RG&E to launch massive smart meter project in Rochester region. What you need to know

The Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. has announced that it will install 700,000 smart electric and natural gas meters in its Rochester division over the next three years, starting in April.

The division includes parts of Monroe, Orleans, Wayne, Livingston and Genesee counties

This installation of smart meters, which are expected to be completed between April and 2025, is the second of its kind for the company within the Rochester region, said company spokeswoman Shelby Cohen. The company last month announced that it will install 26,000 smart meters in its Sodus division - which includes Wayne and Cayuga counties - in July.

RG&E's parent company Avangrid already has a pilot smart meter program underway in Ithaca, where installation of smart meters started last fall.

The utility company is holding an open house for residents, business owners and municipal officials to learn more about the upcoming installations, the scope of the work, timeline and customer benefits.

The open house will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11 at the Greece Town Hall, 1 Vince Tofany Blvd. in Greece, Cohen said. Additional open houses will be scheduled throughout the rollout, she said.

Cohen said that the first installations will take place in neighborhoods throughout Rochester, Henrietta and Greece.

What is a smart meter?

A smart meter is an electronic device that will be attached to the wall of your basement or the exterior of your house just like the meter you have now. But unlike the old electro-mechanical meters, which measure usage by counting the revolutions of little disks, these new meters use microprocessors to track your energy use.

The goal of the smart meter is to drastically reduce estimated billing, and to improve billing accuracy, according to company officials. The company has been widely criticized for recent billing problems that range from incorrect bills sent to customers to very late bills being sent.

All residential and most business customers in the service area will receive the new smart meter, which will remain at the same location at a customer's property. Cohen said there is no cost for customer to receive the new smart meters.

Customers will be notified before technicians arrive to complete the work, Cohen said. Most customers will not need to take any action to receive a new smart meter. Technicians will alert a customer if the meter upgrade cannot be completed and may request the customer schedule an appointment. Customers can also opt-out and keep their current meter, and pay a monthly fee of $11.56.

For more information about smart meters, go to rge.com/smartmeters.

RG&E billing issues coverage

• New president of RG&E and NYSEG opens up about billing issues, public outcry

• Unsure how to complain about RG&E, NYSEG energy bill? Here's who to call.

• What does that term mean? How to read your utility bill from NYSEG, RG&E

• A $345 utility bill became $68,000 as NYSEG, RG&E confront billing fiasco. What happened?

• RG&E hires virtual customer service employees to assist with billing issues, reduce wait times

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: RG&E smart meters coming to Rochester NY. What you need to know