Hi! We’re Black Cap and we’re here to help!

Black Cap Electric
You may have seen our trucks in your area, or one of our friendly technicians might have knocked on your door. Here’s some helpful information about the work we’re doing! 
We partner with your utility company to upgrade your meter so that you have more accurate billing, faster restoration of service if the power goes down, and fewer power outages overall.

We’re an approved contractor for AES Ohio.

Black Cap Electric aes Ohio
More Questions? We’ve got answers!

Black Cap is a utility service provider operating in Ohio. Black Cap field technicians provide safe and efficient service on behalf of your electrical power provider.  We read meters and turn the power on and off when there is a change in the billing customer, an upgrade to your existing meter, payment due, or to prevent a hazard.  Our technicians are skilled in meter services but only have access to limited information about your service and billing history.

If you are not sure why we are at your house today, call your electric utility provider’s customer service line for clarification.

Your electric utility is in the process of upgrading the meters of all the customers in your geographic area. You may have received notice of this change on your bill or by automated call to the phone number on file.

If your meter is being upgraded you will soon enjoy:

more timely and accurate bills

fewer outages

faster reconnections

For the electric utility company, these new meters will provide much more detailed data about customer energy usage that will reduce electricity theft, allow for more efficient power restoration after storms, and improve generation efficiency to make use of renewable energy sources.

Your first introduction to a Black Cap employee may be the day we arrive at your address with Smart Meter in hand, ready to upgrade your service. You can help our technicians proceed with the speedy completion of their work by bringing dogs inside, unlocking gates and powering down computer equipment. For most customers, the process of having your meter upgraded is quite simple, and depending on the configuration of your meter box there may be no interruption to your power. For some customers there will be a short interruption in power as the old meter is removed and the new meter is installed. This is similar to what happens when lightning flashes and your lights go out for a moment. In rare cases, a meter box has a fault that is discovered in the process of a regular meter exchange. In this situation, further actions must be taken to make your service safe. Our technicians will provide you with follow up instructions for timely action. Your electric utility provider’s customer service line can provide the best and most up-to-date information about your electric service, so give them a call to get all of your questions answered!
Smart meters use low-energy radio frequency (RF) waves to transmit information across distances. The smart meters being deployed by your electric utility company communicate on average 83 seconds per day. This transmission will provide very accurate usage data for billing. This technology is very safe.
I want to know something else
There is no separate charge for the new meter. This meter is part of our ongoing electric distribution service. If you are not sure why we are at your house today, call your electric utility provider’s customer service line for clarification.
No. The meter is simply monitoring the power that runs through it.
The new meter will allow the electric utility company to bill you accurately for your energy usage.
It normally only takes a few minutes to exchange the meter.
Yes, unless the clocks have a battery back-up.
Exchanging a meter causes no more of a surge than turning a piece of equipment on. However, as a precaution, we recommend powering down any items such as a computer where data may be lost if power is disrupted and/or plugging those devices into a surge protector.
No, studies have been performed that examined the effect of smart meters on pacemakers and other medical equipment and found the smart meters did not interfere with these devices.
No credible studies have been performed proving a link between increased cancer risk and living in a home with a smart meter. There are many sources of exposure to RF and the level of exposure from a smart meter is much less than many other common sources (i.e., cell phones, microwave ovens, Wi-Fi). According to the American Cancer Society, “it is very unlikely that living in a house with a smart meter increases risk of cancer”.
Customers do have the option to opt-out of having a smart meter installed at their premise. To opt-out you will need to contact customer service to make the request. By opting out you will not receive the many benefits of having a smart meter and will be subject to Opt-Out fees.
We are currently changing meters in your neighborhood but will deploy meters throughout the entire region over the next few years.
The electric utility company makes an attempt to contact all affected customers by telephone or by mail prior to issuing the order to exchange the meter using information on your account. It’s possible your contact information is not up to date, or incorrect. If you did not receive a notification you should call the customer service number located on your bill in order to update their records.

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