Q: When will I receive the new meter?
A: In late 2023 we installed approximately 500 meters to ensure our system integrations work as designed. We began installing advanced meters at customers’ homes and businesses throughout our service area beginning in February 2024 and plan to complete installations in early 2025. You can expect to receive mailings from us a few weeks before we upgrade your meter. Please see the "How we install advanced meters" section above for more information.
Q. Do your employees and contractors carry identification?
A. It’s good to be on the lookout for scammers. Our employees and contractors will carry identification that notes they are employed or contracted by Otter Tail Power Company. Please call us at 800-257-4044 if you need to verify.
As a reminder, neither Otter Tail Power employees nor our authorized contractors’ employees—like Allegiant—will accept or request payment from you. You can find more scam warning signs at otpco.com/AvoidScams.
Q. Can I keep the current meter?
A. All customers in our service area will receive a new advanced meter. The current electromechanical meters have served us and our customers well for many, many years and updating our entire meter fleet with new advanced meters will improve accuracy and functionality. By upgrading all customer meters, we’re also gaining efficiencies by using a single meter platform for consistency in employee service and support.
If you’d like to consider disabling communications from the new advanced meter, please see the “Curious about opting out of advanced meter installation?” section above.
Q. How much does AMI cost me?
A. While you won’t receive a bill for meter installation, we do recover costs for AMI through bill riders in each of the states we serve. In the long term, AMI helps keep costs low by eliminating many manual tasks we currently include in our rates.
Q. Will this mean you can control electricity at any time?
A. We control electricity to your home or business only if you’ve enrolled in one of our optional off-peak programs or in the rare occasion the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) would call upon Otter Tail Power to conduct controlled service interruptions to help maintain reliability of the electric grid. MISO is the organization that oversees energy delivery from utilities across the central United States.
Q. Can Otter Tail Power shut off my power remotely?
A. Advanced meters do provide the ability to remotely connect and disconnect service, which is more efficient for both our customers and our employees.
We won’t disconnect service to a customer with past-due bills unless we’ve contacted them multiple times and provided written notification. If you’re having trouble paying your electric bill, please call us at 800-257-4044 as soon as you can to discuss possible payment arrangements or visit otpco.com/HelpPaying for additional resources.
Q. How often will you access data from the meter?
A. With advanced meters, we’ll receive meter use data at varying frequencies:
- Daily, for billing.
- Every four hours, to:
- Assist with troubleshooting power quality issues.
- Model current and new rate designs that better meet customer needs.
- Support reliability and system improvements.
- Instantaneous, as needed, to inform outage restoration efforts or other issues.
Q. How is Otter Tail Power using data from the meter?
A. We use meter data to generate bills, assist with troubleshooting power quality issues, inform outage restoration efforts, model current and new rate designs that better meet customer needs, and support reliability and system improvements.
Q. Where can I find my meter use information?
A. Once we’ve installed advanced meters for all customers, we’ll integrate meter use information into your online account. You'll be able to find your meter use information by logging in to My Account.
Q. How are you protecting my meter use information?
A. To mitigate the risk of cybersecurity incidents, we steadfastly adopt and maintain policies, processes, controls, and technologies to maintain physical, electronic, and information security. We test these policies, processes, controls, and technologies regularly with internal and external resources. And we actively participate on boards of directors and in programs and organizations designed to keep cybersecurity at the forefront. Data is encrypted in your meter before it’s sent to us.
Vendors that support our systems may occasionally have access to meter data for maintenance, support, and troubleshooting. Approved system users will see account numbers and location numbers associated with individual meters but will not have access to customer names or billing information. Any data access is only to support our company’s business needs.
Q. Are advanced meters safe?
A. Advanced meters transmit radio frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) signals that emit low-energy radiation similar to Wi-Fi and cell phones.
Our advanced metering network was designed, built, and tested by Landis + Gyr to be compliant with all applicable FCC regulations for power output and radiated emissions. According to Landis + Gyr, the network (including advanced meters) complies “with acceptable safe levels of human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields as defined by FCC OET Bulletin 65.” The advanced meters “use a radio that transmits at a peak output power of between 23 dBm and 25 dBm, which is equivalent to 250-400 milliwatts. The FCC limit for this application is 1 watt at the source, meaning meters transmit at an average power level that is one-third or less of the FCC limit.”
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