FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC) Application for a Certificate of Public ...

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Response:
FortisBC Inc. (FortisBC or the Company)
Application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity
for the Advanced Metering Infrastructure Project
Response to British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC or the Commission)
Information Request (IR) No. 1
Submission Date:
October 5, 2012
Page 14
6.5.1 Has FortisBC considered replacing only the electromechanical meters at
this time and the 35,000 digital meters closer to the end of their useful
life? Please discuss this alternative.
FortisBC has considered replacing only the electro-mechanical meters with AMI meters at this
time, and replacing the digital meters at the end of their useful life.
This alternative has not been pursued as it would negate much of the benefit of an AMI system.
For example, the main financial benefits of an AMI system – decreasing meter reading costs
and reducing theft – both require a full deployment of AMI meters in an area to be realised.
Since the current digital meters are not concentrated in a geographical area, these efficiencies
would not be realised across the entire FortisBC service area.
Response:
6.6 Please describe how with 162,000 customers (p.15) only approximately 115,000
are metered customers.
The 162,000 customer count referenced on page 15 of the Application refers to the total direct
and indirect customer count served by FortisBC. For clarity, direct customers (approximately
115,000) are those customers served directly (metered and billed) by FortisBC within its service
territory. The remaining approximately 47,000 indirect customers are those customers of the
five municipalities (Kelowna, Summerland, Penticton, Grand Forks, Nelson) to which FortisBC
provides wholesale service. FortisBC’s proposed AMI Project will only impact the metering
technology for the Company’s direct customers.