By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(March 12, 2026) The Berlin mayor and Town Council this week discussed a policy that would allow utility customers to opt out of the town’s advanced metering system but then tabled the matter until staff can review the fee language.

Town Administrator Mary Bohlen said municipal utilities are required to provide an opt-out option for electric customers under rules set by the Maryland Public Service Commission. While the same requirement does not apply to water meters, local governments may offer it.

“We are required as an electric utility to offer customers the opportunity to opt out of having two-way communications,” Bohlen said. “We are not required to do that for the water meter; however, I assumed, knowing the group, that if you would do it for one, you would be in favor of doing it for both.”

The town has invested in Advanced Metering Infrastructure, or smart meters, for both its electric and water systems. The technology allows meters to be read remotely via secure radio communication and as stated by a staff report, “improves customer access to account information by enabling near real-time viewing of the meter activity through designated online portals.”

Under the proposed policy, customers who opt out of the smart meter system would pay a one-time administrative fee of $75 and a monthly fee of $17 to cover the cost of manual meter readings.

Tyndall argued that the monthly charge could be higher due to labor and administrative costs, including travel time for utility staff and manual data entry. Bohlen cautioned against raising it, noting the $17 fee is consistent with amounts approved by the Public Service Commission.

Council members ultimately said they would prefer to reduce the one-time fee to $25 while keeping the $17 monthly fee unchanged.

“I understand the monthly fee, but the $75 seems a bit excessive,” Councilman Jay Knerr said.

Bohlen noted that the town cannot impose fees related to the electric meters until the Public Service Commission approves them.

“The policy as it’s written right now is essentially the same for both systems, but we cannot actually impose the electric meter charges until we’ve had it approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission,” Bohlen said.

She added that the town modeled its fee schedule and procedures after those used by other utilities in Maryland and does not anticipate difficulty obtaining approval.

Town of Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall wondered whether the town could also charge customers who initially decline a smart meter but later request one to be installed. He noted that the advanced meters should be encouraged, and highlighted safety aspects of the enhanced devices.

“If possible, I think we should assess reasonable fees,” he said, “and bill for staff time because these have system-wide implications. If you want an old meter that’s one thing, but there’s public safety. There was a house fire, [the utility director] was 300 miles away and he was able to discontinue the electric service to help public safety folks. There is a public safety side associated with this.”

Bohlen said that she would need to review the policy language to determine whether such a fee is allowed.

Bohlen said fewer than five residents have asked about opting out of the smart meter program so far.

The council agreed to table the policy until its next meeting. At the same time, Bohlen said staff would conduct additional research.

“There’s no rush on this,” Bohlen said, “but it shouldn’t be delayed.”