PNM to roll out smart meters for every customer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – PNM plans to roll out new smart meters to every customer, giving people real-time energy-use data and reducing the need for manual meter readings.

PNM said the new meters will let customers track daily energy use in more detail and help them see how to use energy more efficiently to save money at home.

The company also said the technology could help address a meter-reader shortage the company faced this summer.

“Meters right now have to be read manually, right? They need a meter reader and smart meters reduce that,” said Eric Chavez with PNM.

After KOB 4 posted about the new smart meters in a local Facebook group, er heard from several people who said they thought they already had one.

Gabrielle Nickles of Alamogordo was one of them. Nickles said she uses a time-of-day rate with a more advanced digital meter.

Nickles told KOB 4 she already had trouble getting answers about how her current meter works and about meter estimates over the last few months.

“I had to look up these smart meters. I looked up the meter model. I couldn’t find much information on it, but I was trying to get as much as I could,” said Gabrielle Nickles. “They need to explain what all those numbers mean. we were never explained what these numbers mean. And I’ve had to look through other avenues to try to figure it out. and i still don’t have 100% accuracy or confidence.”

PNM said the new smart meters will roll out late this year.

The company said every customer will eventually get a new smart meter and customers do not need to do anything to sign up.