Category Archives: BC Hydro

Smart meter safety risk – Letter to BC Minister of Energy and Mines Bennett

June 26. 2015 – For Immediate Release

 A COURT TOLD ITRON SMART METERS ARE A FIRE HAZARD.

 What did ITRON know and when did they know it? They knew these smart meters were dangerous and they knew from the very beginning.

 We, the taxpayers who fund BC Hydro, demand a refund from ITRON for selling a defective, dangerous device.

 ITRON’s smart meters have design flaws that make them fire hazards. These were sold to many places before they were sold to BC Hydro, so ITRON had to have been aware of problems long before the contract was signed.

Failures and fires have occurred in BC.   How many no one knows because no one is tracking.

BCUC was told through the Clean Energy Act and Direction 4 it had no authority to interfere in the smart meter program in any way.   BC Safety Authority has been told to butt out of the smart meter program. And the Provincial Fire Commissioner doesn’t track specific causes of fires. So no one knows, except, perhaps BC Hydro and they’re not talking.

But now, through sworn testimony in a legal action in Texas obtained by Sharon Noble, Director of the Coalition to Stop Smart Meters, we learn that there have been many incidents of ITRON Openway smart meters — the same model used by BC Hydro and Fortis BC — failing and burning, palettes of them, according to one testimonial.

Now is the time, before more homes are damaged, and more lives put at risk, to say this program is a fiasco. WE WANT THIS PROGRAM ENDED, AND WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK.

Noble says, “Whenever we purchase something that doesn’t work the way it is supposed to, we can return it and expect our money back. These smart meters were purported to be safe, just as safe as the old analogs. But they aren’t and now we have proof from a completely independent source – a Texas court.   Bill Bennett needs to stop this program, recall the smart meters, demand that analogs be put back in place, and send ITRON the bill.”’

Certainly ITRON knew long ago that these meters were cheaply made with flaws that could cause the meters to fail catastrophically. They should have warned us – it should not be up to us to have to fight to protect our homes. WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK.

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Letter to BC Minister of Energy and Mines Bennett

 

From: Dennis and Sharon Noble [mailto:dsnoble@shaw.ca]
Sent: June 25, 2015 2:25 PM
To: Bill Bennett (mem.minister@gov.bc.ca); ‘bill.bennett.mla@leg.bc.ca
Cc: John Horgan. Leader NDP;
adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca;
Christy Clark (premier@gov.bc.ca);
elizabeth.may@parl.gc.ca‘;
Atamanenko, Alex – Riding 1A; Atamanenko.A@parl.gc.ca; ‘andrew.weaver.mla@leg.bc.ca‘;
info@greenparty.bc.ca

Subject: Smart meter safety risk

VIA REGISTERED MAIL
June 25, 2015
Hon. Bill Bennett
Minister of Energy and Mines
Room 301
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Dear Mr. Bennett:

In 2012 Armen Kassabian, Ontario Fire Marshal, wrote a report that expressed serious concerns about the safety of smart meters, regardless of the brand.  They fail.  They melt.  They burn.

http://www.stopsmartmeters.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/FireMarshallReportSmartMeterFires-Canada.pdf

Mr. Bennett, for the last 2 years I have been tracking smart meter failures in British Columbia, and have provided you with evidence showing that there is justification for major concern. Just like the Sensus smart meters in Saskatchewan, the Itron meters in BC have overheated, melted and burned. More failures have occurred in BC than in Saskatchewan, yet you and BC Hydro have taken no steps to ensure the public’s safety. In fact, you and BC Hydro have denied that these meters have failed or put lives at risk.

There is now evidence that you cannot – must not – ignore.

With this letter I have provided a printed copy of a recent lawsuit in Texas that contains testimony given under oath by journeyman linesmen who have worked for utilities for many years. They state that ITRON Openway meters used by Centerpoint Energy in Houston, the very same model being used by BC Hydro and Fortis BC, have failed in large numbers. This document also is available at

https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Reed_Answering_Brief-1.pdf

Of particular note:

1)            Those testifying had confirmed fires and failures with other linesmen and trouble-shooters prior to making the statements. Pg. 25

2)            The linesmen reported that the utility had “two pallets of burned up (Itron) meters”.  Pg. 8

3)            The linesmen reported problems with “meters’ communication with the remote site control and many issues with meters melting and burning up.”  Pg. 8

4)            Linesmen determined that “part of the problem was a loose connection between the meter and the meter base because the smart meters had thinner “blades” than the previous analog meters” (emphasis added)     Pg. 8 This gap could cause arcing leading to fires.

5)            Concerns were raised about the ITRON smart meters “creating arc flashes, which could burn the customers’ wiring and create ‘hazardous conditions.’ …These hazardous conditions include potentially causing arc flashes, which could result in anything from minor to third degree burns to technicians who remove the meters.”  Pg. 8

6)            An experienced trouble-shooter for a utility reported that he had “responded to more fire calls once the smart meters were deployed and these often involved heating problems at the meter base.”  Pg. 13

7)            “ Reed’s testimony concerned products used by Respondent. Landis + Gyr is the manufacturer of the AMS meter used by Respondent and Itron is the manufacturer of the meters used by CenterPoint Energy in Houston.”  Pg. 25

The model used in Houston is the ITRON C2SOD, Openway Centron II the same model used by BC Hydro and Fortis BC.

http://investors.centerpointenergy.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=553906

8)            At Oncor and Centerpoint there was a consistent corporate message that utility employees are to tell customers that any problem, whether it’s damaged appliances or a fire, was due to the meter base which is owned by the client, not the smart meter.  Pg. 10. This is the same message that, according to Hydro insiders, BC Hydro has given to its employees.

———-

Mr. Bennett, I could provide you with many statistics and data that I have gathered over the last 2 years that would help explain why the meters are a fire hazard, but I believe that is unnecessary. I have provided you with most of them already.   Instead, I will summarize what I have found in addition to the details provided above:

1)            Electronic digital and smart meters — which are combustible and vulnerable to heat — should have reliable means for immediately disconnecting them from the grid in the entirely foreseeable event of circuit failure (lithium-metal batteries, diodes, electrolytic capacitors, transistors, etc.). Such reliable means are apparently not provided. With an effectively unlimited current supply from the grid this lack of protection creates a significant fire risk when the meter is combustible as is the ITRON smart meter.

2)            I’ve been told by knowledgeable people that the remote disconnect switch apparently is unreliable and poorly designed, having been implicated in fires across North American. To function it relies on other components of the meter that, in all likelihood, would be compromised in the event of overheating or other failures. Arcing, arc flash, and heating from the disconnect switch are also serious hazards that derive from the unprotected grid connection.

3)            The meter installation process was questionable, given the lack of qualifications of the personnel recruited to carry out the installations. Use of inadequately qualified installation personnel significantly increases the risk of: (a) failure to observe existing meter base/wiring problems; and (b)  damaging the base during exchange; both of these can lead to “hot sockets” with the attendant risk of fire.

4)            The meter bases into which these meters are being placed were designed, tested, and CSA approved to hold an electro-mechanical analog meter which is not combustible. . Our multiple requests for proof of certification of the meter base in conjunction with a combustible electronic meter, either digital or smart meter, have been ignored. It is a highly questionable practice, probably illegal, to install electronic meters on a base designed and  CSA tested/approved only  for electro- mechanical analogue meters.

5)            In BC the BC Safety Standards Act exempts BC Hydro and Fortis BC from having their equipment certified by CSA and smart meters have been determined to be utility equipment.  The exemption is conditional under section 21-4 which states that utility equipment must be certified safe by a professional electrical engineer licensed in BC.  BC Hydro stated it does not have this certification.

6)            According to the Fire Commissioner’s Office, BC Hydro is allowed to remove and has removed smart meters from scenes of fires before the fire inspection has been completed “since it is their meter.” This runs counter to the BC Fire Safety Act.

7)            BC Hydro has reported that no smart meter has been inspected in its laboratory, Power Tech, after it has failed. Instead all failed meters are returned immediately to Itron for replacement. I have been told in response to a Freedom of Information request that BC Hydro is doing no investigation to determine the reason for the failure.

8)            There appears to be no agency that is tracking incidents involving smart meters.

The BC Utility Commission, according to the BC Utilities Commission Act, has responsibility to ensure BC Hydro’s products and practices will not endanger the public. With regard to the smart meter program, the BCUC informs me this responsibility has been overruled by the Clean Energy Act and Direction 4 because it has been told it cannot interfere in the smart meter program in any way, even with regard to public safety.

The BC Safety Authority, which normally ensures that electrical devices are safe and that any unsafe devices are reported, advised me that they have been told that they have no authority regarding the smart meter program.

9)            Fire reports have indicated the cause of some fires to be due to failed electrical distribution equipment. Len Garis, in the report commissioned by BC Hydro, stated that reference to electrical distribution equipment usually refers to meters.

10)          Budgets to fire departments have been reduced to the point where departments do not have the resources to determine causes of all fires. Many fires are not reported even after 2 years. In addition, one fire chief told me that they were told to rule out arson, and not bother going further. As a result in many cases, the fire’s cause is given as “undetermined.”  Of the fires for which I’ve requested reports from the Fire Commissioner, 50% have no determined cause!

11)          Because of the lack of resources, investigations are carried out by people with limited electrical fire forensics ability, and, therefore, it is possible that many fires that might be associated with smart meters are going undetected. As a result, it is possible that many problems are going undetected and unremedied, jeopardizing the property and lives of British Columbians.

12)          Regulations in Quebec require that Hydro-Quebec ensures that smart meters are not within 3 meters of a propane tank. If the tank or meter cannot be removed, then the remote disconnect switch, which has been found to have been involved in fires in Saskatchewan, must be disabled. It seems prudent that similar precautionary measures should be taken regarding proximity of smart meters to any flammable materials. I wrote to you, Mr. Bennett, and BC Hydro authorities on June 4 asking what precautionary steps BC Hydro would be taking, and to date I received no response.

Our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 7, grants Canadian citizens the right to refuse actions by the government that the citizens believe to be harmful.

Further, “the Federal Court of Appeal has opened the door to lawsuits against government regulators for negligent administration of their regulatory schemes and created the possibility of suing a regulator for damages under public law if the regulator violates a clear duty to act or exercises its public power in an “irrational” or “clearly wrong” manner.”

http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/beekeepers-abuzz-after-court-allows-clas-01297 /

Based upon the information I’ve provided to you, I believe it is safe to say that this smart meter program has major problems that cannot be ignored any longer. You, Mr. Bennett, as Minister of Energy, are responsible for allowing this program to continue.  With receipt of this package of material, which I am sending via registered mail, you cannot say you didn’t know that these smart meters are fire hazards.

I am sure that your concern for the safety and welfare of your constituents is paramount. Based upon the information I’ve presented, this concern is best addressed by halting the program and removing the smart meters, pending an investigation.

Should you wish further information about anything that I’ve said, please ask.

 

Sincerely,
Sharon Noble

 

This will be sent to  All MLAs

BC Hydro – Smart Meters – Class Action Lawsuit Update – April 7, 2015

” . . . Direction 4 allowed opt out choice ONLY for residential customers who had thus far managed to avoid the installation of a microwave smart meter up until December 1, 2013. No commercial customers were allowed an opt out choice.

“After more than 2 years of forced installations, and two months after commencement of this legal action against BC Hydro, the Liberals used Direction 4 to deny opt out choice for 96% of BC Hydro customers, allowing opt out choice ONLY for those customers who had successfully refused a smart meter of any kind up to December 1, 2013. Out of 1.8 million customers, only 4% were deemed eligible for choice. Direction 4 only allowed customers to opt out if they had residential accounts (no business), and no RF smart meter had yet been installed by December 1, 2013. In short, Direction 4 closed any loopholes left out of the Clean Energy Act and determined the different ways in which individual customers may suffer under the heavy hand of BC Hydro’s smart meter rollout.

“It was an amazing moment to realize the Liberals had imposed an act which made legal severe restriction of civil liberties without any kind of parliamentary discussion. . . .

Read the full Update here
https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/BC-Hydro-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Update-April-72015.pdf

BC’s Itron smart meters put lives and homes at risk — who is looking out for us?

January 28, 2015 • For Immediate Release

Smart meters have design flaws that have caused fires across North America, including in British Columbia.

In Saskatchewan, Oregon, Florida, and now Ontario, measures are being taken to protect residents. Meanwhile in BC, Energy Minister Bill Bennett and BC Hydro refuse to acknowledge this fire hazard exists, allowing these meters to remain on homes and businesses, putting our lives and property at risk.

In Saskatchewan, after eight meter failures and one fire, on July 30, 2014, the government ordered all smart meters to be removed immediately. Energy Minister Bill Boyd explained this action as being precautionary. “The concerns about safety are paramount here,” he said. “We believe that any time families are at risk here in Saskatchewan, actions have to be taken and that’s why we have directed SaskPower accordingly.”

http://smartgridawareness.org/2014/07/30/fires-prompt-saskatchewan-government-in-canada-to-order-removal-of-105000-smart-meters/

In Ontario risks are being reduced. On January 22, 2015 Ontario’s Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) ordered certain smart meters to be removed immediately, as a precautionary measure. The meters have remote disconnect switches and were found to allow water/moisture and other contaminants to get into the meter. This could result in arcing and fire.

http://www.esasafe.com/assets/files/esasafe/Newsroom/ESA-Meter-Release-FINAL-ROP-Jan.22.2015.pdf

“Although there were no serious incidents reported in Ontario involving these meters, when we learned of the events in Saskatchewan we undertook a due diligence safety review to determine if there were any implications for Ontario,” said David Collie, ESA’s President and CEO.

In British Columbia there have been many meter failures and several fires according to official government and BC Hydro sources.

ITRON smart meters have the remote disconnect switch, just like those in Ontario, and they allow water/moisture to accumulate just as they did in Saskatchewan.

In British Columbia there has been at least one fire that, according to the BC Safety Authority, was caused by water leaking into the meter, causing a short circuit.

Yet no one, not Bill Bennett, not BC Hydro, not the BC Safety Authority is even acknowledging the fire risk, let alone taking precautionary measures to protect us and our homes.

engineers who, on a voluntary basis are studying the meters, have found several serious flaws, one of the significant ones being the remote disconnect switch. They are concerned that proper testing of the switch and of the meters themselves hasn’t taken place and there is no certification of safety by either CSA or an independent professional electrical engineer – something required by both common sense and the law.

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In the attached commentary, a retired engineer, Bob McKechnie warns, “The switch is critical from the safety point of view because if it fails to operate properly the disconnect function will not be accomplished and safety will not be assured.”

Our government and BC Hydro are playing Russian roulette with our lives and property. Who is watching out for British Columbians? Must people die before Bill Bennett takes action?

Smart Meters, Cell Towers, Smart Phones, 5G and all things that radiate RF Radiation