1) Below is a letter from a FortisBC electrical customer who wisely insisted on replacement of 3 $$meters that gathered moisture, and finally was given an analog. It is dangerous if moisture gets or gathers inside the meter casing – and it is inevitable it will, even through condensation. The lithium battery might burn if it becomes damp and there is a serious chance of arcing due to moisture.
Keep an eye on your $mart or digital meter and if you find even a small amount of moisture, insist that it be removed.
2) Maryland parents are pushing against Wi-Fi in schools. Please forward this to parents who might not know that their children are exposed to Wi-Fi every school day. No information is provided to parents and no permission asked.
Please see Today’s FOX 5 news coverage of MCPS parents concerned about wireless in schools. Share widely!
http://safetechforschoolsmaryland.blogspot.com/2016/02/fox-5-news-parents-concerned-about-wifi.html
3) Jenny Fry was a 15 year old girl living in the UK who hanged herself after suffering, unrelentingly, due to EHS which was exacerbated by Wi-Fi in her school. Her mother discusses her daughter’s sensitivity and her efforts to have the Wi-Fi removed from the school – without success. This mother is now campaigning to educate parents and authorities about this important issue that is affecting more and more children and teachers.
http://boilthefrogradio.com/jenny-fry-and-wifi/
Letters:
Kaslo
Monday, Feb 15, 2016
Commission Secretary. British Columbia Utilities Commission
A smart meter was installed on our house on Tuesday Feb. 9 against our will and under duress due to imminent threats by FortisBC to disconnect us if we continued to refuse one.
Two days later, on Thursday Feb. 11, I noticed that the meter had beads of moisture inside of it. As I am aware that this can cause arcing and catastrophic failure (ie fire), I called Fortis to ask them to send someone out to deal with the problem. They tried to say that it was “just the texture of the plastic”. I insisted that they contact the local crew and send someone out. They contacted them and fortunately the crew leader understood the danger that we were in, and came out immediately, which took him 2 hours as he had to drive from Trail. He replaced the meter with another identical one. He gave me his card and said to call him directly if there were any further problems. Four hours later, condensation was occurring inside the meter again. It was by that time 5:30 pm, outside of his work hours, so I left him a message. First thing Friday morning he came out and changed the meter again. This time he brought a crew with him to check the pole and box and they put some putty here and there to try to stop any moisture that they thought might be getting in that way. The third smart meter also got moisture in it within 4 hours. By this time it was the weekend, so I called the lineman who was on call and he phoned me back right away and came out at 7 AM on Saturday and put back the old analog meter as a temporary measure until some solution could be found. So we had three smart meters in 3 days which filled up with condensation putting our home and our lives at risk.
It seems to me that these meters are not designed to work in very moist areas like where we live and that the smart meter program should be immediately stopped, at the very least until they can come up with a safer design, and that all of these dangerous meters should be removed from people’s homes and businesses.
XX
___________________________________________________________________________
From: X
Sent: February 15, 2016
To: Sharon Noble
Subject: Re: Update 20102-14 Duke Energy in No. Carolina can find analogs, why can’t Hydro and Fortis?
Sharon,
As mentioned in an earlier email, I too was fighting to have an analog meter installed. I too was told “no more legacy meters”. I too was told power would be disconnected if I failed to allow the meter exchange. I fought this for 1 1/2 years.
Ultimately the argument from BC Hydro’s Brad Bishop (Meter Deployment Manager) was simple: the Utility has the right to determine, per the Electrical Tariff, if meters are re-certified . Therefore this is the reason they have no legacy meters remaining for exchanges because they have opted not to batch certify any Analog meters as of 2011.
Measurement Canada will not inspect meters even though they have the authority to do so. They are giving that power back to the Utility.
My original Analog meter was installed in 1989. It was installed inside my garage and has never been exposed to rain, sun, wind, snow or freezing temperatures. It was in pristine condition. They exchanged it on January 16th, 2016. I asked for a BC Hydro installer and got one, along with an appointment. The installer stated that the one he was taking with him just goes to a depot. He had no idea whether or not it was going to be recycled but he commented that it should be because it was in such good shape. I asked when the meter he was installing was to “expire” and he said he didn’t know. All he knew is that according to his data pad, it was “batch”certified in 2011. As far as he is aware that was the last time BC Hydro re-certified old “legacy” meters.
Once the new Analog meter (a GE Canada model) was installed I contacted Measurement Canada. I asked them to provide a “seal expiry date” for my newly exchanged meter. After about a month they sent me a screen capture of the data that was sent to them by BC Hydro. This GE Canada Analog was re-certified in 2011, just like the installer stated but the expiry of the re-certification “seal” isn’t until 2021. This means it was re-certified for 10 years.
The consumer you mention in the email below states their analog meter was exchanged for another analog in 2014. If the last batch of certified meters is good until 2021, it makes no sense for them to swap it again in 2016. That consumer should check with Measurement Canada to find out when the meter actually “expires”. I would guess the meter they had installed in 2014 was one of these last “batch re-certified” meters that were done in 2011.
FYI the installer I had do my exchange said there were at least 4 analog meters “on the shelf” at the BC Hydro office in Surrey where he is dispatched from. These analog meters are stock for exchanges for people who want to keep their analog meter.
X
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
The cost of wireless convenience: EHS, infertility, cancer.