Automated meter reading (AMR) enables us to receive the kilowatt-hour reading from your meter through our power lines. This new method of meter reading saves money, labor and fuel and also increases the accuracy of your bill. It will be three to four years before all customer-owner accounts are read remotely with AMR.

How AMR Works

1. A transponder inside the AMR meter at your home or business provides information about electricity consumption, demand and billing. Each meter has a unique serial number that allows it to be identified by the system. The meter communicates with the equipment at the substation through existing power lines.
2. At the substation, equipment obtains information from the meters; that information is sent from the substation to a computer at Walton EMC's headquarters via telephone lines.
3. At Walton EMC, a computer collects readings from the substation and imports the information into the billing system. The entire process takes less than 20 seconds.