cooperative REVIEW Do you have questions about smart meters?

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1 volume 67 issue 3 March 2017 cooperative REVIEW for members of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative INSIDE THIS ISSUE: SMECO sponsors 23rd annual math competition 4 Celebrate Lineman Appreciation Day 6 It s time to sign up for the SMECO 75 Bike Ride 6 Update on SMECO s Community Solar petition 7 Around Town 7 Stay safe around power lines look up 8 The 2017 MATHCOUNTS competition was held February 4 at Calvert Middle School. Brynna Bode, left, finished first in the countdown round and Grady Klaas, right, placed second. Both students attend General Smallwood Middle School in Charles County. Read more on page 4. Do you have questions about smart meters? SMECO is installing smart meters throughout its service area during SMECO has hosted several open houses to offer members an opportunity to see the meters and ask questions, and we have noticed some of the same questions keep popping up. Why is SMECO installing smart meters? During the 20th century, meter technology did not change much, and some of the meters on our system are years old, need replacement, and are technically obsolete. Smart meters are modern, electronic meters that can do more than just measure energy use. The new meters can help SMECO improve customer service and save money by reducing our operational expenses. We will no longer have to send personnel to your home or business every month to read the meter. We will be able to respond to power outages more quickly and efficiently. After power is restored, we can use smart meters to verify that all customers in an area have their power back on.

2 2 Do I have to get a smart meter if I don t want one? Residential and small commercial customers with single-phase service may opt out. If you want to opt out of SMECO s smart meter installation, contact SMECO at You will then receive a letter confirming your choice to opt out. The letter explains the cost: an initial fee of $75 and a monthly charge of $17. These additional charges will be applied to your bill after smart meters are installed in your area. All meters will be exchanged, even if you opt out. SMECO will remove the existing meter, review the condition of the meter base and service conductors, and install a legacy digital meter. Customers who allow SMECO to install a smart meter at their home or business are not charged any additional fees. Are the meters compatible with solar panels? Yes. For customers who have solar panels or some other way of generating their own electricity, smart meters not only track the amount of kwh used, they track the amount of kwh produced in excess of what the customer used. All residential and commercial accounts that have smart meters will have bills that show both kwh used and excess kwh produced. On your bill, the amount of energy supplied by SMECO is printed in the Forward kwh column. If you generate solar or wind energy, the amount of energy produced in excess of what you used will be printed in the Reverse kwh column. If you don t have solar panels, the amount of energy produced will be zero, and 0 will be printed in the Reverse kwh column. Will net meters be replaced also? Yes. If your home has a net meter, it will be replaced with a smart meter. Beginning in the fall of 2016, all new net meter installs were smart meters. Do I have to be home when the smart meter is installed? No. The meter installer will knock on your door to let you know about the meter exchange but will proceed if the knock is not answered. Please make sure to provide safe access to the electric meter.

3 Can smart meters control my electric use? No. SMECO s smart meters cannot be used to control your appliances. Like SMECO s standard meters, they only measure whole-house energy use. Can smart meters control my thermostat like the CoolSentry program? No. The SMECO CoolSentry program is a separate program for reducing peak demand during the summer. Customers who choose to participate in the CoolSentry program have a programmable thermostat or a device on the heat pump/ac outdoor unit and receive electric bill credits during the summer. Don t I already have a smart meter? Maybe. As of February 1, 2017, SMECO had installed 24,734 smart meters. Many customers have had digital meters but not smart meters. These meters look similar but a digital meter does not communicate remotely to SMECO. Digital meters require a meter reader to take monthly readings. Are the smart meters UL listed? Yes. The smart meters that SMECO is using are certified by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Smart meter technology has also been thoroughly tested by manufacturers and utilities using a wide range of tests and equipment to ensure that the meters adhere to the established meter accuracy guidelines set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). When will SMECO be installing the meter at my home or business? SMECO sends postcards and brochures to customers who will have a smart meter installed at their location two to four weeks before the meter exchange. A map on SMECO s website also shows the general area where SMECO s contractor, Utility Partners of America (UPA), will be working. The map can be found at smeco.coop/services/smartmeters/map. If you have additional questions about smart meters, please visit smeco.coop/gettingsmarter or call our customer care representatives at

4 4 SMECO sponsors 23rd annual math competition The 23rd annual regional MATHCOUNTS competition challenged more than 230 students from 24 schools throughout Southern Maryland to test their math skills at Calvert Middle School in Prince Frederick on Saturday, February 4. A competitive technological world requires a proficiency in mathematics as a foundation for success in science, technology, and engineering. MATHCOUNTS aims to boost student interest in mathematics by making the subject challenging and entertaining. Each year, more than 500 regional competitions are held in middle schools across the country, with winners advancing to state competitions and then to the national competition. During the three-hour event, a series of rounds featuring mathematics problems challenge students one-on-one and as teams. In the individual competition, which is based on combined scores in the sprint and target rounds Amelia Talbot from Cardinal Hickey Academy in Calvert County placed first and Hannah Torgesen from Chesapeake Coach Susan Scott and Amelia Talbot Public Charter School in St. Mary s County placed second. The top 12 scorers finish the competition by facing each other in the countdown round, a singleelimination tournament in which students must respond verbally to questions in a matter of seconds. Brynna Bode finished first in the countdown round and Grady Klaas placed second. Both first and second place finishers are from General Smallwood Middle School in Charles County. In the team round, foursomes of students answer 10 questions in 20 minutes. In the team competition, Chesapeake Public Charter School in St. Mary s County won first place. Northern Middle School in Calvert County placed second. Spring Ridge Middle School in St. Mary s County won third place. The team from General Smallwood Middle School took fourth place and Theodore Davis Middle School took fifth place. Both schools are in Charles County.

5 Sponsors for the local MATHCOUNTS competition are SMECO and the Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary s county public schools, with the support of the National Society of Professional Engineers. Volunteers from SMECO scored the tests. Winners of the Southern Maryland competition will go on to compete in the statewide contest at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. State winners will progress to the national competition held in Orlando, FL. First-place team, Chesapeake Public Charter School From left, coach Taren Long, team members Derek Nichols, Hannah Torgesen, Annalee Johnson, and Courtney Rosenstadt, and head coach Ayrin Torgesen. Second-place team, Northern Middle School From left, team members Nima Talebi, William Rathgeb, Leo Johnson, and Robert Martin, and head coach Carole Butler. Third-place team, Spring Ridge Middle School From left, team members Gabriel Cannavo, Holland Henderson- Boyer, Kevin Seo, and Andrew Ng; back row, head coach Thomas Galligan and coach Gary Robinson. 5

6 Celebrate Lineman Appreciation Day Join us as we celebrate our linemen on April 10, America s electric cooperatives have designated the second Monday of April as National Lineman Appreciation Day. SMECO invites you to take this opportunity to thank your linemen for the difficult and dangerous work they do. We proudly recognize all electric linemen for the services they perform around the clock in dangerous conditions to keep power flowing and protect the public s safety. SMECO is very proud of its linemen and the work they do for Southern Maryland. Celebrate Lineman Appreciation Day on April 10 by using #thankalineman on social media. It s time to sign up for the SMECO 75 Bike Ride Join us for the bike ride through Southern Maryland. See the bill insert for more information. Date: June 3, 2017 Time: Packet pick-up/same-day registration from 7 to 9 a.m. Early packet pick-up, June 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. Place: Burnt Store Rd., Hughesville, MD Cost: Register* by May 3: $40 May 4 May 26: $50 May 27 June 3: $55 6 * Register by May 3 to guarantee receipt of a shirt.

7 Update on SMECO s Community Solar petition SMECO has been rigorously pursuing the lawful advancement of Community Solar in Southern Maryland. In our October issue of the Cooperative Review, we explained our action petitioning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to declare provisions of the Maryland Public Service Commission s (PSC) Community Solar regulations as conflicting with federal law. We offered easy fixes. FERC denied SMECO s petition in November. FERC stated the petition was premature since SMECO had yet to file its Community Solar tariff with the PSC. So, in December, SMECO filed its proposed Community Solar tariff with the PSC and asked FERC to reconsider its November decision. In January, FERC granted SMECO s request for the limited purpose of further consideration. As of now, the PSC has not acted on SMECO s proposed Community Solar tariff. We will keep you informed of developments and SMECO s efforts to make Community Solar available to you. April 1 Warrior 5K Fun Run/Walk Sponsor: Patuxent Habitat for Humanity aroundtown 8 to 11 a.m. John Baggett Park, Mechanicsville. Proceeds will benefit Patuxent Habitat for celebrity gardener and he will entertain and educate with his informative presentation. Tickets will go on sale in February. Light refreshments will be served. Humanity s Veteran Critical April 30 Repair Program. Rain or shine. American Legion $ Admission. Bluegrass Concert Series: The Grascals Sponsor: Sons of the patuxenthabitat.org American Legion April 22 2 to 5 p.m. American Legion Post Garden Design with 238, intersection of Routes 231 Garden Guru Kent Russell and 381, Hughesville. The event Sponsor: The Crossroads of will include 50/50 raffles and door Hughesville and La Plata prizes. Doors open at noon, with a Garden Clubs dinner special starting at that time. The show begins at 2 p.m. 1 to 2 p.m. South Potomac Church, White Plains. $ Admission Russell is a nationally recognized americanlegionbluegrass.com 7

8 Stay safe around power lines look up Spring is fast approaching and warmer weather means many people are heading outdoors for projects around the house and yard. Stay safe, and be aware of overhead power lines. Never climb power poles, trees near power lines, or transmission towers. Keep equipment away from overhead lines when carrying ladders, pool skimmers, and pruning tools. If you are doing work close to power lines such as trimming trees, working on your roof, or doing exterior renovations keep yourself, your ladder, and anything you are handling a safe distance from the power line. Contact SMECO to disconnect power if you are doing work that requires close contact with overhead lines attached to your home. Avoid planting trees near overhead power lines. Trees that will grow 20 to 50 feet tall should be planted at least 30 feet from overhead lines. If you are planting near the electric transformer, please keep plants at least 10 feet away. It is advisable that you avoid using ivy or other climbing plants that can overtake the equipment. It is also important that you do not adjust the grade around the transformer. In addition to overhead lines, SMECO has many underground electric lines. Call Miss Utility at 811 before you dig every time you dig. This applies for every digging job, even small projects like planting a tree or shrub.