National Grid to continue smart meter deployment to Buffalo-area customers

To date, across upstate New York, company has installed more than 1 million electric smart meters that provide customers more information and increased control over energy use

Submitted by National Grid

National Grid will begin installing new smart meters to its more than 121,000 Buffalo-area customers, providing homeowners and business owners new ways to monitor their energy use and spending. The Buffalo installations, to begin later this month, are part of the company’s plan to replace meters across upstate New York that are nearing their end of lifespan with modern smart meters.

“This upgrade to modern meters ensures reliability and introduces advanced technology and tools that provides energy use data,” National Grid Regional Director Ken Kujawa said. “Customers can use this information to make informed decisions about managing their electricity consumption and, ultimately, control energy costs. The new meters also instantly notify National Grid when there’s a service interruption at their home or business.”

After installations are complete for National Grid’s Buffalo-area customers, the company will continue its deployment throughout the year across Western New York. The company’s Western New York installations are scheduled to be completed in 2027.

To date, National Grid has successfully installed more than 1 million electric smart meters for customers across upstate New York. The company continued its smart meter deployment when, in January 2025, it began a two-year process to install them across Western New York.

Benefits of smart meters

Smart meters are the foundation for modernizing the grid and empowering National Grid customers, who will have access to energy use data. Benefits include:

√ More ways to monitor and take control of energy usage and spending.

√ Improved service and reliability.

√ Access to up-to-date energy use data within minutes, through the My Account portal. Customers can register at www.ngrid.com/myaccount.

√ The convenience of eliminating estimated bills.

√ Faster response: Smart meters will increase National Grid’s ability to monitor and respond to power outages.

More about smart meters

Currently, National Grid customers have their meters read monthly by radio frequencies transmitted to trucks that drive past the property where they live or work. These meters are approaching the end of their lifespan, which offers National Grid an opportunity to implement new technologies that improve customer control, and provide real-time outage data. According to industry data, 80% of meters deployed across North America have smart technology capabilities.

The smart meters that National Grid is installing are compliant with Federal Communications Commission regulations and emit less radio frequency than mobile phones, laptops, baby monitors or other devices. The meters will communicate wirelessly with National Grid’s control centers through a secure network. This encrypted data will help National Grid pinpoint locations of outages and whether the issue occurred on customer-owned equipment or on the company’s network.

Installation process

Buffalo-area customers should have received information from National Grid to let them know when their meter is expected to be installed. Up until the installation date, National Grid will be in contact with customers via email, phone and postal mail. Customers do not need to be on site to meet installation crews if their meter is located outside of the home or business. Customers will have the ability to reschedule if their appointed date and time is inconvenient for them. Elderly, blind and disabled customers, and customers with approved life-support devices, will have the ability to schedule appointments for their meter installation.

Installation of the meters will be completed by a combination of National Grid crews and contractors from Utility Partners of America, an industry leader in smart meter installation. Installers will be easily recognizable as employees of National Grid or UPA, wearing photo identification that includes their name, company name and logo, with many traveling in branded vehicles.

Smart meter installation for electric customers requires a short power outage that should last only a few minutes to safely remove the old meter and install the new one.

To learn more about National Grid’s advanced metering infrastructure program, visit https://nationalgridus.com/Smart-Meter.