CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric, has received approval from the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to deploy an advanced metering system (AMS) across its service territory over the next five years. The company plans to begin installing meters in March 2009. This innovative technology should encourage greater energy conservation by giving Houston-area electric consumers the ability to better monitor and manage their electric use and its cost in near real time.

The company will recover the cost for the interactive meters through a monthly surcharge to all REPs over 12 years. The surcharge for each residential consumer for the first 24 months, beginning in February 2009, will be $3.24 per month; thereafter, the surcharge is scheduled to be reduced to $3.05 per month. These amounts are subject to upward or downward adjustment in future proceedings to reflect actual costs incurred and to address required changes in scope. CenterPoint Energy projects capital expenditures of approximately $640 million for the installation of the interactive meters and corresponding communication and data management systems over the five-year deployment period.