Seattle City light began their program to upgrading existing electricity meters on July 31^st, 2017 with advanced meters that will enhance services for customers and help the publicly owned utility operate more efficiently.

This is a big step toward modernizing the service Seattle City Light provides its customers,” City Light Customer Care Director Kelly Enright said. “Upgrading our metering technology will put more power into our customers’ hands so they can better manage their energy use and it will empower our employees to provide even better service.”

City Light will replace more than 420,000 meters across its service territory by the end of 2018.

The new meters will provide more accurate billing by eliminating the estimated reads currently used to generate a bill when a meter reader is unable to access a customer’s meter or complete a route. Once the Advanced Metering data is connected to other utility computer systems, power outages will be reported automatically and customers will be able to access their energy use information online. The new meters also create opportunities for additional enhancements in the future, such as account balance alerts, monthly billing and optional time-of-use rates to support electric vehicle charging.

There is no charge for a customer to receive an advanced meter. City Light will provide three notifications before exchanging an existing meter with an advanced meter. A letter will be sent about six weeks ahead of the exchange. A post card will be sent about two weeks before the exchange. And an automated phone call will be made one to three days before the installation.

Customers who do not wish to participate in Advanced Metering can opt out of the program. Fees will apply.

For more information, please visit:  http://www.seattle.gov/light/ami/

Around the Sound in July 2017

July is a busy month for festivals and fun in Seattle area, here are 10….

July 1-4^th:  Wooden Boat Festival   http://cwb.org/events/festival/

July 3-29^th:  Chamber Music Festival   http://www.seattlechambermusic.org/concerts/concert-series/

July 4^th:  Seafair Summer 4^th at Gas Works Park & Lake Union Park   http://www.seafair.com/

July 7^th-9^th:  Seattle Beerfest   http://www.seattlebeerfest.com/

July 9^th & 15^th-16^th:  Olympic Music Festival   http://www.olympicmusicfestival.org/

July 14^th:  Seafair Milk Carton Derby:   http://www.seafair.com/events/2017/seafair-milk-carton-derby

July 15^th-16^th:  Chinatown Dragonfest   http://cidbia.org/event_cpt/dragon-fest/

July 15^th-16^th:  Seattle Street Food Festival  http://www.seattlestfoodfest.com/

July 21^st-23^rd:  Bite of Seattle   https://www.biteofseattle.com/

July 29^th:  Seafair Torchlight Parade   http://www.seafair.com/

The much anticipated Northwest Flower and Garden Show is coming up! This year it will be from February 22nd through the 26th. The event, held in Seattle every February is sure to dazzle. Click on the link to learn more:
http://www.gardenshow.com/

Don’t miss this year’s Nordic Lights Film Festival…

The Nordic Heritage Museum in Ballard is thrilled to present the eighth annual Nordic Lights Film Festival, hosted at SIFF Film Center on the Seattle Center campus. Each year the festival focuses on contemporary, award-winning films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. This year, included are films from the Faroe Islands.

The Festival runs from January 12th-16th, 2017. Tickets and more information can he found at here: https://nordicmuseum.org/nlff