ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Amid an outcry over exceptionally high bills and other billing irregularities, RG&E is starting to install what they’re calling smart meters.

They hope these will help customers with energy use, but also their bills. Next month, RG&E will begin to install about 26-thousand smart meters in Wayne and Cayuga counties.

These smart meters are just like regular meters but with more advanced technology. This means meter readers will no longer need to gain access to your home to read the meter. The information from the meter will be sent automatically to the company.

RG&E’s goal with these new meters is to give customers control of how much energy they use by allowing them to access that data through an online energy manager tool. As a result of customers being able to see the energy they use, they’ll be able to determine how much they’ll be paying for it.

Communications Manager of RG&E and NYSEG Alexis Arnold says, “It’s part of RG&E’s efforts to continue to improve customer service.” Arnold also says it will drastically reduce estimating bills and provide more accurate reads for customers.

“The process to installing a smart meter is low maintenance. There isn’t much that needs to be done on the customer’s part,” Arnold said. “They just receive a phone call or a mailer letting them know that crews are coming to their neighborhood. If your meters are outside, you won’t have to do a thing. They’ll come out, they’ll inspect, complete the install. Once that installation process is complete, they’ll leave a door hanger on the door letting the customer know that installation is complete.”

An additional benefit to these new smart meters is that if you have a power outage, you won’t have to call the company to come and restore power. Instead, RG&E will be notified that you lost power and will immediately be able to respond.

Starting next Tuesday, RG&E will host informational open houses for these communities. RG&E encourages member of Cayuga and Wayne counties to come and ask questions about the smart meters. RG&E also anticipates Monroe County will get smart meters in the late spring. All 17 of RG&E and NYSEG’s divisions are expected to have smart meters by 2025. For more information about smart meters you can visit RG&E’s website at rge.com/smartmeters.