Loveland is joining more than 75% of other US cities in launching an advanced metering system (known as “advanced metering infrastructure” or AMI) city-wide, which will drastically improve Loveland Water and Power (LWP) operations and customer experience.

Our city-wide deployment of AMI, which will exchange existing electric meters for advanced meters, is now underway and take up to two years to complete.

Loveland’s transition to AMI is a local part of a mandatory state-wide transition to 100% renewable energy generation; managing electric grids powered exclusively by renewable energy requires more advanced electric usage and demand measurement, achieved through AMI.

AMI deployment map

Here’s an interactive map showing our deployment timeline and when AMI will arrive in your neighborhood:

What to expect with your AMI installation

Meter installation process

1. Check what AMI Deployment Zone your home is in. See the map of AMI Deployment Zones above showing when we’ll be exchanging meters in each zone.
2. Get notified 1-2 weeks before your electric meter exchange. We’ll notify you closer to your exact meter exchange date. If the contact information on your utility account needs updating, give us a call at 970-962-2111.
3. Receive your new electric meter. Crews from SiteWise, our City-selected contractor handling AMI installations, will knock on your door to let you know of their arrival and install your new electric meter. All pets must be indoors, and any gates restricting access to your electric meter(s) must be unlocked for crews. Installations usually take 10 minutes or less and may require a brief power outage. If you need to schedule a specific time for your installation, options for scheduling will be communicated 1-2 weeks before your meter change. SiteWise crews will leave a door hanger on your door after your meter change is completed with any information you need to know.

If you have any questions about AMI during our deployment process, call us at 970-962-3000 or continue reading this webpage.

Our most frequently asked questions about AMI installations

Since our citywide AMI deployment began, here are the most common questions we’ve received:

Quick links

What's AMI?

AMI is a technology solution that allows us to read your utility meters remotely without having to access the meters located at your home. For years, LWP has read meters using meter readers, requiring monthly visits to every property in our city before sending utility bills showing the previous month’s utility usage. With AMI, LWP and its customers will both be able to access usage information, all the time.

Here are some FAQs we hear about AMI:

Benefits of AMI

Here are AMI's primary benefits:

1. Convenience and empowerment: LWP customers can have access to their utility usage information 24/7 via an online portal and can expect fewer visits from utility personnel since meter reading will be done remotely. Real-world example: Right now, you can see that you paid more for electricity this month compared to last month, but it's up to you to figure out why. With AMI, you'll have much more data (hourly usage trends, categorical sources of household electric use) to help you understand your usage and how to mitigate higher costs.
2. Speed and accuracy: AMI meters are extremely accurate and make our billing process much more efficient. Near real-time meter alerts will allow us to immediately identify issues, like leaks and outages, and respond to customer concerns more quickly. Real-world example: If we have a power outage today, our crews will be notified about the outage but not specifically which homes and businesses are impacted. With advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), crews are notified immediately which properties are without power and can begin restoring power faster.
3. Enhanced customer service: Our staff will be able to answer customer questions more effectively with the increased insights that AMI provides.
4. Greater environmental stewardship: Remote meter reading means fewer trucks on the road, reducing emissions and benefiting the environment. In addition, AMI’s data will allow us to make even smarter decisions about energy allocation as we continue shifting our energy production to 100% carbon-free energy sources.

AMI deployment

Our city-wide AMI deployment will begin in February 2024 and take up to two years to complete. Here’s an interactive map showing our deployment timeline, and when AMI will be coming to your neighborhood:

Here’s how our AMI deployment will work:

Step 1: New meter installation

LWP customers in each AMI deployment area (you can track deployment using the map above) receive a new electric meter(s).

Step 2: New meters connected to our city network

Once installed, the advanced meters begin delivering electric usage information securely to the city’s network.

Step 3: Usage information delivered to LWP

Our utility billing offices wirelessly receive meter readings needed for billing purposes. We also receive important alerts that help our crews respond faster to service disruptions such as leaks and outages; if there’s ever a power outage, we’ll immediately be able to see exactly where the outage is occurring and respond to help, instead of waiting on reports and crew investigation.

Step 4: Usage information accessible via online portal

In the future our customers will be able to view and monitor their daily water and electricity usage using an online portal, allowing them to make more informed decisions. The online portal will not yet be available during the AMI deployment process; stay tuned for updates.

FAQs

Here's a full list of FAQs related to our AMI deployment: