As part of a planned conversion to Automated Meter Reading for its 1.3 million customers, PPL Electric Utilities has announced an agreement with a second supplier of metering technology.

Comverge Technologies, Inc. – a New Jersey-based subsidiary of Data Systems & Software Inc. – will provide metering equipment and software for about 6,000 large business customers who receive electric service at 480 volts and above.

"Automated Meter Reading reaffirms our commitment to customer service excellence and will further our goal of being an industry leader in customer satisfaction," said Michael E. Bray, president of PPL Electric Utilities.

Comverge meters use wireless Internet technology to transmit electricity-use data directly from the meter to PPL Electric Utilities at specified time intervals. PPL Electric Utilities has tested the technology already and will install the Comverge meters by the end of 2003.

In February, PPL Electric Utilities signed a contract with ESCO Technologies of Missouri to provide metering for customers who receive standard 110/220-volt electric service. That contract will be implemented upon the successful completion of testing now under way in the Allentown and Bethlehem areas.

"With these two technologies we expect to bring the benefits of Automated Meter Reading to all customers, whether they use 200 or 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a month," Bray said.