Smart Meters benefit all customers, especially those financially challenged

Smart meters bring operational cost savings to MLGW, which get passed on to our customers through lower fees, faster service and new options. For example:

· Smart water meters detect continuous water use, which is often a sign of a leak. More than 33% of homes that received smart meters during phase 1 had leaks in their homes. Alerting customers to leaks that may not be apparent enables them to correct the issue before it becomes a major problem—both in damage and utility costs.

· Smart meters enable residential customers to adopt PrePay service, a pay-as-you-go plan similar to pre-paid phone service. PrePay eliminates security deposits (currently $200), late fees, and electric reconnect fees. For customers who have difficulty paying their MLGW bill in full, PrePay also enables customers to pay off existing debt transferred into their PrePay account. In addition, PrePay encourages conservation by making customers more aware of utility use and costs. In fact, Salt River Project, the Phoenix area utility with the nation’s largest prepayment program (at 13%), cites a sustained average 12% electricity reduction among their participating customers.

These customer savings help reduce the amount of unpaid bills, lowering bad debt write-off, which helps keep rates low for all customers.

To learn more, go to www.mlgw.com/smartgrid.