1) Saskatchewan government orders all 105,000 $$meters removed and replaced with analogs. Bill Bennett acknowledges fires in BC but won’t do anything. Please tell your MLAs that enough is enough. We deserve the same protection from our government as Saskatchewan. Here is the MLA finder:
(BC MLA Finder – http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm)
http://globalnews.ca/news/1483134/saskpower-ordered-to-remove-all-smart-meters-in-the-province/
http://www.cknw.com/2014/07/30/while-saskatchewan-yanks-its-smart-meters-bc-wont-do-the-same/
Please comment.
Below is the press release that I will be sending to the media Thursday morning. Please share, and send to your local media people.
Recorded earlier in the day, listen to the audio by SaskPower VP Mike Marsh about the “failures” of the meters. He acknowledges that meters are all basically the same and not UL or CSA approved.
(audio starts @ 02:41) – http://www.ckom.com/sites/default/files/JGL_SMARTMETERS%20JUL29.mp3
2)Smeter fire in Delta Wed. morning reported by tweet. Can someone please drive by and take photos of the meter area? Please let me know if you can so I can alert others: to director@stopsmartmetersbc.ca
ScanBC (@ScanBC) tweeted at 7:10 PM on Tue, Jul 29, 2014:
#Delta Fire is on scene with a BC Hydro Meter on fire on the side of a Barn at 4200 Tamboline Rd.
(https://twitter.com/ScanBC/status/494303988217810944)
3) Final word re. the reduced fees charged when bills are estimated is now available, at least in the Tariff. I have asked for a copy of the entire decision so we can better understand how it is applied and how the refunds are to be handled. As soon as I get it, I will circulate.
The revised Tariff was approved on July 22, 2014. It has now been updated on BC Hydro’s website. (page 40, section 11.3) Note 9 explains the credit for estimated meter readings.
The Tariff in its entirety can be viewed online at:
– http://www.bchydro.com/about/planning_regulatory/tariff_filings.html
4) Corix in the Shuswap area. Info. from a member.
Corix is continuing their meter exchange in the Shuswap. Today, July 28th, in the Tappen area, they arrived to swap our expiring analogue for another analogue.
Here is a report of what we learned about the meter exchange:
The young Corix employee was pleasant and gave us some information that might be of value to others.
* He said that BCHydro/Corix tells the installers to ignore all signs posted and to do their best to get the digital meters on everyone’s home, however, if the person resists sufficiently, then allow them to have an analogue meter.
* If the person is not at the residence, put on a digital instead of an analogue meter. Today’s installer said this is a stressful part of the job as you never know when the owner might arrive home and what he/she might do catching you putting a digital on when they have specified only an analogue meter. If you aren’t home, yet had your meter locked up, the installer might not cut it off as this meter installer today, when asked, said he didn’t have any lock cutting equipment with him.
* Maybe the $65.00 fee for not being there to take off any obstructing equipment or for refusing to allow a meter change at all, is a sufficient reward to the power company so they might not encourage their installers to pack obstacle removing equipment in their tool kits. This is just our surmise. Maybe other installers do carry such equipment.
* Also, today’s installer said that he had started out this segment of his work assignment (we do not know how many days or weeks this entailed as he is not from this area of BC) with many digital meters; however, he had managed to get them all used up by now so he only had analogues left to put on the rest of his assigned homes. We asked him if he was paid more for putting on a digital vs. an analogue and he said no. It would be good if someone else can ask if he gets paid more for managing to get a smart meter on.
Hope this helps those who await the visit!
5) Time sensitive. Deadline July 31 – TODAY. Please take time to fill in the form. AARP is a powerful lobby group and will influence policies in Canada, too. Click on the top of the front page and it takes 5 minutes to complete.
Comment Today for National Impact
5 Minutes of Your Time Can Have A Lot of Impact,
If AARP Hears from Hundreds of Us
Click here to go to the site: policybook.aarp.org/
Click on the big box at the top labeled “AARP 2014 Policy Solicitation” to go to the comment form. Begin to fill it out. On the third drop-down menu, choose“Chapter 10: Utilities.” On the next item, choose “Smart grid / Utilities infrastructure.”
Points to make:
- Health-care costs will skyrocket
- The elderly are being made homeless
- Impact on grandchildren
- You are ill
- Cancer potential
- FCC guidelines insufficient
AARP says: “On behalf of AARP’s Board of Directors and the National Policy Council, we invite you to submit your suggestions regarding AARP’s public policies. The National Policy Council will consider your input as they make recommendations to the Board of Directors to update existing AARP policies.”
Letters:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2014
BC’S ENERGY MINISTER ADMITS SMART METER FIRES … BUT WILL DO NOTHING.
Energy Minister Bill Bennett admits to smart meter fires in British Columbia, but rather than do anything, he expresses disappointment that Saskatchewan is taking action to protect its citizens.
On July 30 Saskatchewan Energy Minister Bill Boyd called a halt to the smart meter program, demanding removal of 105,000 meters after 8 “failures”, that include fires and exploding meters. http://globalnews.ca/news/1483134/saskpower-ordered-to-remove-all-smart-meters-in-the-province/ “I think the concerns about safety are paramount here, the concerns are significant enough, anytime families are at risk in Saskatchewan, actions have to be taken and that’s why we’ve directed SaskPower accordingly,” said Minister Boyd.
In British Columbia, where we’ve had more “failures”, which have also included fires and exploding meters, Bill Bennett and BC Hydro consistently have refused to acknowledge the danger and, instead, put the blame on homeowners’ meter bases and wiring. It doesn’t matter why a home burns after a smart meter has been installed – whether it was because the inexperienced installer damaged the base or that the meter heated up due to design flaws. The fact is that property and lives have been put at risk and our government is refusing to protect us.
Bennett is sorry that Saskatchewan is taking this action. “It’s unfortunate that Saskatchewan is doing what it’s doing…” Why? Because it shows that some provincial governments are more concerned about their citizens than others. It puts BC to shame.
http://www.cknw.com/2014/07/30/while-saskatchewan-yanks-its-smart-meters-bc-wont-do-the-same/
Finally Bennett is admitting there have been fires due to smart meters in BC. This is a first, but it’s way too late. Fires have been occurring for the last 3 years, and Hydro and Liberals have denied it. The evidence has been hidden and people have been living with a fire hazard on their bedroom walls. He’s told Hydro to find out how many have occurred. That may be difficult because no agency is tracking them.
Why is Bennett asking for a count? Is it just because he feels he must do something? Saskatchewan doesn’t know why the meters have caused fires – they are taking action because fires have occurred. We have had many fires and incidents in BC, and nothing has been done to protect us. Instead the program has been protected with lies and cover-ups. Do we not deserve the same precautionary action as Saskatchewan?
The Coalition to Stop Smart Meters asks, “Please tell us, Mr. Bennett, what is the right number, how many homes must burn before you will stop this dangerous program??”
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters