(February 26, 2010)—In response to complaints from scores of residents about sometimes dramatic increases in electric bills after Oncor Electric Delivery installed new digital “smart meters” at their homes, State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, said Friday he’s working with the company to arrange a side-by-side test of old and new meters.

"I want to make sure that the new digital meters that have been installed are working properly and that customers are not being overcharged." Fraser said Friday.

Oncor is working with members of Fraser’s staff to work out details of the side-by-side test of the digital and mechanical meters.

The plan is to install both at the homes of some area residents and to monitor both over a period of time to see if the electricity use they register is the same.

"If there is something, we certainly want to find it, said Eddie Ferguson, Oncor Electric Delivery’s Round Rock area manager.

“A side by side test in the field is the correct way to do it,” he said.

The Texas Public Utility Commission said Friday it has received several hundred complaints about high electric bills.

The agency, which is monitoring Oncor’s rollout of the new meters, says the tests should boost consumer confidence.

"That should be a good example of comparing the two meter technologies,” said PUC spokesman Terry Hadley.

“To the extent it will create a higher degree of confidence in people with these meters, that's a good thing,” he said.