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Board of Water and Light defends smart meters, explains opt‑in to Michigan Public Act 95 and expanded bill‑assistance pool
Summary
Utility staff told council the smart‑meter rollout reduces estimated reads, supports outage detection and allows remote disconnects; the utility described opting into PA 95 in 2023 and said the change allowed access to state and federal assistance funds, substantially increasing the pool available to help customers avoid shutoffs.
Utility staff updated the City Committee of the Whole Feb. 10 on the Board of Water and Light’s smart-meter rollout, customer benefits and the utility’s decision to opt into Michigan Public Act 95 to expand assistance for customers facing shutoffs.
A utility representative described the smart‑meter technology and customer benefits: “A smart meter…talks to the Board of Water and Light 4 times a day for a total of 90 seconds,” the presenter said, adding that the devices allow customers and staff to detect unusual usage quickly and largely eliminate estimated reads. The representative said the utility installed about 100,000 electric meters and 57,000 water meters, and that fewer than 200 customers (about 0.1%) elected to opt out of the program.
The representative also explained operational differences between water and electric remote capabilities: electric meters can be disconnected and reconnected remotely; water meter turnoffs still require a truck roll.
On shutoffs and customer assistance, staff said the utility “opted into PA 95” in 2023 after pressure from the state and community organizations about concentrated shutoff pools in spring months. Under that approach the utility placed $400,000 from its general fund into a customer-assistance account previously; after opting into PA 95 the utility and the state assessment generated substantially more assistance funds. The presenter said the state-assessment fund contributed roughly $1.2 million and that opting in also unlocked additional state and federal funds, bringing the total assistance pool to roughly $2.4–2.5 million (staff described these numbers as approximate and rounded).
Staff described operational protections for vulnerable customers: the utility said it suspends winter-season shutoffs during declared cold-weather events and that customers who qualify for the winter protection program are not placed into shutoff pools. The utility also described a tiered water-rate approach intended to reduce water shutoffs for very low use households and said it is “aggressively looking” for ways to reduce water turnoffs, while noting water shutoffs remain rare (staff reported about 50 customers without water at the time of the update, out of about 57,000 water customers).
Internal audit and council questions focused on oversight. The city internal auditor said the internal-audit team plans to review the PA 95 implementation and any financial controls; the utility said that audit is scheduled for the current fiscal year even though the statute is now state law.
What’s next: Utility staff offered to supply audit scheduling and to continue reporting on smart-meter performance, customer-assistance outcomes and any changes in opt‑out rates.
Ending: Council thanked staff for the update and moved to other agenda items.
