The municipal utility in Vermont’s largest city is installing "smart meter digital devices to help track electricity use and eventually save power and money.
The first meter was installed by a Burlington Electric Department crew Monday on Locust Terrace.
Burlington Electric General Manager Barbara Grimes says the new meters will provide residents and business owners with detailed profiles of their power consumption. They will be installed in neighborhoods throughout the city.
The Burlington Free Press says the utility plans to install about 130 of the meters a day. There are an estimated 20,000 meters in the city.
The Burlington project will cost about $6.8 million. A federal grant covers half the cost.
The department predicts the city will break even after about 30 years of the meters in use.