Unlike analog electric meters that have a wheel that spins and dials that record total electric use, the so-called "smart meters" are digital with a tiny computer and wireless communication capability.
"There's a little processor in here doing the work now; there's software," said Mitchell Thornton at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Mitchell works in the HACNet Lab at SMU's Computer Science and Engineering Department, which is studying potential problems hackers could cause with the new digital meters.
"They could cause some kind of mass disconnect for the neighborhood or part of the grid," said Suku Nair, of HACNet. "It could be the whole Dallas area."
Workers with North Texas electric provider Oncor are fanning out across the region to replace more than three million of the old analog meters with the new "smart" meters in the next few years.
"That's one of the largest and most comprehensive exchanges in the country," said Oncor spokesperson Carol Peters.
Customers have already started paying for the meters with a state-approved rate hike of $2.21 a month for the next 11 years, a total of $291.72 per meter.
The company says it is a good deal for customers.
"We anticipate there will be about $200 to $300 a year savings just from the knowledge that consumers gain from these meters," Peters said.
Instead of waiting for a monthly power bill to arrive to track your usage, a wireless device -- sold separately -- could read the smart meter constant.
"They will also be able to decide, 'When's the best time to run the air conditioner? When's the best time to run the washer or dryer?'" Peters said.
Smart meters offer several advantages for power companies. Constant monitoring allows more accurate power generation and distribution.
"Every 15 minutes, Oncor will be reading a meter," Peters said. "In the past, we've done once a month."
And the meters approved for Texas give companies the ability to remotely connect and disconnect customers.
But that also poses a security concern, experts say. If the company can remotely disconnect service through a smart meter, a hacker could do so, too.
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