BASSETERRE, St. Kitts –- THE St. Kitts Electrical Company Limited (SKELEC) is nearing completion of the implementation phase of its Smart Meter pilot programme.
The project, which started in late April this year, would see the company installing some 500 Smart Meters as part of a research before it is widely instituted within St. Kitts.
SKELEC’s Public Relations Officer Gawain Fraites told SKNVibes Business that the company has already installed some 250 meters thus far in five areas around the island.
This phase is expected to be completed by the end June.
“We would be continuing the pilot during the next week and finishing up in June. We have completed some areas in Belle Vue, Camps, Ocean Gardens, West Farm and Boyd’s.”
Fraites noted that the company had removed a section of the existing meters but all could not have been done at this time.
He also noted that the company would soon be completing the transition from the old “round meters” to the new ones.
“What we did initially was just to change the round meters because it was just a matter of plugging out the old meters and putting in the new smart meters. But because the black meters are square, they are completely different so you can plug them out and put in the round meters,” Fraites added.
Black meters are the older models and are often referred to as square meters.
He noted that SKELEC had already notified individuals of the changes and started informing other communities of the upcoming implementation of the Smart Meters.
“Our meter readers sent out the messages on leaflets to notify people that we are coming. We walked throughout the area and told people to look out for us.”
One challenge that the company faces is the unavailability of homeowners when its employees are making rounds to replace the old black meters.
The company would also use this opportunity to relocate meters to an area where it is easily accessible to both homeowners and SKELEC meter readers and replace any damaged meter or wires in the vicinity.
Fraites said that although the company has begun its public notification by mail and word of mouth of the impending implementation of the Smart Meters, it would also employ a follow-up system beginning in October.
“Even though we have basically sent out the notices to all customers that we would be doing it in the future, we would do a follow-up with the specific areas to say we would be in your area next week Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday between whatever times.”
The PRO had told SKNVibes recently that the project would take a number of years for its completion.
Smart Meters would help the company monitor the amount of energy they are pushing through their systems in particular areas across the islands. It would also be able to monitor the levels of energy it is losing at any given time and “shave off the cost of producing energy” as well as allowing customers to monitor their energy consumption.
