Gone are the days when the meter reader came to the house to see how much electricity had been used. Also going away is the method of being able to drive by at 35 miles an hour and reading the meter on the go. With the new digital meters being installed in Greensboro, all information is transmitted to Charlotte without the need for any humans. Duke Energy, one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States with almost 8 million customers in six states, will know if your power goes out in Greensboro, before you have time to call!

The above photo features one of Greensboro’s two remaining meter experts who has over forty years experience installing, reading, and servicing meters. He is shown in the process of changing out the old electromechanical meter with the spinning wheel for a digital one. From knocking on the door to let the homeowner know what was about to happen, to explaining why the change was being made, to exuding pride about his long career at Duke Energy, he was a professional in every way. While digital technology may be efficient, there is something to be said for seeing people on the job working hard and taking pride in seeing that the job is well done. By the way, even if you remove that exterior cap, service is not interrupted. If you are not home, you might not even realize your meter has been changed out.