Pacific Power floats "fixed-bill pilot" program in lieu of opt-out fees

PORTLAND, Ore. – Pacific Power is addressing public concerns about their policy of charging people to “opt-out” of smart meter installations.

The electrical utility provider began rolling out new smart meters which remotely track power usage as opposed to having the meters manually read each month.

For customers who want to opt-out of the smart meter installations, Pacific Power planned on charging them a $36 monthly fee. Many people in Oregon felt the additional fee was too much.

In order to address customer concerns, Pacific Power announced a proposal for a new “fixed-bill pilot” program for those wishing to opt out. It’s designed to lessen the financial impacts of a monthly $36 meter reading fee by reducing the number of annual meter readings. In addition, each power bill will be the same each month.

If the pilot program is approved by Oregon’s Public Utility Commission, it could be available to an initial group of 200 customers as early as March.