WhatFinger


Smart meters fraught with problems

BC Hydro ‘Smart Meters’ Not so Smart.



BC Hydro is about to spend 1 Billion dollars by needlessly changing our existing reliable electric meters to new electronic wireless, untested 'SmartMeter' gadgets.

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There is nothing wrong with the existing meters, durably tested by time, many which have lasted for 20-40 years. BC Hydro estimates that in 20 years if everything goes their way, there could be a $500 million net recoup. That's an optimistic 40 year break-even payback not counting the interest on the $1 Billion capital outlay. Geniuses aren't they? So Called 'Smart Meters' (made in China?) are not so smart at all. In fact, they have been fraught with problems wherever they have been tried. In California, their utility PG&E has installed these meters (starting in Bakersfield in 2007) and has had nothing but problems ever since:
  • Residents bills skyrocketing 2x and 4x the amounts for the same months of the previous year with no apparent increase in useage. PG&E not sure how to respond, tried to defend their 'SmartMeter Program' and ended up with class action lawsuits. This only results in more litigation costs that will be picked up by the rate-payers in the form of increased user rates. Everybody loses, there are no winners except the lawyers!
  • There is no way of verifying the malfunctioning electronic meter readings, unless you physically install both, (one of the existing reliable meters in dual series) along with the SmartMeter, to compare the false readings of wandering-calibrated failed electronics. This is another unforeseen unaccountable expense, now necessary to resolve disputes.
  • Hydro claims these meters can detect electrical theft? In reality, it just presents a new challenge to the hackers. It won't take long for a new underground industry to develop and there will be more than ever hacker-programmed meters (electricity theft) that the honest people will have to pay for. Apparently they don't seem to understand that electronic wireless equipment is not foolproof.
  • Then after this ill-conceived billion dollar boondoggle, will we need another billion to remove the failed gadgets and re-install the old proven reliable meters? Better not throw away the old ones, so add on more warehouse retrievable storage costs!
  • The SmartMeters are programmable so as to change the rates for different times of day, ie higher rates for peak power use. This is the real reason, to jack our rates 50% over the next 3 years. The whole program is just another sneaky smokescreen guise to raise our rates reminiscent of the devious HST tactics.
Guess the new breed of electron-eco-gadget-geeks at Hydro expect us to cook our dinner in non peak hour shifts to avoid the blackouts, while we praise our SmartMeters real time display on our computer screens and admire our new compact flourescent light bulbs. Like many of Gordon Campbell's radical socialist green energy (like his Carbon Tax) ideas foisted on us taxpayers, we pay for their dumb ideological political mistakes. I hope the new Liberal leader and his cabinet has enough sense to stop this nonsense and get on with producing more low cost power so we can use it without feeling guilty and sell it as the commodity it is.


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Roland Seguin -- Bio and Archives

Roland resides on the West Coast of Canada adjacent to the US border.  As a senior taxpayer, he has taken to writing to express his frustrations of government waste, mismanagement, overspending, and other BS extremes. Now a retired grandpa, active with his family and rural lifestyle, he spent his career years as an Architectural Designer, Carpenter and Building Inspector. He promotes good but reasonable environmental practices.


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