1) Has anyone seen another letter from his/her MLA to Bennett about the fees? I haven’t seen one from mine. We should all write to our MLAs (copying Dix and Horgan) asking where their letters are, and why they haven’t written as Dix has, just as the MLA of his district. Not only are we paying fees that are unjustifiable, but we are being charged multiple times for the same services. A member sent me this as taken off her bill:
‘basic service charge’ Hydro says ‘ The basic charge partially recovers the fixed costs of service such as metering and billing.’
2) From fellow smeter resisters in Michigan, some interesting observations that seem to be universal. E.g.
“The attack on public health and safety and the highway robbery the smart grid represents is not the result of some “misunderstanding” or “lack of information.”
“All of this is intentional and it will only stop when the criminals behind the program are forced to stop. If a PUC commissioner suddenly woke up and realized the truth and started to actively challenge the system, the system would have them removed. No question. Commissioners are vetted carefully for any hint of rebellion before they are appointed.”
http://michiganstopsmartmeters.com/2014/12/18/smart-meter-corruption/
3) This Florida utility was pressured to reduce its opt out fees to $13 a month. Attached is a chart with opt out fees, added as we learn about them. (this one has yet to be added.)
http://www.psc.state.fl.us/home/news/index.aspx?id=1214
4) A really good summary of the year as far as $meters are concerned from our friends in Illinois:
http://smartgridawareness.org/2014/12/18/smart-meters-have-failed/
5) Fortis is telling people the same thing Hydro told us – take the smeter (with or without the transmitter) or lose power.
http://globalnews.ca/video/1736670/youre-getting-a-smart-meter If you have comments for Kelly Hayes, the reporter, about your experience with ITRON meters and Hydro, his email is kelly.hayes@globalnews.ca
Here are contacts for Fortis:
Smart Meter project manager:
Ian Dyck,
Manager of Electric AMI,
Suite 100, 1975 Springfield Road ,
Kelowna, British Columbia V1Y 7V7 ,
Phone: 250-469-8130 Fax: 866-795-0849 ,
ian.dyck@fortisbc.com
Michael Mulcahy as President and Chief Executive Officer of FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc., effective August 1, 2014. His email probably is michael.mulcahy@fortisbc.com
I suggest that people in the Fortis area begin to write to these people about the many problems experience by Hydro customers, especially concentrating on the fires. Fortis is installing the same dangerous ITRON meter – and there will be fires. People need to report incidents, and to keep watch for fires in the local media. If you hear of any in your area that are 1) electrical and/or 2) started in the garage, carport or outside wall – please get to the location asap and take a photo of the meter area before Hydro or Fortis can get there to take it. If there is any damage there or if the meter is missing, please send the photo to me along with the address and link to the media information. Please send to director@stopsmartmetersbc.com with Fire and name of community on the subject line.
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Letters:
Sent: December 19, 2014 10:56 AM
To: Dan Brooks
Subject: Smart meters and wifi in general
Earlier this year I wrote to you about the Smart Meter program and you answered me back with
“The problem I have with the smart meters is the gross violation of our individual liberty by imposing this on folks without option, and then later penalizing those who opt out. In addition the waste of 1 billion is atrocious. But the money is now spent, and cannot be recovered. I believe the best course of action is to allow individual home owners the right to insist on no smart meter without fear of penalty or reprisal from BC Hydro.
There is a wider issue though, which is the mismanagement of the electricity monopoly.”
Why have we not seen news releases or letters to government from you and your party to Minister Bill Bennett about BC Hydro and their wrong doings and extortion fees. Adrian Dix has finally gotten off his back side and written to him but I need to know if you and your party are out there fighting this as well. You must get out there and let people know that you are against this travesty. You need the support of the people if you hope to get elected in the next election. I have attached his letter for you to read.
We can not be satisfied with support from one political party on this. We need the support from all parties in BC, including the Conservative party, who will put the Liberals and BC Hydro in their place.
The BCUC is useless now as the government has tied their hands on anything to do with the smart meter program and BC Hydro. The BCUC is supposed to be completely separate from government so that they can work without interference from political parties but the Liberals changed all that. This is something else that needs to be reversed and the BCUC has to be able to do the job they were set up to do.
To keep informed about what is going on in this area please visit these two sites
http://citizensforsafetechnology.org
https://stopsmartmetersbc.com/
There is also a daily email sent out by Sharon Noble who is the head of Stop Smart Meters BC. To receive these very informative daily reports just send an email to dsnoble@shaw.ca and she will put you on the list.
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Sent: December 18, 2014 1:13 PM
To: Adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca
Subject: re fires and smart meters
Dear Mr. Dix:
There is enough evidence of fires connected with smart meters to justify re-examining the smart meter program. BC Hydro has not collected evidence systematically and indeed smart meters have curiously been removed from the site of fires before fire inspectors arrived. Saskatchewan did not drop their smart meter program lightly but paid attention to evidence from sources besides hydroelectric countries.
Besides fires, the radiation from smart meters is a huge concern for the health of BC residents. Based on the findings of Dr. Lennart Hardell, a scientist who is an expert without connections to industry, there is now a worldwide petition to reclassify EMF-RF from a Class 2B to a Class 1 Carcinogen. The government of BC should not be forcing people to have machines that emit this radiation on their homes.
Since I live in a small, old wood house with bedrooms within 7 feet of my electricity meter, both fire and radiation hazards are large concerns to me. Please do not base your decisions on research from BC Hydro or industry.
Sincerely, XXXXXXXX
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To: Premiere ; Complaints BCUC:EX ; patrick.wruck@bcuc.com ; Adrian Dix ; bill.bennett.mla@leg.bc.ca ; BC Hydro ; bchydroregulatorygroup@bchydro.com ; emh.minister@gov.bc.ca ; Greg Reimer BC Hydro ; Health Canada ; info@bcombudsperson.ca
Cc: John Horgan MLA ; MEM.Minister@gov.bc.ca ; oppositionleader@leg.bc.ca ; Randy Kamp ; steeleonyourside@ctv.ca ; The Valley Voice
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 11:26 AM
Subject: The smart meter program is coming back…
… to haunt Hydro and Power companies across Canada in different ways one province at a time!
Those of us who are opposed to smart meters, do so because of:
#1 fire and safety risk to the consumer
#2 the costs due to Hydro bills doubling, so no benefit to the consumer
#3 The HUGE risks to people’s health and well being because they have radiation emitting smart meters
installed on their homes and businesses without their informed consent, against people’s wishes or those hold outs being
blackmailed and bullied into accepting one on their homes and businesses.
#4 the risk to human life due to MANY Hydro and power customers forced to live without power because they are choose to buy food for their family
OR pay their doubled Hydro bills!
Gary Clement’s comments from The National Post:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/12/11/gary-clement-on-ontarios-smart-meter-fiasco/
The Ontario auditor general’s report:
http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/reports_en/en14/311en14.pdf
Ontario’s Auditor General Lays into The Energy Minister (my comment is the 2nd one posted under the article):
As more of us are exposed to higher and higher levels of exposure, the number of people who are sensitive is increasing dramatically. Victims suffer in many ways, including discrimination. It is vital that human rights be respected and measures taken to provide a safer environment. Attached is a document “Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity and Human Rights a commentary to the European Economic & Social Committee.” Of special note is the chart on page 2 showing exposure limits in various countries. Canada and the US have the same limits as ICNIRP recommends. Please see the statement at the bottom of the page – there are techniques and wireless devices that can cut levels significantly. Why aren’t they being used in North America?
Sharon
“In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.