VESTAL, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – NYSEG is swapping out old electric and gas meters for new smart meters which will allow consumers to better manage their energy usage.

We caught up with a NYSEG technician as she was installing the new meters at a home in Vestal.

The electric meters simply snap into the same housing as the old meters. Customers will lose power for about 10 minutes during the process. The gas meters simply have a new module swapped out on their front with no disruption of service.

The new electric meters can transmit their readings every 15 minutes, while the gas meters transmit daily. As a result, NYSEG will no longer have to use estimated readings every other month. Plus, they’ll know more quickly if there’s a power outage.

Community Relations Manager Joe Rusin says there are other benefits as well.

“If there’s a voltage issue, so if there’s a voltage issue on the customer side or on our side, we get a signal. So that will help us with reliability so that we can go, ‘Hey, there’s some sort of issue over there,’ take a look and possibly prevent an outage. Because we can address things before things actually happen,” said Rusin.

The installation process began in late August in the Binghamton District which includes Broome County and portions of Chenango, Tioga and Cortland Counties.

Customers will receive both a postcard in the mail and a telephone call in advance. For the 18% of customers who have indoor meters, an appointment will be made.

NYSEG stresses that the smart meters only transmit the same meter readings that a meter reader would see.

No personal information is sent, and the meters cannot control a customer’s energy usage. However, once the conversion is completed in a neighborhood, customers will be able to check their usage online or through an app and make choices about electric use during cheaper off-peak times.

For more information, go to nyseg.com/smartmeters.