1) Ontario electricity rates are continuing to increase dramatically.
With time of use billing (TOU), people will suffer great increases in bills. Use is decreasing (as it is in BC), but Hydro’s costs are not.
Therefore, rates must increase.
This is what will happen in BC as more and more people go off the grid.
The wasteful projects that the government encourages have to be paid for by fewer and fewer people.
http://www.torontosun.com/2015/04/25/energy-expert-tom-adams-weighs-in-on-ontario-electricity-rates
2) Even though the UK government and its watchdogs are warning about lack of benefits to justify costs, the push continues, with plans to install smeters within 5 years.
My guess is that, like here in BC, few people know anything about Smart meters and their problems, but a high percentage of those asked are concerned about security and privacy.
3) Former chief of US National Security Agency warns about potential for cybersecurity threats.
Just as others have done, he warns that tying the infrastructure to the internet could and probably will result in attacks that will cause major problems.
4) Below, the last letter, comes from a member who has been working to educate people about the dangers of RF radiation for years. A good news story that we all need to hear once in a while to realize the word is spreading, more people are learning.
Please know that every time you share an article or a study, it’s important. It can make a difference.
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Letters:
A stream of 3 emails. Please read from the bottom up.
From: Dennis and Sharon Noble [mailto:dsnoble@shaw.ca]
Sent: April 27, 2015 4:16 PM
To: ‘Smart Meters’; Bill Bennett (mem.minister@gov.bc.ca); ‘greg.alexis@bchydro.com‘; ‘greg.reimer@bchydro.com‘; ‘Commission Secretary BCUC:EX’; ‘catherine.roome@safetyauthority.ca‘; ‘bill.bennett.mla@leg.bc.ca‘
Cc: John Horgan. Leader NDP; adrian.dix.mla@leg.bc.ca; Ms. M
Subject: RE: BC Hydro Smart Metering Program
I resent being sent a response by someone who will not sign her full name. This is a serious matter and deserves a serious response by someone in charge.
BC Hydro has demonstrated by its last of response to Ms. M’s plea for help that it is not concerned with safety. No “trouble technician” responded to her calls, and no one in BC Hydro appeared interested in helping her.
Do not tell me that the meters have passed stringent safety standards unless you can provide a copy of a document confirming that, according to the BC Safety Standards Act, a professional electrical engineer licensed to work in BC has tested them and has certified them to be safe. I have asked many times and have been told by BC Hydro that no such document exists.
Do not tell me that the meter base is the customers’ responsibility. BC Hydro is installing a device into a base that was designed and certified to hold an analog meter, not an electrical device of any sort. Once BC Hydro decides to take this action, it must accept responsibility for the ramifications. The base is not designed or certified to hold a smart meter.
“Fay”, I have received many reports from customers of BC Hydro’s who have experienced flickering lights and other unusual electrical events prior to the smart meter overheating, melting, and even catching fire.
I repeat. should something happen to Ms. M’s home, or to anyone else’s, or if, heaven forbid, someone is harmed in a fire caused by these poorly designed, cheaply made meters, you will be held accountable.
Sharon Noble
____________________________________
From: Smart Meters [mailto:SmartMeters@bchydro.com]
Sent: April 27, 2015 2:45 PM
To: ‘dsnoble@shaw.ca‘
Subject: BC Hydro Smart Metering Program
Dear Ms. Noble,
BC Hydro acknowledges your April 24, 2015 email regarding electrical safety.
As you know, BC Hydro can only discuss customers’ accounts with authorized contacts. This response addresses the general steps BC Hydro takes if it is contacted by a customer with concerns about electrical safety.
Electrical safety is a shared responsibility. BC Hydro is responsible for grid equipment, including electricity meters. The meter socket and the electrical wiring within the home is the responsibility of the home owner.
If a customer contacts BC Hydro with concerns about electrical safety, and the concerns reported suggest there may be a problem with BC Hydro’s system, a trouble technician will investigate to ensure that BC Hydro’s equipment is operating safely. If the reported concerns sound as though there is a problem with the customer’s electrical system, then the customer is advised to contact a qualified electrician.
BC Hydro’s smart meters passed stringent safety requirements before installations began, and to date no fires have been attributed to BC Hydro’s meters.
You can continue to find more information online at bchydro.com/smartmeters.
Sincerely,
Fay
_____________________________
From: SHARON AND DENNIS NOBLE [mailto:dsnoble@shaw.ca]
Sent: 2015, April 24 1:00 PM
To: mem minister; Alexis, Greg; commission secretary; Catherine roome; premier; bill bennett mla
Cc: Leader NDP John Horgan; adrian dix mla; m
Subject: Electrical problem ignored— URGENT
Dear Sirs and Madams,
Over the last 2 years I have listened to people who have lost their homes, felt fear that their families’ safety was jeopardized by smart meters overheating, melting, and shorting out. Many of these people have told me that days before the fire or other incident lights flickered and/or electrical appliances behaved in an unusual manner. Obviously, these anomalies were indicative that something was wrong. Often electricians were called who found that the smart meter was a problem and preventative action was taken.
Ms. M who lives in a townhouse in the Tofino area of Vancouver Island, has begun to experience electrical problems, including flickering lights, especially when the smart meters are sending the usage data. She has called Hydro emergency line, to no avail. They have refused to investigate. She telephoned Greg Alexis, who told her to call customer service, who told her to call Hydro emergency.
Does no one care that these devices are dangerous, are overheating and over putting lives at risk? You can deny that it is happening, but you will be held accountable when someone gets hurt or worse.
Please get help to this woman before her home, and her neighbours’ homes, begin to burn. I have recommended that she call an electrician and send BC Hydro any bill for repairs. This situation is too dangerous to wait for BC Hydro or you to do the right thing.
Sharon Noble
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Good news from a member:
My union local is very much behind the Day of Mourning, and is holding a ceremony tomorrow along with the Victoria Labour Council.
The Canary in the Coalmine graphic speaks to all of us, I know.
That, along with the video of Bret Bocook’s message and death, is reminding me of a union-related victory I wanted to pass on to you …
I recently ran into a former colleague who is now working for CUPE National in Vancouver. She attended the CUPE National Convention with me a few years back where I presented on EMR/RF exposure and dangers. Not much came of it at the time, because we ran out of time, and our motion sadly never made it to the floor. But there was lots of great discussion and enlightenment.
So last week she made a point of thanking me for bringing the issue forward then, as it is now helping her in her work negotiating for many other locals with Health and Safety concerns. She said she was able to take the knowledge gleaned then and apply it to a recent demand for TransLink drivers to have to wear communication radios on their chests. They were able to successfully argue to stop radio-wearing as a job requirement!
I just wanted to share this so that everyone is reminded that in this thankless and exhausting task we’ve ALL taken on, you may never know how a previous discussion has affected someone’s outlook, and how sharing this knowledge can potentially snowball into the future. I also know a lot of the time we feel like we are talking to an endless brick wall, and it feels rather futile. It feels good to know that just because we aren’t aware these battles are happening, doesn’t mean the message hasn’t been spreading quietly.
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