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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Bob Freeman |
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Freeman proposal would require ‘smart meters’ for all electrical customers
HARRISBURG, Nov. 14 – State Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, is introducing legislation that would require electric utilities to provide “smart meter” technology to all customers, and to offer rate information that would allow customers to shift their electricity use voluntarily to non-peak periods and save money on their electric utility bills.
“Smart meters are a vital tool for conserving energy, cutting pollution, protecting electric grid reliability and reducing the need to construct new power plants and transmission lines,” Freeman said. “I believe that smart meters are fundamentally about empowering customers to save money and energy by providing them the information to respond to changes in electricity prices as those changes happen.”
Smart meters allow customers to see how much electricity they use at any given time. Freeman said that when smart meters are used in conjunction with known electricity rates at peak and off-peak times, residential customers can see significant savings in their electricity bills, no matter the size of the household.
“Under my legislation, electric companies would have nine years to phase in smart meters to customers across the state,” Freeman said. “Some utilities, such as PPL in the Lehigh Valley, have already provided them to customers. The company has also benefited from this technology because smart meters make it easier to identify service outages and reduce customer complaints, questions and billing disputes.
“It’s been proven that reducing demand translates to long-term savings. A statewide poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research earlier this year found that a majority of Pennsylvanians support and want this technology. We have an opportunity to put Pennsylvania consumers at the forefront of energy and financial savings, and I urge quick legislative action on this proposal.”
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Attention Radio News Directors: an actuality from Rep. Freeman is available by calling 1-800-452-3001. Enter PA136 (7-2-136) and the pound sign (#) at the menu prompt to get today’s sound. You can also download the sound in .mp3 format by visiting www.pahouse.com/mediacenter.
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CONTACT: Ruth A. Myers |