FortisBC plans to upgrade 100-year-old gas meter technology

FortisBC will soon begin engagement on a proposal to upgrade its gas meters to new advanced meters.

The new meters, Fortis BC says, will explore ways to improve the reliability of its system and add new customer benefits.

The project would upgrade the meters of more than one million natural gas customers between 2022 and 2026.

The project is one of a number of upgrades FortisBC is exploring to improve the resiliency of the system that supplies B.C. homes and businesses with natural gas.

The gas meter technology currently used in B.C. has not fundamentally changed in more than 100 years. The new meters are smaller, have no moving parts and are expected to last longer than existing meters. They use sound waves to measure gas use and send the information to FortisBC through a wireless network, meaning FortisBC would no longer need to read individual meters manually.

The new meters would offer benefits for customers such as access to daily updates on gas use and the convenience of not having their gas service shut off during future meter exchanges.

FortisBC will be holding information sessions across B.C. in October and November. To learn more about the Advanced Gas Meters project including details on information sessions visit FortisBC.com/advancedgasmeters.

FortisBC will file an application for British Columbia Utilities Commission approval in 2020. If approved, installation of new meters is expected to start in 2022.

“This project would help us build a stronger, more reliable system to deliver natural gas to homes and businesses across British Columbia,” said Douglas Stout, FortisBC vice-president of market development and external relations. “Upgrading to advanced meters would modernize our gas infrastructure. The new meters would allow us to better monitor and manage our system – for example FortisBC could remotely detect and respond to gas leaks.”