Image of the front of several houses on a residential street

Meter Reading - Today and Tomorrow

Atmos Energy manually reads and records customer meter readings in a hand-held device each month in some of our communities. However, many of our customers now have wireless meter devices, which allow the meter to be read electronically. They are currently installed in parts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas and for all customers in Colorado. We will continue to install wireless meter reading devices throughout the areas we serve.

How Wireless Meter Reading Works

A wireless meter reading device is simply a radio transmitter mounted on your standard natural gas meter that automatically sends your gas usage information to Atmos Energy. In some cases, an existing gas meter may not be compatible with the wireless meter reading device, therefore; a new meter may be installed. If a new meter is required, your service may be temporarily interrupted. We will work with you or leave a door tag with next steps to restore your service. There is no charge for installing the wireless meter reading device.

Wireless Technology Can Help You Save Energy

This technology lets you view your natural gas usage on a daily basis, which can help you manage your energy use better. Login into the Account Center to see your daily gas usage graph.

Wireless Technology Is Safe

The radio frequency (RF) we use is private and licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the transmitters operate well within the safety parameters established by the FCC. These wireless transmitters are just one small source of RF emissions in our increasingly wireless world. Plus they operate within the same spectrum as other everyday sources of RF emissions, including radio, television and cellular phone signals. Wireless meter-reading technology does not interfere with televisions, radios, garage door openers, wireless internet connections or other common household devices.

Facts About Wireless Transmissions:

We’re exposed to wireless transmissions every day. Here are some facts and key exposure factors to help you understand how the natural gas meter wireless device compares to other technologies.

Signal duration and interference: Atmos Energy’s wireless devices transmit a signal for a fraction of a second per day which total less than four minutes per year. It will not interfere with the operation of televisions, radios, garage door openers, wireless internet connections or other electronic devices commonly found in a home or business.
Radio frequency energy: The radio frequency energy emitted by a wireless device is considerably less than that from common items used every day, such as laptops, cell phones, wireless routers and baby monitors.
Distance from source: Atmos Energy’s wireless devices will be located on the meter. When the device is transmitting, the exposure level is 70 times less than the FCC limit and 3,500 times less than any known potential hazard level.
The exposure radius of the wireless device transmission is only .65 inches from the meter. That’s well within the plastic casing that encloses the transmitter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to read our FAQs about wireless meter reading.