HB 25-1175

House Bill 25-1175, also known as the Smart Meter Opt-In Program, changes how utility companies can install smart meters in Colorado. Currently, these companies can put smart meters on your home without asking if you want one, but starting September 1, 2025, they must first inform customers about their right to opt-out and request a non-smart meter instead. The bill requires utilities to send out multiple notifications before installing a smart meter and maintain information online about customer rights and data privacy. Since the bill has been signed into law, utility companies will need to follow these new rules when deploying smart meters after this date.

Official Summary

Under current law, an investor-owned qualifying retail utility serving more than 500,000 customers (utility) may install advanced metering infrastructure (smart meter) at a customer's residential property without the property owner's permission unless the customer opts out of having the smart meter installed. The act requires a utility that deploys smart meters on or after September 1, 2025, to submit a customer communication plan to the public utilities commission on or before December 31, 2025. The customer communication plan must include the information related to the utility's plan for: The deployment of smart meters; Communicating with residential customers before the installation of smart meters on the customer's property, which communication must be sent 90, 60, and 30 days before the smart meter is installed; Communicating with residential customers regarding the customer's right to not have a smart meter installed and to receive a noncommunicating meter instead; and Communicating with a new residential customer about whether the property already has a smart meter installed and the customer's right to have a noncommunicating meter installed instead. A utility that plans to install a smart meter at a residential customer's property shall make reasonable efforts to notify the customer before arriving at the customer's property. A utility that installs or plans to install smart meters shall: Maintain a phone line and public website with information regarding the customer's right to not have the smart meter installed and have a noncommunicating meter installed instead, if requested; Only install smart meters that comply with federal communications commission requirements for radio frequency; and Establish and maintain a public website that includes information regarding customer data privacy and radio frequency communications in relation to smart meters.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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