1) From a member re. FortisBC installation plans:
FortisBC’s Summer 2014 flyer states that their metering installations will begin “later this year” starting in order of Trail, Kelowna, South Okanagan, Similkameen, Boundary, and Kootenays.
FortisBC states that to receive a radio off meter, one must call (1-866-436-7847).
2) The threats are coming hot and heavy to disconnect power for those who are refusing to pay the discriminatory legacy fees. The fees are law under the Tariff, but the law (the Utilities Commission Act) also says that people must be charged the same rate for the same service. People are refusing to pay this fee on the basis that BC Hydro is reading smart meters and not charging. The justification that the analogs cause more more, more effort, etc. just does not fly. Does it really cost more to manually read an analog than it does to manually read a $meter??
BC Hydro spokesperson Ted Olynyk said that the monthly $32.40 charge is needed to recover the costs of maintaining the resources necessary to keep the analog system running. “Trucks, equipment, people, they have to be retained to read the meters and manually put the data back into the billing system, whereas the new system is read remotely and inputted remotely,” he said.
http://www.nanaimodailynews.com/news/nanaimo-region/power-may-be-cut-in-smart-meter-battle-1.1339392
Please comment to: letters@nanaimodailynews.com as well as the Ombudsperson [- https://www.ombudsman.bc.ca/home/contact-us] and the Information & Privacy Commissioner [- https://www.oipc.bc.ca/about/contact-us.aspx].
Letters:
From: Sharon Noble [mailto:dsnoble@shaw.ca]
Sent: September 2, 2014
To: Bill Bennett (mem.minister@gov.bc.ca)
Cc: Christy Clark (premier@gov.bc.ca); John Horgan. Leader NDP; ‘adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca’; ‘commission.secretary@bcuc.com’; ‘greg.reimer@bchydro.com’; ‘Info’
Subject: Discrimination in fees for legacy meters
Mr. Bennett,
The legacy fees being charged are discriminatory and illegal according to the Utilities Commission Act.
The UCA section 39 stipulates that there must not be discrimination with regard to service or to rates for that service.
I charge that the legacy fees are being applied in a discriminatory manner because many smart meters are being read manually and no one is being charged for this service. Why are people with legacy meters being charged for the very same service? There is no additional work, effort or time required to read a legacy meter, to input its data for billing than is required to read a smart meter.
Many smart meters are in areas of the province where topography interferes with wireless communication. Many others are in large buildings where smart meters are located underground or in concrete rooms, making it impossible for signals to reach collectors. All of these meters, and most likely more, are being read manually – just as my legacy meter is, yet I am being charged $32.40 a month for the same service being provided to these homes for no additional fee.
Sir, I would ask for you to justify to me this illegal discriminatory practice. If you cannot, you must end it.
I look forward to receiving a response at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Sharon Noble
Victoria, BC
Sent: September 2, 2014
To: John Horgan.MLA; elizabeth.may@greenparty.ca; Leonard Krog.MLA <leonard.krog.mla@leg.bc.ca>; commission.secretary@bcuc.com; patrick.wruck@bcuc.com; greg.reimer@bchydro.com
Cc: mayor.council@nanaimo.ca
Subject: David Chalk – re: Smart Grid
Hi,
I thought this article was about as concise and comprehensive as possible to briefly describe and outline the reasons for halting and reversing this Smart Meter Initiative.
Apart from all the technological, scientific and health studies related to EMR, not to mention the fire hazard of over-heating, combustible, plastic, smart meters – this recognition of our vulnerability to remote disruption or shut down of power on a massive scale should make anyone who depends on electricity think twice about this kind of wireless power grid.
The article is not long, so I’m hoping that you will take two minutes of your time to read what someone who is not affiliated with either BC Hydro, or the Corporations supplying the meters – nor the government has to say – in other words, someone who has no conflict of interest or any agenda other than to educate those of us who don’t have his expertise in computer technology….
Thank you.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters