1) The BC Liberal Government and BC Hydro are misleading the public about Smart Meter Safety – again
The govt’s and Hydro’s PR departments are busy misleading the public about the safety of the Smart meters yet again.
I hope you will write letters to your newspapers, call radio stations, etc. and allow the public to know that they have a fire hazard on the side of their homes. I have written to the Times Colonist. (below) Please feel free to use it or any part.
Please comment.
We must reach those with Smart meters to tell them about the development in Sask. and the risks they are living with. At the minimum they should have fire extinguishers in every room.
2) Press release from Sensus explaining why the fires occurred:
1) over voltage (I think this could mean a surge – and power surges happen often)
2) water in the meter (so no rain or condensation) etc.
As far as I can see this means Sensus Smart meters should not be used if any of these conditions could occur. That means anywhere.
3) BC Hydro Disconnect Notice
Many people have received “disconnect notice” because of outstanding legacy fees.
These fees, even though I believe they are illegal and discriminatory, are payable under the Tariff until we change it. That means that Hydro has the right to demand payment and to consider shutting off power for failure to pay. I cannot advise people to break the law, but I can tell you that many are not paying these fees.
I am encouraging people to write to their MLAs and to the Ombudsperson about this. Under section 25 of the Utilities Commission Act it says that rates and fees must be fair, that no one should be discriminated against.
We are being charged these fees when many with smart meters are still having their meters manually read. We are being charged out of spite, for punishment, not because we are causing more work. This is totally wrong. BCUC says they cannot help (even though it is their mandate to ensure fair treatment) because they were told to not get involved with any aspect of the program – safety, fairness, etc. This is wrong.
The contact information is at https://www.ombudsman.bc.ca/home/contact-us This wrong must be corrected.
4) BCUC Reduction in fees for Estimated Bills
Attached is the decision by BCUC re. reduction in fees for estimated bills. Once again discrimination is clear.
“A missed read credit adjustment will not be issued in non-read months for the approximately 26 per cent of Meter Choices Program customers on EPP.”
The credit, miniscule as it is, will not be given to EPP (EQUAL PAYMENT PLAN) customers. These people will not know what their usage is until the end of the year, when they will receive a huge surprise, and, all the while, they will be paying to extra for having their meters read.
This demonstrates clearly that the fees are extortion, nothing more. Punishment for saying no to having a dangerous fire hazard on our homes.
5) Tennessee Smart Meters
In Tennessee Smart meters are being installed without prior notice, which is against the law. At least there people are supposed to have been given information in advance of installation. It is often only after having health problems that people notice their analogs have been changed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=eWvsGBxQ5K4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UUouaZqnOJay2Lacj8fomO3Q&v=iZEHrM8Mb4E
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Letters:
Sent: August 1, 2014 10:19 AM
To: ‘letters@timescolonist.com‘
Subject: BC’s smart meters — the public deserves the truth
Dear Sir,
The BC public deserves to know the truth about “our” smart meters. Instead of reviewing the fires that have occurred here and taking precautionary action, our Energy Minister Bill Bennett misleads by saying we have had no problems because our meters are a different brand.
There have been fires, and people have suffered loss of property. But no one knows for sure how many. The truth is that the fire commissioner has no code for smart meter fires so they are coded as “electrical”. Bennett refers to a “study” done by Len Garis, former head of the Fire Chief’s Association as proof that there is no problem. The fact is that Garis used the fire commissioner’s information as the basis for his conclusion. This “study” was commissioned by Hydro and Garis was paid $15,000 to say that there had been no fires. Just because the number of electrical fires has not increased does not mean, therefore, that there have been no smart meter fires. This logic does not follow.
Based on fires reported in the media over the last 3 years, I have requested complete files from the fire commissioner and BC Safety Authority. I can tell you that there have been smart meter fires, and incidents that, if they had not be caught, would have led to a major conflagration. One occurred at the Sparwood Post Office. http://www.thefreepress.ca/news/164647876.html Does this not count in Bennett’s or Garis’s numbers because the building didn’t burn down?
Every wireless smart meter has the same basic design flaws, one of which is that it contains a lithium battery to keep data when the power goes out. It is common knowledge that lithium batteries explode when heated. These are in a combustible plastic meter cover that can become hot in the sun or when there is a power surge. This is a fire hazard on our home, plain and simple.
Bennett in an interview http://www.cknw.com/2014/07/30/while-saskatchewan-yanks-its-smart-meters-bc-wont-do-the-same/ admitted there had been fires, and has asked Hydro to find out how many. Is there a magic number that will cause concern? Don’t we in BC deserve the same care as Saskatchewan residents? Money cannot be the driving force here. How much is one life worth?
Sharon Noble
Addresses to the Sask premier, Bill Boyd and the government are:
| Saskatchewan Government Ministries |
| webmasterECON@gov.sk.ca |
Hon. Bill Boyd, bboyd@mla.legassembly.sk.ca
| Date: | Fri, 1 Aug 2014 08:12:50 -0700 |
| From: | xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
| To: | <webmasterECON@gov.sk.ca> |
| CC: | <bill.bennett.mla@leg.bc.ca>, <premier@gov.bc.ca>, <harry.bains.mla@leg.bc.ca>, <john.horgan.mla@leg.bc.ca>, “stopsmartmetersbc” <stopsmartmetersbc@shaw.ca> |
Hon. Bill Boyd, Minister responsible for SaskPower
Dear Mr. Boyd:
I applaud your courage and common sense for reversing the “Smart” Meter program in the province of Saskatchewan. I’m sure it was not an easy decision, but a wise one considering the many problems associated with the program.
Here in British Columbia, regrettably, we are not so fortunate as to have a government that acts in the interests of the people.
Congratulations for making a wise decision.
Yours truly,
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