About Smart Meters

Smart meters are devices that send near real-time electric-use information from our customers’ homes and businesses to PSE&G via a secure communications network.

They are part of PSE&G’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) program, which connects smart meters to PSE&G system-monitoring and customer applications. This will create an integrated, two-way communications system between customers and PSE&G.

Smart Meter Benefits

Smart meters provide a number of benefits, including:

• Near real-time meter reading that is even more accurate, and the elimination of almost all estimated electric bills.
• Enhanced electric-use information for customers that will allow you to make more informed energy decisions.
• Near real-time power-outage detection and more efficient power restoration following storms.
• Reduced PSE&G carbon dioxide emissions in the short-term, and the enabling of more renewable energy projects and more robust energy efficiency efforts in the long-term.

These are just some of the benefits that smart meters will provide now and into the future.

Smart Meter Safety

Smart meters are safe. They use low power radio frequency (RF) that is generally far less than RF used by devices already in the home such as baby monitors, cell phones, microwaves, TVs and wireless routers. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there are more than 110 million smart meters already installed at about 70% of homes across the country.

Privacy and Cybersecurity

Smart meters do not collect, store or transmit any personal information.
PSE&G also has a comprehensive cybersecurity plan to protect the data that the smart meters do collect, and we will only use this information to provide better service to customers.  PSE&G will not sell this data to third parties.

What You Can Expect

Smart Meter Installation Schedule
Smart meter installations began in 2021, but most customers will have a smart meter installed between 2022 and 2024.  The exact timing of the installation will depend on the geographic location of your home or business as workers make their way through PSE&G electric service territory from the north, south and west.

Installation Details

• PSE&G has hired Contract Callers, Inc. (CCI) to perform most smart meter installations.
• Either a PSE&G employee, or a CCI employee, will install the new smart meter. Both PSE&G and CCI employees will use marked vehicles and carry photo identification.
• We will send you a letter before we replace the existing electric meter with a new smart meter.
• If the meter is located outside and is accessible, you don’t need to be available at the time of the installation, but are required to make an appointment for the meter change. 
• Most installations take only a few minutes, and there will be a brief power interruption while the technician changes the meter. We will let you know that we installed your new smart meter.
• Our smart meter quality-control vendor, TESCO, is conducting installation inspections throughout our electric service territory.  TESCO representatives will also drive marked vehicles and carry photo identification.