Buffalo's Smart Meters: What Residents Need To Know

As we inch further into 2026, there are going to be some areas of the Buffalo region that will be taking a big step forward on the technological front. For many years, in order to figure out how much to bill you for your electricity use, someone would need to come to your house and physically read your electric meter. Now, sooner or later, that will be a thing of the past as National Grid, the primary electricity provider in Buffalo and parts of Western New York, is getting ready to install smart meters.

This isn't necessarily a new concept for some folks in Upstate New York, as RGE and NYSEG both started installing smart meters in 2025, but if you pop around the internet, you will find tons of people very concerned about the meters, claiming they drive up electric rates.

When National Grid is done with the installation this year, more than 121,000 smart meters will be installed in houses all over the Buffalo area.

What Is A Smart Meter?

According to the US Department of Energy, a Smart Meter works just like a typical utility meter, except that it also provides two-way communication between you, your home or business, and the utility company. This can help the utility know about blackouts and maintain more reliable electrical service.

Millions of smart meters have been installed across the country so far, and officials say it's a way for people to save money.

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One of the benefits that utility companies are touting about smart meters is that they will essentially read themselves every month, saving the utility money and creating efficiencies. In theory, bills will become more accurate since they may eliminate the human error that can occur when a meter is physically read by a person.

What About Cost and Privacy?

Many people around the country have been worried about their privacy, whether they are safe from hackers or from the utility company taking control of their service.

With National Grid joining NYSEG and RGE as utility companies in the area having the ability to monitor your usage, but considering the fact that some New York utility companies can control your smart thermostat, I would be skeptical about giving a utility company electronic access to your power.

When the time comes for a smart meter to be installed in your home or business, you aren't required to take it. You can opt out and keep your regular meter, but be ready to pay for it, as the utility companies are allowed to charge you a one-time fee and a monthly fee if you do not take a smart meter.