MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The Myrtle Beach City Council meets Tuesday, and they will continue the discussion of smart water meters.
The city is looking to change out all meters on houses inside the city limits to smart meters within the next two years to help monitor usage more accurately. There is no fee for current residents to have the meters changed, but for houses built after July 1, the price will likely be attached to the home.
At Tuesday’s meeting, council will discuss raising the tap fees for builders to install the smart meters on new homes by $250, so we talked to contractors about how that affects the price of a new house in Myrtle Beach. “When they go to get a mortgage, this additional 250 dollars will be in the cost of the mortgage, and it would be spread out through the life of the mortgage,” said President of Nations Homes, Jeff Skelley. “Virtually no cost to the customer almost for these new smart meters.”
City spokesperson, Mark Kruea, said though there isn’t a cost for current residents to have their meters switched, you could see a change in your bill. “Depending on how much water you use, you may see a slight increase there, five or 10 percent, because we’re more accurately measuring the water you use,” said Kruea.
He said the smart meters are a growing trend with big cities throughout the country, and with the growth in Myrtle Beach, they need to stay on top of technology as well. The city will begin installing the smart meters on commercial buildings like hotels and hospitals first, and then move to residential areas. The total process could take between four and five years to complete.
