Radio-Off Meters

Advanced Meters are now the standard metering equipment used by utilities to provide electrical service. They are safe, reliable and provide a wide array of benefits to both the end customer and the utility. 

In accordance with the Government of Canada's Electricity and Gas Act, electricity meters in service are required to have a valid Measurement Canada accuracy seal. The legacy meters have become costly to maintain and do not provide the state-of-the-art technology which utilities are turning to better maintain and operate their systems and manage the ever-growing electrical demand. 

We understand that you should have a choice of type of meter installed at your address. By default, you will receive the standard advanced meter that is suitable for your specific property. Based on eligibility, some residential customers may choose an advanced meter that has its transmitting functionality turned off; this is called a ‘radio-off’ meter.

Eligibility

Eligibility for requesting a radio-off meter is limited to the initial deployment phase of the AMI project.

• You must be a residential customer with a meter affixed to the residence.
• Residential customers living in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) where the electrical meters are typically located in meter rooms are not eligible for a radio-off meter.
• Residents with a net meter are not eligible.
• Your account must be in good standing with no outstanding payments. 

Once an advanced meter is installed at any specific property, that type of meter will remain there permanently.

Fees associated with radio-off meters are required to cover additional costs of individually reading these meters on-site. These fees have been reviewed and approved by the City of New Westminster Utility Commission and New Westminster City Council. 

What you need to know

• During deployment, your new radio-off meter will be installed as part of the mass deployment portion of the project
• A meter reader will be dispatched to your address to take a physical reading of your radio-off meter; your bill will be issued and will include the Meter Reading Fee in addition to the cost associated with your consumption

• Radio-off meters will be replaced with standard meters when the owner or tenant of that property has moved 

If you have questions about your meter choice not answered here, please . 

Meter Options

	Standard Meter	Radio-Off Meter
Set-up Fee / Exit Fee	None	Setup $85 / Exit $95
Meter Reading Fee	None	$55/read
Availability	Ongoing	During initial deployment only
Automatic Meter Readings
Next Day Consumption Information
Streamlined Move-in/Move-out Process
Automatic Outage Detection

If you would like to request a radio-off meter, please fill out the following form at amiradio-off.newwestcity.ca 

The deadline to submit your application is June 30, 2025. Please note, only the property owner is authorized to request a radio-off meter.