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Smart Meter FAQs

It’s a digital meter that communicates between your residence or business and O&R through a secure wireless communication network.

Think of a smart meter as your tool for more convenience and control. Smart meters will give you online access to detailed information about your energy use so you can make informed choices about how and when you use energy in your home or business.

Traditional meters and automated meters record total energy consumption, which we collect on a monthly basis. Smart meters record and transmit your energy consumption regularly throughout the day (via a secure wireless network) and will help us create a smart grid for Orange and Rockland counties. Learn more about the smart grid.

  • Smart meters will give you online access to detailed information about your daily energy use and customized information to help you conserve energy and save money.
  • Smart meters will alert us immediately about problems, so we can get to work restoring power even faster.
  • If you use solar energy, a smart meter will help us manage these renewable resources more efficiently.

Yes. Smart meters will alert us about most outages in your neighborhood. But it is important that you continue to tell us about any problems you are having so that we can address them as quickly as possible.

We take cyber security seriously, so all information is transmitted through an encrypted network. Our cybersecurity measures follow standards for smart meters set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and are comparable to those used by financial institutions.

Smart meters do not collect, store, or transmit any personal information. Like a traditional meter, the only information collected is the amount of energy you use, and all your energy usage information is kept confidential by O&R and our vendors. O&R adheres to all New York and New Jersey laws that regulate the use of personal information for business functions, such as billing and customer service. Read our privacy policy here Read our privacy policy here.

It takes about two weeks for your detailed energy usage information to begin to show on your account dashboard.

Smart meters communicate over a secure wireless communication network using the same type of extremely low-frequency radio signals that allow you to use your smart phone, listen to the radio, or watch TV. Your meter transmits data to a system of access points on utility poles, which send your usage information to us.

You can choose to not have a smart meter installed. By opting out you will miss out on all the benefits, including the ability to save money and energy by managing your energy usage.

If you choose not to have a smart meter you will incur the following charges:

New York customers:

  • You will be charged a monthly meter-reading fee of $10 for gas or electric service only or $15 for both.
  • You will be charged a penalty of $25 if O&R is unable to obtain access to read your meter for eight consecutive months. (Commercial customers will be charged $100 if we are unable to obtain access to read your meter for two consecutive months).
  • If you choose to have your smart meters taken out, you will be charged $45 per electric meter, $55 per gas meter or $90 for dual-service customers.

New Jersey customers:

  • You will be charged a monthly meter-reading fee of $15 for electric service.
  • If you choose to have your smart meter taken out, you will be charged $45 per electric meter.

You may also be required to relocate meters to an accessible area, at your expense, if O&R is unable to obtain access for any two months in a 12-month period. As an alternative, you may also agree to the installation of a smart meter or smart gas module.

If you change your mind at a later date, we will install smart meters at no cost.

If you don’t want a smart meter:

  1. Call us at 1-877-434-4100 to get more information about your options and costs associated with opting out.
  2. After that, fill out, for our Orange & Rockland New York customers, the Smart Meter Opt-Out form NY - English (PDF) or Smart Meter Opt-Out form NY - Spanish (PDF) 
    or, for our Rockland Electric New Jersey customers, the Smart Meter Opt-Out form NJ (PDF) or Smart Meter Opt-Out form NJ - Spanish (PDF)
  3. Email the completed form to Customer Assistance.
  4. Or mail it to:
    Orange & Rockland
    Attn: Customer Accounting Department 390
    West Route 59
    Spring Valley, NY 10977

Have more questions? Call: 1-877-434-4100

If you have an automated meter reading device, which allows meter readings to be taken from the street or a passing vehicle, you can choose to have it removed. By opting out, you will not receive the benefit of automated meter readings, which do not require a representative to visit your home.

If you choose not to have automated meter reading, Orange & Rockland will be required to send a meter reader to your home. You will be charged for this and may also incur the following additional charges:

  • You will be charged a monthly meter-reading fee of $10 for gas or electric service only or $15 for both.
  • You will be charged a penalty of $25 if O&R is unable to obtain access to read your meter for eight consecutive months. (Commercial customers will be charged $100 if we are unable to obtain access to read your meter for two consecutive months).
  • If automated meter reading devices have already been installed, you will be charged $45 per electric meter, $55 per gas meter or $90 for dual-service customers.

You may also be required to relocate meters to an accessible area, at your expense, if O&R is unable to obtain access for any two months in a 12-month period. As an alternative, you may also agree to the installation of an automated meter reading device or a smart meter.

If you change your mind at a later date, we will install an automated meter reading device or smart meter at no cost.

If you don’t want an automated meter reading device:
1. Call us at 1-877-434-4100 to get more information about your options and costs associated with opting out.
2. After that, fill out the Automated Meter Reading Opt-Out form.

Have more questions? Call: 1-877-434-4100

Mail the completed form to:
Orange & Rockland
Attn: Customer Accounting Department 390
West Route 59
Spring Valley, NY 10977

Any device that uses wireless technology produces low-level radio frequency emissions. Radio frequency levels produced by everyday items such as cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, and baby monitors are far below the limits identified as safe by the Federal Communications Commission.

Compared to these common devices, smart meters transmit radio frequency at extremely low signal strength. Data from a recent field study and analysis of our smart meters conducted by The Electric Power Research Institute and iMEC, an independent research lab based at Ghent University in Belgium, confirmed this.

The list of organizations that consider smart meters safe includes the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute, Federal Communications Commission, and Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization.

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