Local Southeast Alabama Gas District customers were notified this month that gas meters will be updated in the coming weeks.

Marketing director Shannon Jackson said SEAGD is replacing the transponders on current meters with an ERT, a device that facilitates electronic meter reading.

“When the project is completed, we will change the technology on about 29,000 meters, with about 3,500 of those being in the Andalusia area,” Jackson said.

The company estimates it will take about six weeks to complete the project in Andalusia, and about nine months to convert all customers. The work is being done by a third party, so SEAGD might see an unfamiliar “brand” working on their meters.

The installation will not interrupt gas service.

“Aside from possibly seeing one of the technicians at a meter, or seeing a vehicle with our logo on it, consumers will be unencumbered by this change,” Jackson said. “There is no interruption of service as we make the transition, and the replacement process itself only takes a few minutes.”

The improvements are designed to speed up the meter reading process, and to improve meter reading accuracy.

“This allows us to work more efficiently as a company, and therefore better utilize resources for our customers,” Jackson said. “In addition, long-term we will have access to more detailed account information by daily usage and even hour-by-hour usage. While we are not currently utilizing this data, in the future it will allow our customer service personnel to provide more insight to customers regarding bill fluctuations and even allow us to pinpoint possible service issues. “

The Southeast Alabama Gas District is owned by 14 cities.