VINLEC outlines shift from mechanical to digital meters

St Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) held a press briefing this week to explain how its metering technology has evolved and how the company measures electricity consumption.

The utility previously used electromechanical meters, but has moved to AMR (Automated Meter Reading) digital meters, which have been standard in the industry for about two decades, according to Senior Transmission and Distribution Engineer Stanley Harris.

Unlike the older mechanical meters with moving parts, the new digital meters are fully electronic and use sensors to pick up current and voltage. A microprocessor then performs continuous calculations to measure energy consumption, rather than relying on the proportional movement of mechanical components.

"The meter has no moving parts. The meter is fully electronic," Harris explained at the briefing held at the company's generation plant at Cane Hall on Tuesday, September 22.

The briefing, titled "From the Meter to the Bill", covered how electricity consumption is measured, smart meter features and accuracy, fuel surcharges, and how charges appear on customer bills.

CEO Dr. Vaughn Lewis raised concerns about rising electricity costs, noting that VINLEC will spend over EC$100 million this year importing fuel to generate electricity, the first time in the company's history that spending has exceeded that threshold. He attributed increased household consumption partly to rising atmospheric temperatures affecting the utility's approximately 50,000 customers.

The briefing also addressed renewable energy options. VINLEC has considered wind generation for the windward coast but shelved those plans due to nearby residential communities. Geothermal exploration falls outside VINLEC's scope, though the company supports it as a potential solution to rising fuel costs.

Dr. Lewis said VINLEC encourages households to install solar systems but will not approve battery storage for residential use due to safety concerns, though large private sector installations may be permitted. He noted that current electricity legislation would need to change to enable broader adoption of these technologies.