OXFORD — Smart Meters could lead to savings for residents in the long run, but some might see higher prices when their old meters are initially replaced.

Central Maine Power expects to begin installing Smart Meters in town early in the summer, according to a representative from the company.

Suzanne Bussiere, customer service adviser for CMP, attended Thursday’s meeting of the Board of Selectmen to answer questions about the meters, which record energy use electronically and wirelessly transmit the information, eliminating the need for meter readers to go home to home.

Bussiere said the upgrade is being paid for in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and won’t cost customers anything. However, some customers are seeing higher bills attributable to the more accurate digital meters. The old meters sometimes missed quick bursts of energy use, such as that of an arc welder.

Savings, she said, could come for customers who opt for a plan that bills less for energy use during off-peak hours. Bussiere said that plan isn’t available yet but is set for the future.

Bussiere also addressed safety concerns with the meters. She said that currently, CMP is removing Smart Meters that people have complained about, but investigations haven’t found evidence the meters are hurting people.

She recounted a customer who said the Smart Meter was making his pacemaker malfunction. Upon investigation, CMP found that his house didn’t yet have a Smart Meter installed.

She said the meters will tell CMP if customers aren’t connected, so people who aren’t home might get their power reconnected after a storm before they even learn they lost it. Currently, CMP knows when major lines are down but relies on customer calls to know when individual customers lose power.

Selectman Dennis Sanborn, who worked for CMP for 32 years, said he wasn’t confident that the meters would improve service for customers. “It seems like every program CMP gets involved with … doesn’t work out,” he said.

One resident saw a bright side: Without a meter reader walking up to her house, she said, it’ll save the effort of digging a path to the meter all winter.

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