LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - You ask, we listen.
An electronic device on a power pole in Hillcrest has gotten the attention of some homeowners.
They want to what it is and why it's there.
So, 11 Listens got answers.
Neighbors in the Hillcrest area said they noticed a device on the corner of north Martin Street and Hill Road. No one saw it being installed, so they reached out to THV11 asking, "Is there a way to find out what it is and why it's there?"
We put a call into Entergy and went to check it out for ourselves. Tommy Thornton with Entergy Arkansas explained, “This is a relay device that's going to be part of the infrastructure to help get the automated metering data from the customer, back to the company.”
Entergy is upgrading its systems with new technology, which means every customer will get a new automated meter, equipped with a network radio. The radio transmits meter readings to the access points, housed on the electric pole.
The data is then transmitted to the utility through a secure cellular network. But before the meters are put in place, these relay devices need to be installed.
"The installation of these relays and AP devices started in Arkansas about three weeks ago and we're going to install about 10,000 across the state," said Thornton.
The advanced meters will be put in place beginning in January of 2019. "The relay installation will go ahead of the meter deployment about 3 months and so this will be a 3-year process,” said Thornton.
Right now, customers have to wait until the end of the month to view their energy use. But Entergy said this new digital technology will give customers more control. Once the meter is installed, they can access their online account and view their daily usage, displayed in 15-minute increments. "They're going to be able to see this or modify or make adjustments to their behavior that may assist in their bill," said Thornton.
The advanced metering will also help them identify outages more accurately and respond to outages more quickly. "We'll know if there's an outage in the area a whole lot faster that will assist in getting the resources out here to get the power going again,” he added.
Entergy said it hopes it paves the way for smarter energy in the future. Entergy said it's already started informing customers about the advanced meters and how they'll provide secure two-way communication between them and the customer.
If you have a question or concern about something, send us an email to 11listens@thv11.com.