CANTON, Ohio, July 30, 2012 – Approximately 204,000 AEP Ohio customers throughout the service territory will receive updated electric meters over the next several months as the company expands the use of automated meter reading (AMR) technology. AMR technology provides a means of reading electric meters remotely.

The company will install radio frequency (RF) meters that send information over radio waves making it possible for meter readers to gather meter information remotely using either a handheld device or a vehicle mounted mobile unit. AMR meters only transmit meter readings which are collected by the meter reader remotely unlike Smart meters which use two-way communications to receive and transmit information between the meter and the utility on a continuous basis.

"The main purpose of installing the AMR meters is to increase meter reading percentages across AEP Ohio service territory and reduce the number of estimated bills. In addition, the decision to strategically increase the use of AMR technology will provide a safer work environment for AEP Ohio employees," said Doug Ickes, AEP Ohio’s Manager of Meter Revenue Operations.

The project will start at the beginning of August and should be completed by the end of the first quarter in 2013. AEP Ohio is partnering with Metadigm for the installation of meters across the AEP Ohio service territory. Meter installations will be conducted Monday through Saturday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and should go virtually unnoticed by customers. Customers will be notified by mail if their meter will be replaced and a door hanger will be left when the installation is complete.

For more information regarding the Automated Meter Reading (AMR) project, contact our 24 hour Customer Solution Center at 1-800-672-2231 or visit our website at https://aepohio.com/info/projects/AMR/ .

AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers of major AEP subsidiaries Columbus Southern Power Company and Ohio Power Company in Ohio, and Wheeling Power Company in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power.

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