WATCH: SoCal Gas Co. Begins Installing Advanced Meters in Cerritos & Artesia

Cerritos and Artesia residents and businesses will soon have a better understanding of their energy usage as Southern California Gas Co. has begun upgrading its natural gas metering system by installing advanced meters in the two communities.

(Watch the SoCalGas Advanced Meter video to better understand how the new installations will affect you. You can also download the Advanced Meter facts sheet in the image carousel for more information.)

How Do the Advanced Meters Help Customers?

The new communications device will transmit hourly gas usage data from a customer’s home or business, and SoCalGas will make the usage information available online for the customer the next business day.         

The advanced meter device enables the utility company to more efficiently serve its customers by providing them with information that helps them better understand and manage gas use and costs, identify sudden usage spikes, obtain information on energy usage online, and have more privacy and security. This in turn will empower customers and help them make more informed decisions and better control their energy bills. 

How the Meters Work

With an advanced meter, gas usage will be measured just as it is today by a current meter and bills will continue to be based on a monthly read of natural gas usage. However, the utility will no longer need to come by a customer’s property each month to manually read a gas meter. Instead, the advanced meter communication device will turn on for a fraction of a second each day to automatically read and transmit gas usage information and send it directly to SoCalGas’ communication network. No personally-identifiable information will be transmitted, and gas usage information will be encrypted for added security for the customer.

When Will the Upgrades Take Place?

Overall, SoCalGas is planning to upgrade approximately six million natural gas meters with the communication device. Installations will take place throughout the SoCalGas service territory through 2017. Currently, SoCalGas is installing the communication device on meters in Southeast Los Angeles County, including Cerritos and Artesia. The installations will continue throughout 2013.  SoCalGas will notify customers a few weeks prior to their advanced meter installation.

The installations will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be performed by SoCalGas employees during normal business hours. In most cases, customers will not need to be present, and should not have an interruption to their natural gas service.

For more information, customers can visit SoCalGas’ advanced meter website, socalgas.com/advanced or by calling toll-free at (800) 427-2200 or (800) 342-4545 in Spanish.