Anyone Upset About Installing Smartmeters Here?

[LightShine]

It will eventually boil down to the few who have misguided concerns for smart meters being given a choice: accept the smart meter or we (hydro) will simply remove your old meter, which will disconnect your power.

For those who are dead set against Smart Meters there are alternatives. Wind Turbines, Solar Panels, Generators, etc.
They don't have to stay on the "Grid"

excellent point there,as long as your not forced to
ummmm

[LightShine]

[Bejvas]

The sneaky ways to force people to get smart meters in the name of 'safety'...........what do you think Nebula?

Update. . . A BC Hydro spokesperson said the reason power was disconnected from a Peachland home Wednesday had everything to do with safety.

“This is a really dangerous situation,” said Cindy Verschoor. “BC Hydro could be liable for anything that went wrong if we knowingly supplied power to a meter that was bought on the Internet, was not installed by BC Hydro and is not approved for use in Canada.”

Verschoor said BC Hydro would be unable to install an analog meter at the Stutters’ home because they no longer stock them.

“95 per cent of our customers have smart meters,” said Verschoor.

Disconnecting power is “the last thing we ever want to do,” Verschoor said, adding she has never heard of a situation like the Stutters.


Debbie Stutters talks to BC Hydro representatives at her home in Peachland Wednesday afternoon. (Photos: Dave Preston)

by Dave Preston

A Peachland couple ran afoul of BC Hydro and now their power has been disconnected.

Representatives of BC Hydro visited the home of Debbie Stutters Wednesday afternoon and told her to accept the installation of a smart meter or her power would be cut off.

The story of Stutters and her husband Don has a unique twist: they removed a previously installed smart meter and replaced it with an analog meter they purchased from an American company. That didn’t sit well with BC Hydro, who said the meter had to go or they would have no choice but to disconnect the couple’s power.

Stutters said a BC Hydro representative came to her door in May of 2012 to let her know that the existing analog meter was broken and would require replacing.


A linesman cuts power to the Stutters’ home.

She said she specifically asked the representative not to install a smart meter, because she was EMF (electromagnetic frequency) sensitive.

“He said, no, we’ll put another analog (meter) in,” Stutters said. “Within days, a smart meter was put on.”

Stutters said she and her husband were upset at the new smart meter. She said her sensitivity has meant she doesn’t use cellphones and does not own cordless phones.

“We phoned BC Hydro a number of times to have them realize we need them to take it off because of my health,” said Stutters. “They said they couldn’t do anything about it.”

Then last year, BC Hydro held an information session in Peachland, at the request of Peachland council, to talk about smart meters. Stutters said the spokesperson told the crowd the company would respect those customers who don’t want smart meters at the time.


This analog meter installed by the Stutters is illegal, according to BC Hydro.

BC Hydro continued to refuse to replace the smart meter with an analog meter, according to Stutters.

The couple purchased an analog meter from an American company and on March 16, they switched the meters on their own.

“We’re not rebels by any stretch,” said Stutters, adding they shipped the smart meter back to BC Hydro by registered mail.

Almost immediately, BC Hydro contacted the couple, both on the phone and by showing up at the Stutters’ McLaughlan Place residence.

“They kept threatening,” said Stutters, explaining they were given a choice of either having a smart meter installed or having their power disconnected.

Wednesday morning Stutters’ husband Don received a call that a crew would be arriving in the afternoon to either install a smart meter or disconnect the power.

When the crew arrived, Stutters refused to allow a smart meter to be installed. After a 20-minute conversation with two BC Hydro representatives, a linesman in a cherry picker cut the wires to the Stutters’ house.

“Why aren’t we given the respect our neighbours are?” asked Stutters.

She said she knows of several neighbours near her home who have refused smart meters and BC Hydro has simply gone away.

Stutters asked if she could purchase a Canadian meter to be installed by BC Hydro technicians but that offer was turned down.

Until the matter gets sorted out, the Stutters will be left in the dark. Sort of.

“We have a generator,” said Stutters. “It’s going to be a little noisy.”

Stutters said beyond using their generator, “I don’t know what we’ll do.”

Peachland News is expecting comments from BC Hydro on this story. We’ll bring an update as soon as the information is received.

http://peachlandnews.com/blog/2013/04/17/smart-meter-dispute-leads-to-disconnection/

http://peachlandnews.com/blog/2012/04/10/smart-meter-opponents-present-case-to-council/

[Fancy]

Nothing sneaky about it. Don't tamper with the equipment.

[sanfish]

Nothing sneaky about it. Don't tamper with the equipment.

Everything sneaky about it. They were told one thing and had something different happen. Perhaps the utility companies ( both crown and private) should better respect the wishes of the true owners of the natural resources we allow them to make money off us on

[underscore]

The sneaky ways to force people to get smart meters in the name of 'safety'...........what do you think Nebula?

Sneaky? They bought a meter off the internet (lol) and installed it themselves. I'm sorry, but that's moronic.

[Fancy]

How can anything be sneaky when they are told not to tamper with the meters? It's all over the websites.

[sanfish]

How can anything be sneaky when they are told not to tamper with the meters? It's all over the websites.

Because they said they would respect those not wanting a smart
Meter? Because after they broke that promise they then said they would instal another analog one? Perhaps instead of "no longer stocking" analog ones and/or making unilateral decisions ( that they have no right making) to replace them all they should have done proper testing and asked the owners of the resource they ate allowed to make money off?

[Fancy]

The news item was about being disconnected from power - that wasn't sneaky at all and to be expected.

[sanfish]

The news item was about being disconnected from power - that wasn't sneaky at all and to be expected.

Perhaps if you read the article ( and why they decided to tAke it upon themselves to change the meter in the forst place) ,you'll see what was sneaky?

There should be more outrage that they had to change the meter themselves than the fact that they did change it ( a little customer service goes a long way....especially when the customer being serviced is actually the owner)

[underscore]

Because they said they would respect those not wanting a smart
Meter? Because after they broke that promise they then said they would instal another analog one? Perhaps instead of "no longer stocking" analog ones and/or making unilateral decisions ( that they have no right making) to replace them all they should have done proper testing and asked the owners of the resource they ate allowed to make money off?

- They are leaving them alone for now, as long as their analog meter is still working, these peoples meter broke.

- What promise? The rep made a mistake, it happens, get over it.

- They have every right to decide what meters they use on their system. Shaw started using new modems and stopped handing out the old ones, are you gonna get mad at them too?

- What would you consider to be proper testing? I'm not really sure what else needs to be tested here.

- Who owns the resource has nothing to do with what equipment they use on their system AFTER the resource is consumed. That's like saying a logging company should care that you don't like the blades they use in their mill because you own the land they logged.

[Fancy]

What was sneaky was the homeowners tampering with the eqiupment but the eqiupment detects such tampering immediately. They should not have been surprised. A similar incident happened earlier:

http://peachlandnews.com/blog/2013/03/0 ... mb-threat/

[sanfish]

- They are leaving them alone for now, as long as their analog meter is still working, these peoples meter broke.

- What promise? The rep made a mistake, it happens, get over it.

- They have every right to decide what meters they use on their system. Shaw started using new modems and stopped handing out the old ones, are you gonna get mad at them too?

- What would you consider to be proper testing? I'm not really sure what else needs to be tested here.

- Who owns the resource has nothing to do with what equipment they use on their system AFTER the resource is consumed. That's like saying a logging company should care that you don't like the blades they use in their mill because you own the land they logged.

They actually have no right to do so! In the case of Crown Corporations, we are not only the owners of the resource we're allowing them to make money on , but the direct BOSSES of their "bosses" . In the case of private Corps , we are not only the owners of the natural resources we allow them to make money on, but the actual BOSSES of the "competent authority" needed to give them "legal " permission to operate to what basically amounts to a state sanctioned monopoly.

I wasn't aware that any of the meters ( new or old) measured electricity "AFTER" it gets consumed so not sure what point you are trying to make ( only that your point is wrong).

No it's not like your logging company example at all. It's more like a Utility Corp using the opportunity to make money off a resource we own thinking they can push through any agenda they want at whatever cost ( be that monetary or health) without asking the owners input.

Regardless of any of the very arguable short/long term potential health risks, it is absurd that they would spend countless millions to try and convince us that its smart to spend a Billion dollars replacing all meters right away when the highest percentage of the analog ones still have 10-50 years life left. Any Corporation is mandated ( actually legally obligated) to work its hardest to secure profit for its shareholders. There is nothing said about safe,consumer beneficial , etc practices. The only obvious limitation one would think would be short of breaking the law (sadly ,oftentimes this isn't even a limitation). So to think that these smart meters have anything to do with anything but profit is absurd.

[underscore]

They actually have no right to do so! In the case of Crown Corporations, we are not only the owners of the resource we're allowing them to make money on , but the direct BOSSES of their "bosses" . In the case of private Corps , we are not only the owners of the natural resources we allow them to make money on, but the actual BOSSES of the "competent authority" needed to give them "legal " permission to operate to what basically amounts to a state sanctioned monopoly.

I wasn't aware that any of the meters ( new or old) measured electricity "AFTER" it gets consumed so not sure what point you are trying to make ( only that your point is wrong).

Sorry, I meant consumed by them (gathered?) before they process it and send it to the end user. I highly doubt that we have any say in what they do with the product we allow them to gather beyond how we allow them to consume it, but feel free to find valid information proving that incorrect.

Regardless of any of the very arguable short/long term potential health risks, it is absurd that they would spend countless millions to try and convince us that its smart to spend a Billion dollars replacing all meters right away when the highest percentage of the analog ones still have 10-50 years life left. Any Corporation is mandated ( actually legally obligated) to work its hardest to secure profit for its shareholders. There is nothing said about safe,consumer beneficial , etc practices. The only obvious limitation one would think would be short of breaking the law (sadly ,oftentimes this isn't even a limitation). So to think that these smart meters have anything to do with anything but profit is absurd.

Changing all the meters at once can reduce the headaches involved with trying to slowly phase out the analog meters that require manual checking. Installing them will also allow them to potentially implement incentives to smooth out the loading on their system, reducing costs for them and us.

[sanfish]

Changing all the meters at once can reduce the headaches involved with trying to slowly phase out the analog meters that require manual checking. Installing them will also allow them to potentially implement incentives to smooth out the loading on their system, reducing costs for them and us.

If only that we're true. People's bills have mostly gone up ( some quite dramatically). In fact , the only anecdotal evidence that the "savings could be passed on to us" seems to be that people have been changing habits /appliances. So really what they're doing is using power more efficiently ( read less power not cheaper power due to savings), and if you need a "smart " meter to tell you how to act then I guess you deserve a meter smarter than yourself . Automation ,without somehow taking care of those most displaced by said automation ( read...directly /indirectly everyone) kills the economy. We have less people working less hours making more things, while being convinced we need more things. It's been calculated ( by kila joules of energy) that one person can now meet the needs of over 4400 other people ( machinery etc). Common sense would dictate we should then be working 4400 times less or have 4400 times more ( or some combination thereof).

I'm going to land this plane before Fancy posts on here that I'm off topic. My point being , all potential health/privacy issues aside, that even if I was given a choice between "saving
Money" due to smart meters or no savings and keeping people in my community employed .....I'd go with people everytime.