Landis + Gyr will install over 1 million gas and electricity smart meters for CPS Energy in San Antonio, Texas bringing the total number of meters for which Landis is under contract for that state to over five million.
CPS serves approximately 707,000 electricity customers and 322,000 natural gas customers in the region. The utility wants to gets its smart meter network fully operational by 2015. Like smart meter deployments elsewhere, CPS' network will grow in size and complexity as time goes on. It will start with automated meter reading and graduate to energy management.
Landis is also part of the Oncor smart meter project in the state, which has drawn complaints from residents alleging that the smart meters have caused their electricity bills to spike. Both Oncor and Landis have denied that the meters have caused bills to rise -- the largest number of calls are coming from households that use space heaters. Nonetheless, the Texas PUC is looking into the issue. A similar conflict in northern California has been brewing over the PG&E/Silver Spring smart grid deployment there.
Not everyone hates smart meters, though. Silver Spring and OG&E Electrical Services received positive customer feedback after a trial in Oklahoma by underscoring the benefits to the consumer, while Toronto Hydro has seen positive results with its massive consumer outreach program.