ROANOKE, Va., January 24, 2005  – Approximately 50,000 Appalachian Power customers in the Roanoke Valley will get new electrical meters installed over the next several months as the company increases the use of automated meter reading equipment.  Radio frequency (RF) meters allow the company to remotely read meters using either a handheld or mobile unit, usually without even having to walk on a customer’s property.
 
“This is an exciting technology that allows the company to read meters more efficiently with a high degree of accuracy and an increased element of safety,” said Bill Valley, Appalachian’s manager, meter revenue operations – Virginia.
 
Customers in Roanoke played a key role in the company’s decision to increase the use of automated meter reading equipment. In 2003, approximately 8,500 Roanoke customers got new RF meters.
 
“After reviewing the results of the pilot, it appeared that using automated meter reading in some strategic areas made sense in terms of safety, reliability and efficiency,” Valley said.
 
RF meters are most effective in more densely populated areas like Roanoke where a meter reader can simply walk or drive down a block and have the data downloaded to a handheld unit.
 
In a separate project later this year, Appalachian will begin to install Powerline Carrier (PLC) metering equipment for 12,000 customers in the Gate City area. This technology monitors electricity consumption and carries the data back to Appalachian over electrical lines and phone lines. It is more effective in rural areas.
 
Approximately 200,000 AEP customers across the company’s 11-state service territory will get new automated meter reading equipment installed in 2005.
 
The installation of the equipment should go virtually unnoticed by customers. Neither system affects the customer’s service or readings. Customers who will have meters exchanged will be notified of the change by letter, and a door hanger will be left when the installation is complete.
 
Appalachian Power provides electricity to 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee.  It is a unit of American Electric Power, the nation’s largest electricity generator.  AEP owns more than 36,000 megawatts of generating capacity and is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, with more than 5 million customers in 11 states.