restored if no one is home when the meter is changed out.

• What if I operate medical equipment?

  Interruption to electric service cannot be prevented in these cases. As with other routine maintenance, there will be a brief interruption of your electric service. In most cases, the installer will knock on the door when onsite, prior to the interruption of service.

• After my meter is changed out, does that mean I won't see a technician at my address?

  Most electric smart meters allow remote turn on and off capability. That means if your service needs to be turned on or off, we will not send a technician to your address. In the remote possibility that your meter does not respond to the signal, a technician will be dispatched. As well, when Dominion Energy conducts its sample meter testing procedure, technicians will be on site to change your existing meter and send your previous meter for testing. And finally, other maintenance situations or restoration efforts may require a technician to gain access to your meter.

  Gas meters are fitted with a device that allow us to remotely read the meters. Turn-ons and turn-offs for gas service will still require a technician to make an onsite visit, and also during the sample meter testing procedure noted above. As is required today, gas turn on orders will continue to require a responsible adult who has access to the gas appliances, to be present during the service call.

• Are radio frequency (RF) emissions coming from the smart meter?

  Yes, but those emissions are well below the levels produced by other common household devices already used in homes today, such as mobile phones, baby monitors, microwaves and TVs. Smart meters emit a small fraction of the limits set by the Federal Communications Commission, the agency that enforces the safety limits of RF emissions.

  The following websites provide additional information about the numerous studies conducted on smart meters and RF emissions:

  • Itron Radio Frequency Resource Center | www.itron.com/consumers
  • FCC Policy on Human Exposure | www.fcc.gov
  • Electric Power Research Institute | www.epri.com/consumers
  • Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative | www.smartgridcc.org
• What if I don’t want a smart meter at my address?

  If you have concerns about upgrading your meter, you may choose to have a non-communicating meter instead. Dominion Energy will still need to replace your existing meter and will install a new meter which has had the communicating module disabled. With this meter, you will not gain the benefit of any of the smart meter enabled services and programs designed for smart meter technology. Dominion Energy will be required to manually visit your address each month to collect a monthly meter reading.

  As allowed by Public Service Commission of South Carolina Order Nos. 2019-622 and 2020-86, customers of Dominion Energy South Carolina must pay an installation fee of $168.00 as well as a monthly fee of $15.00 to offset the charges associated with this manual process. For more information, please call our customer service team at 1-833-956-6723.

  For more information on the smart meter, visit Itron's Consumer Resource Center.