• The revised contact list is now on our website. There are still many places with no contacts so if you are willing to volunteer, please let me know. Also, let me know if you see any errors or omissions. https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Public-and-Contacts-April-2014.pdf

 

• The article in the Comox newspaper the other day about the disconnection of power for the 71 year old woman said that after Nov. 1 and until spring power cannot be shut off. I have been trying to find the law that says this and so far I have not. I recall reading some time ago that there was a temperature restriction, something like the power could not be shut off if the temperature fell to 0 C or lower, but sadly I cannot find it. I urge you to be careful about not paying legacy fees. Hydro could turn off your power as it has to another woman today in Merville (see media release below). If it does, one of the conditions for reconnection is acceptance of a $$meter.

 

• Today someone told me that none of the $$meters in the Hazelton/Smithers areas are read remotely, that all are being read manually. I would like to try to get an idea if Hydro’s statement that close to 50,000 are being read manually is correct – they haven’t been honest with us very often, so I wonder if this is accurate. If you know of an area where $$meters are read manually, whether an apartment building in a city, or a town, etc. would you please let me know, along with an approximate number in that building/area? Please send to director@stopsmartmetersbc.com with “Manual $meters” on the subject line. We need to demand equal, fair and legal treatment on the fee issue. If we have to pay, the others should have to pay also. IF they do not pay, neither should we.

 

• Saskatchewan NDP call for breaking of ties with $meter maker.  A strong NDP opposition in BC should be calling the government out on its lies about fires in BC.  Why hasn’t it?

http://regina.ctvnews.ca/government-should-cut-ties-with-smart-meter-company-ndp-1.2088597

 

• In Nevada, the same types of failures have occurred as have happened in BC:  Blackened and melted meters, water entering and causing a short resulting in a fire, plus other causes of fires.

http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2014/11/03/probe-canadian-utility-ignored-meter-fire-warning-signs/18437871/

 

• Why some “green” environmental groups are falling in line with the lie that $$meters are “green”.

http://gettingsmarteraboutthesmartgrid.org/green_electricity_or_green_money

 

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Letters:

To CHEK news by a member re. cutting of power and Bennett’s response:

I appreciate your station airing this issue!

I would be able to totally agree with Mr. Bennett’s sentiments about the rate if I didn’t know that over 50,000 households with smart meters are also having them read manually due to glitches in the wireless communication abilities in some areas. These households are not being charged the extra fee.  So my comment to him would be that rather than others supplementing those of us with analogue’s we are indeed carrying them with the exorbitant $32.40 a month we are paying to have the meters read.  This works out to $64.80 a reading as our meters are only read every two months.  For many people this “legacy” fee is more than their actual Hydro consumption.  Do you not think this could use an investigative report so rather than the quick sound bites our politicians throw out the public could be made aware of the whole story. You might also want to look into the fire issues as per what has happened in Sask.  Though BC Hydro used a different manufacturer the safety issues are the same for all of these newer meters.  Thanks for daring to raise the issue and inform your public even though Hydro probably represents a large part of your advertising revenue.

Please circulate this widely.

 

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Another BC Hydro Disconnect – Not Smart
MEDIA ADVISORY

Another single Comox Valley woman has been disconnected by BC Hydro this morning, Nov 5, 10 am.

Chris Bruels of Merville is a professional body work practitioner. She has health and “freedom of choice” reasons for refusing a smart meter. She has paid all her electric usage fees on time, AND has paid the Legacy Meter penalty fee ($32 per month), on the months that her meter was actually read.

There was no warning, no 24 hour disconnection phone call. And only one letter in Sept advising of possible disconnection.

Background:

I am one of many thousand Smart Meter resisters across, BC, who have strong and valid health, safety and privacy reasons to refuse a “smart” meter. Energy Minister Bill Bennett said (Nov 4) all customers must be treated fairly. Another BC Hydro Disconnect – Not Smart

Asking us to pay  a $32 per month penalty fee for using our old analog meter is NOT fair. The BC Utilities Commission approved a fee far higher than those in many jurisdictions.

Hydro Quebec (Sept 24, CBC headline) Ordered  to Reduce Fees by $33, this referring to “radio-off” digital meters. The monthly fees, originally $17, were further reduced to $7.

The CV Record newspaper (Nov4 ) reported “Due to the extreme temperatures Canadian face, company policy states that BC Hydro will not cut off power to any of its customers between Nov 1 and Mar 31. ”

Is there a legal or social remedy to this injustice?

—————–

 

From: Dennis and Sharon Noble [mailto:dsnoble@shaw.ca]
Sent: November 5, 2014 2:58 PM
To: ‘adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca‘; ‘don.mcrae.mla@leg.bc.ca‘; John Horgan. Leader NDP
Subject: Another woman’s power cut — she needs your help.
Importance: High

Dear Adrian, Don, and John,

I hope that you will see the injustice of the legacy fees given that so many smart meters are being read manually. People are sick and tired of being harassed and threatened with these punitive fees. We need your help in confronting this terribly unfair treatment.

Why are close to 50,000 smart meters being read for no additional fee while we are being forced to pay $32.40 per month? Why are those on equal payment having to pay $32.40 when their meters are read only 1-2 times a year, with no refund for the months when the meters are not read?

Why must we be forced to pay to NOT have a known fire hazard on our homes?

This is so very wrong, and the NDP is the party with the history of standing up for those who are being abused. Please, keep that history alive and help us, help Chris Bruels, and the many others who are cold today because of this program.

Sincerely,

Sharon Noble