WESM Local/Regional News
(2008-08-27)
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DEARBORN, MICH.
(Michigan Radio) -
Michigan's largest utility says it plans to swap out customers' old electric meters with new ones that can be read remotely.
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DTE Energy is starting with a pilot program in Grosse Ile. But it eventually plans to spend $350 million replacing 4 million electric meters.
DTE Spokesman Scott Simons says the technology will eventually allow customers to tailor their energy use to take advantage of cheaper prices. That's something that could be important to the development of plug-in vehicles.
"The whole idea is to set up different types of pricing based on demand," Simons said. "So for example, pricing during the day when everybody's using energy would be a higher price. But if you plug in your vehicle at night when you get home, that would be a lower price."
Simons says the technology will also allow the utility to know immediately if there's a power outage - instead than relying on calls from customers.
Contact Sarah Hulett at sarahhu@umich.edu © Copyright 2012, Michigan Radio
