We Are Moving to Aerial Meter Reading: Metercor Technicians Will Reprogram Your Meter
Bow River Gas Co-op has partnered with Metercor to update the way gas meters are read across our franchise area. Work begins September 3, 2026 and runs for about six weeks, into the middle of October.
Your existing meter stays where it is. The change is to the small radio device attached to it. That device is what sends us your reading.
This applies to every community we serve. If you are a Bow River Gas Co-op member, your meter is included. A letter with these details is also being mailed to members.
Why we are making this change
Today your meter is read through the Itron fixed network. That is a tower-based system: a collector and a series of repeaters that pick up the signal from your meter and pass it back to the Co-op.
In its place we are moving to aerial reading. A company called clearGRID collects the readings from a small aircraft that flies over the area once a month. The aircraft picks up a signal from your meter that contains the meter reading and nothing else. Aerial reading collects every meter in a single pass, which the tower system cannot always do.
The radio device on your meter can send its reading in more than one way. Right now it is set to talk to the tower system, so a technician needs to switch it over to the setting that can be picked up from the air. That is the whole job, and it is done from outside at the meter.
Nothing changes about how your gas is measured, and there is no cost to you for this work. The date your bill goes out is shifting slightly, which is explained below.
What to expect
A Metercor technician will come to your property and reprogram the device using a handheld radio unit held near the meter. The visit takes only a few minutes. For most members there is nothing to arrange.
- The meter does not need to be opened.
- No one needs to enter your home.
- You do not need to book an appointment.
- You do not need to be home.
- The technician only needs enough room to work safely near the meter.
When your bill arrives
Your meter is still read as of the 2nd of each month. That does not change, and neither does the length of your billing period or the amount of gas you are billed for.
What may change is timing. Readings are gathered by aircraft between the 5th and the 10th, so your bill may arrive a little later in the month than it does now. We will have a firm schedule once we have run the first few billing cycles on the new system, and we will post an update here when we do.
Please help us reach your meter
Call the Co-op office at 403-654-2233 as soon as you can if any of the following apply.
- Locked gates. If your meter is behind a locked gate, let us know how to get in.
- Dogs. If you have a dog that protects your property, call us and we will arrange a date and time so the technician can work safely.
- Other access issues. If there is anything else that could keep a technician from getting to the meter, tell us ahead of time and we will work it out.
Otherwise, please make sure the area around your gas meter is clear of obstructions.
How to identify a Metercor technician
The technicians doing this work are not Bow River Gas Co-op staff. Metercor is the contractor we hired for this project, and their technicians will be identified as Metercor, not as the Co-op.
Look for the Metercor name and logo on:
- A Metercor branded uniform
- A Metercor photo identification badge, which the technician will show you on request
- A Metercor company vehicle or van
No one on this project will ask you for payment or account information.
If you would like to check that someone working at your meter is with Metercor, give us a call at 403-654-2233 and we will confirm it for you.
Questions
Bow River Gas Co-op
Phone: 403-654-2233
Email: bowriveradmin@bowrivergas.ca
Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
Metercor Inc.
Phone: 1-888-290-3070
Open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM MST
We appreciate your help in getting this work done quickly and safely.