BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- “We continue to wholeheartedly support the CPUC’s independent third-party evaluation. PG&E is committed to our customers and to continuing our education efforts around the benefits of SmartMeter™ technology. Customers deserve to have confidence in their meters. That is why the CPUC’s process to provide additional and independent verification of SmartMeter™ devices is so important for our customers’ reassurance.

“The SmartMeter™ program gives customers greater control over their energy use and costs. It provides customers with hourly information about how they use power. With this information, customers can better understand how their energy use impacts their bills, allowing them to better manage their energy use and potentially reduce their energy costs. Across the globe, more than 76 million advanced meters are already in use every day.

“As with any initiative rollout of this magnitude, one would expect to run into challenges, whether physical, technological, customer acceptance or human error. As we address those challenges, we will identify any issues and make them right with our customers. When customers have questions about their meters or bills, we will work with them to address their questions. Often, when we have the opportunity to work with our customers, we are able to find ways to help them reduce their bills.

“PG&E is a part of our nation’s effort to create a smart grid that increases energy efficiency, promotes clean power generation and reduces carbon emissions. The evolution to a smart grid is a vital step toward realizing California’s vision for a low-carbon, clean-energy economy.”