Smart Meter Initiative 

As part of our commitment to modernize the energy system, improve reliability and offer our customers greater control over their energy usage, we will be installing 1.5 million next-generation smart meters across Puerto Rico. The Smart Meter Initiative represents the latest island-wide effort to strength the infrastructure that our customers and communities deserve.

  • Improved Outage Identification 
  • Fewer Estimated Bills 
  • Increased Support for Renewables  
  • Greater Control Over Energy Usage 

 

Improved outage identification

Greater Control Over Energy Usage

Fewer Estimated Bills

Increased Support for Renewables

What You Should Know

  • Smart meters will transform energy service and bring important improvements for all our customers across Puerto Rico. 
  • Both the assessments and installation of smart will be at no cost to the customer 
  • LUMA will inform customers of any repairs that need to be made to the customer’s owned equipment.   
  • For information of what is LUMA’s responsibility and what is the responsibility of the customer, please refer to LUMA’s Terms & Conditions 
  •  This work will occur in three phases 
    • Phase 1: Meter assessments     
    •  Phase 2: Smart meter installation 
    • Phase 3: Future enhancements to Mi LUMA account portal.
  • Approximately 30% of existing electric meters in Puerto Rico are more than 20 years old. The current systems for reading meters are antiquated and nearing or past the end of their operational life.  
  • The new single, enhanced network will modernize the system, improving efficiency and performance for a better overall energy experience. 
  • Meter assessments are underway across the island and being performed by LUMA authorized technicians.  
  • The island-wide installation phase will occur over the next few years.  
  • Customers can look forward to future enhancements to their Mi LUMA portal, including benefits such as viewing their hourly energy usage, setting up high energy usage alerts, and much more!  
  • To help keep customers and key stakeholders informed, we will proactively share information before starting work.  

Smart Meter Benefits 

Traditional electric meters, like those currently installed across Puerto Rico, only measure a customer’s energy use. In comparison, the new smart meters we will be installing use the latest technology to automatically communicate energy usage data back to LUMA throughout the day. Importantly, smart meters are safe and secure. 

Key benefits include:  

Improved Outage Identification:Smart meters will communicate directly with LUMA, enabling the identification, response, and resolution of service interruptions more efficiently.

Fewer Estimated Bills: Smart meters will reduce estimated bills through daily automated meter reads, providing you with monthly bills that reflect your energy usage. 

Increased Support for Renewables: Smart meters will support the growth of renewable energy by enabling smart grid technologies that help facilitate the integration of renewable sources, including solar and energy battery storage systems. 

Greater Control Over Energy Usage: Smart meters provide customers with more detailed information to better manage energy consumption.

What to Expect During Smart Meter Installation

Do customers need to prepare anything before installation?

  • Customers will receive a postcard, doorhanger, and an automated phone call in the days leading up to the installation. 
  • The technician will need clear access to the existing meter. Please remove any debris or obstructions from the area, and make sure pets are secured indoors. 
  • If the meter is not accessible at the time of installation, the technician will leave a door hanger with instructions to contact 1-844-888-5862 to schedule a follow-up appointment. 
  • For more information or to schedule an appointment, customers can call 1-844-888-5862 and select option #3. 

What can customers expect the day of installation?

  • Customers do not need to be home for the installation unless we need help accessing the meter (for example, if it’s located inside or behind a locked gate). 
  • If the meter is outdoors, the installer will not need to enter the home. 
  • Customers will experience a brief service interruption during the installation process. 
  • In some cases, unexpected issues may cause additional delays. 
  • The technician will visually inspect the current meter to make sure there are no visible safety issues. 
  • After the smart meter installation, a door hanger will be left confirming completion. If a problem is identified and the installation is unsuccessful, a door hanger will be left, and customers will need to contact 1-844-888-5862 for more information. 

What can customers expect after installation? 

  • We are currently working on enhancing the Mi LUMA app to provide new tools that will help customers track and manage energy usage. These new features will include viewing hourly energy consumption, accessing a bill forecast, setting up high bill alerts, and much more!
  • Customer feedback is highly valued. To share thoughts on the installation experience or the technician’s service, customers can complete a quick survey by scanning the QR code on the back of the door hanger.

Customer Responsibility – Customer Owned Equipment

If electrical equipment needs repairs,  please refer to our guidelines to see which components are the utility’s responsibility to repair and which are the customer’s. 

Utility Owned Equipment  

  • Pole – Holds the service drop and transformer to carry energy from LUMA to the customer’s home​.
  • Transformer – Lowers the voltage of energy from LUMA for safer distribution of energy to the customer’s home​.
  • Service point – Denotes the point where the customer’s electric wire (service entrance conductor) connects to the utility’s electric wire (service drop)​.
  • Service drop – Carries the energy from the transformer into the service point and customer’s electric wire (service entrance conductor)​.
  • Electric meter – Records the amount of energy consumed and also the amount of energy the customer provides back to LUMA​ 
  • Underground transformer – Lowers the voltage of energy from LUMA for safer distribution of energy to the customer’s home​ 
  • Underground electric line – Carries the energy from LUMA to the underground transformer.

Customer Owned Equipment  

  • Cable support or bracket – Secures LUMA’s electric line (service drop) to the customer’s house​.
  • Service entrance conductor – Customer’s wire that enters the weatherhead & service mast ​ 
  • Weatherhead & service mast – Provides weather protection for the service entrance conductor and feeds into the meter base & socket​.
  • Meter base & socket – A box that holds the electric meter ​ 
  • Secondary service lateral (underground) – Customer’s wire that carries energy from the underground transformer into the meter base & socket​.

Why do customers need to repair electrical equipment? – Sect. XIV, Art. A​ 

  • Safety Hazards – Damaged or deteriorated equipment can cause electrical fires and expose customers to live wires​.
  • Improved Service – LUMA’s ability to restore customers electric service from outages and overall electric service reliability may be impacted by deteriorated equipment​.
  • Infrastructure Upgrades – New infrastructure such as a smart meter or solar panels cannot be installed until deteriorated equipment is addressed ​.
  • Legally Required – As a LUMA customer, by law, regulation, and service agreement, customers are required to repair equipment; failure to do so may result in a service disconnection or legal action.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Approximately 30% of current electric meters in Puerto Rico are more than 20 years old and, while they measure customer energy usage, they are not able to provide customers and LUMA with detailed usage information or alerts. 
  • Unlike traditional meters, which require manual readings and provide only cumulative data, smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and LUMA to provide near real-time information that keeps everyone informed and up to date.  
  • Smart meters are a proven and safe technology that securely transmits electricity-related information to LUMA. This allows us to detect outages more efficiently and provide customers with detailed energy usage insights, empowering them to better manage their bills and consumption. Additionally, smart meters offer a variety of features designed to enhance energy efficiency.  
  • An authorized LUMA technician will come to your residence to complete the smart meter installation. We will notify you before work begins. All technicians will have clear identification and would identify themselves if asked.  
  • You do not need to be home for the installation, but we will need to reschedule if the existing meter is inaccessible or has safety issues.  
  • Most customers can expect to see the same energy usage on their monthly bills after their smart meter is installed.  
  • Some customers may see a change in their energy usage or monthly bill after installation if they previously received estimated bills, or if their previous meter was damaged or corroded.
  • Smart meters and their communications devices have decades of safe and proven use in tens of millions of homes and businesses around the world every day. 

 

  • Data transmission occurs through safe and secure Low-level radio-frequency (RF) signals. Smart meters emit radio frequencies well below regulatory limits and produce less RF exposure than typical cellular networks. 

 

  • Smart meters meet all industry standards set by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).  
  • This initiative will cover the cost and installation of the new smart meters.
  • Customers may incur costs if repairs are required for customer-owned equipment .
  • LUMA will notify customers if they need to complete customer owned equipment repairs during their smart meter installation. For more information, please refer to our ‘Customer Responsibility – Customer-Owned Equipment’ section.
  • We will begin smart meter installations in 2025, starting in the San Juan region, following assessments of existing meters and extending island-wide in the coming years. Customers will receive several notices prior to their meter installations as well as when the installation has been completed.  
  • LUMA is dedicated to protecting critical infrastructure, along with the data and information of our customers. Smart meters operate on a secure and private communications network. 
  • Smart meters only store essential energy usage data and do not contain any personal information that could identify customers, such as your name, address, or bank account details. 
  • If customers maintain medical equipment in their home that would be affected by a brief service outage, please contact us at 1-844-888- 5862 and select option #3 to schedule an appointment when we are in your area. Our team will work with you to minimize disruption to your essential equipment. 
  • Smart meters enable LUMA to remotely read consumption data, offering easier access to near real-time consumption data. In specific situations, such as severe weather conditions or temporary service interruptions, LUMA may need to estimate a customer’s bill.
  • Smart meters support net metering customers by providing interval data that records both energy usage and the energy sent back to the grid. Currently, this bi-directional feature is available for customers who apply for it. As part of this initiative, all meters will have this bi-directional feature, facilitating a faster interconnection process. Learn more at Renewable Energy – LUMA.

Please remember, if you have received a notice of upcoming smart meter work and have questions, call us at 1-844-888-LUMA (5862).