[Business Manifesto Part VIII, Future-proofing Energy by Dan Lewis, IoD Institute of Directors – Catherine Rosenberg – Cell Phones – Costs – Customer Behaviour – EMFs – Erica Hamilton Letter re BCUC Online Questionnaire for Feedback – Health Canada Safety Code 6 – Letter from Martene Hartnell, BC Ferries re No Wi-Fi Free Zones Complaint – Lukasz Golab – NES Cuts Power to Customer Jeff Jacobson re Analog Protection – Ofgem – Reid Miller – RF Radiation Makes Bacteria Antibiotics Resistant – University of Waterloo Smart Meter / TOU Electricity Savings Study | BC – Ontario – EU – UK – Nashville, Tennessee, USA]
1) Study shows very small reduction in energy usage due to time-of-use billing and smeters. This study was done when the smeters and the program were relatively new. I read some time ago about a similar study in Australia that showed that the effect reduced after a relatively short period of time because people went back to old habits, etc. It would be interesting to have the study re-visited now to see if the reduction has continued.
(click on photos to enlarge)
“The study did not attempt to assess if the cost of the switch to time-of-use pricing has been justified by modest changes in the behaviour of residential customers.
“Is it enough?” asked Catherine Rosenberg, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and also a Canada Research Chair at Waterloo. “Of that I’m not sure. We don’t have the data to decide if these kinds of savings warrant the use of smart meters.””
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/uow-ssb053017.php
2) Another study shows that exposure to RF in the same frequencies emitted by cell phones, smeters and Wi-Fi in schools (900 Mhz and the 2.4 GHz) make bacteria resistant to antibiotics.
Bacteria, mobile phones & WiFi – a deadly combination?
Bacteria exposed to mobile phone and WiFi radiation turned resistant to antibiotics, science demonstrates. The implications of this are chilling and may easily explain the on-going huge and highly frightening development into more and more antibiotics-resistant microorganisms around the world.
https://nyadagbladet.se/debatt/bacteria-mobile-phones-wifi-deadly-combination/
3) In the UK, the smeter program seems to be on-again off-again.
““The programme has already failed to deliver interoperable meters for switching, is behind schedule, is over-budget and wedded to out of date technology. Not only that, the legal obligation on suppliers to install potentially incompatible meters by the deadline of December 2020 or else pay large fines is already pushing up inflationary costs in wages and advertising,” states the latest instalment of its Business Manifesto, Future-proofing Energy.”
http://theenergyst.com/put-troubled-smart-meters-programme-on-hold-urges-institute-of-directors/
4) A man in Tennessee had his power cut by his utility company because keeping his analog, which he’d covered, was dangerous???? Sounds very familiar.
When Jacobson tried to opt out, he said NES told him he didn’t have a choice.
““Your company went so far as to actually shut off a customer’s power who didn’t want a smart meter. How do you respond to that?” the I-Team’s Lindsay Bramson asked NES.
“Their power was not disconnected because they refused an AMI meter. In this specific instance the customer restricted our access to the metering equipment, which poses a safety concern,” said Jack Baxter, vice president of operations for NES.”
http://www.wsmv.com/story/35550085/man-puts-cage-around-meter-nes-cuts-off-his-power
5) BCUC sent this out yesterday – asking for our feedback. Frankly, I doubt anything will change, but what the hey? I, for one, will provide comments regarding the BCUC’s independence, or lack thereof. They appear to be too closely aligned with BC Hydro. For example, accepting BC Hydro’s demand for legacy fees based upon what seems to be very unusually high costs required to provide the basic services. Why can FortisBC read RF meters with transmitters disabled and send out bills for $9 a month and BC Hydro charges $20? We have seen no justification for the highest legacy fees in North America.
Good Afternoon,
The British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) has developed an online questionnaire to gather your feedback about our regulatory process.
The questionnaire should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your responses are voluntary and anonymous. We suggest that you delegate one representative to complete the questionnaire on behalf of your organization.
Please click here to complete the online questionnaire. The questionnaire will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, June 22nd.
All responses will be compiled, analyzed and summarized as a group. Your feedback will be used to help enhance your regulatory experience by:
- providing opportunity for appropriate and meaningful engagement with the BCUC;
- identifying what is working well;
- identifying what could be improved; and
- ensuring that stakeholder feedback is an input into the BCUC ’s strategic planning processes.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the questionnaire or the use and disclosure of your personal information.
Erica Hamilton
Director of Communications
British Columbia Utilities Commission
P: 604.660.4700 E: erica.hamilton@bcuc.com
bcuc.com
6) Some good general information about RF and how to protect yourself and your home. Most of you know this already but it’s good info to share with people new to this topic.
The deadly dangers of EMF
http://www.wholebodyhealth.org/health-article/deadly-dangers-of-emf/
Letters:
(Please read from the bottom up – and you’ll see that the person has been cut off by “Customer Relations”. They don’t have the resources to answer more questions!! )
Good afternoon,
We are in receipt of your recent comments, again regarding Health Canada’s Safety Code 6 and our customer Wi-Fi service. I have documented your feedback.
Health Canada develops guidelines and regulations for the protection of the general public from exposure to consumer radiation. Research is conducted by Health Canada for assessment of acceptable levels in residential and workplace environments. Innovation, Science and Economic Development (formerly Industry Canada) is responsible for certifying equipment and compliance testing. BC Ferries only deploys wireless equipment that has been approved by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and by extension Health Canada.
We comply with Health Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s regulations, which were put in place to protect Canadians’ safety. We have shared information with you regarding the RF field testing that was completed for BC Ferries by an independent consultant to ensure the radio frequency emitted by BC Ferries’ Wi-Fi is within the permissible limits. While we will continue to record your comments, we do not have the resources to formally respond repeatedly on the same subject matter.
Kind regards,
Martene Hartnell
Advisor, Customer Relations,
Customer Care
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
The Atrium
Suite 500, 1321 Blanshard St., Victoria, BC V8W 0B7
T: 250-978-1184 F: 250-978-1240
martene.hartnell@bcferries.com
bcferries.com | Facebook | Twitter
= = =
From: X
Sent: May 29, 2017 11:29 AM
To: Customer Relations
Subject: Re: Wi-Fi on ships
Safety Code 6 is desperately out of date and in no way represents constant exposure to all sizes, ages and levels of wellness. It also in no means addresses the disability of electrical hypersensitivity which includes an intolerance to wireless radiation. What responsibility will you take for insuring that your ships are accessible for people with this disability?
Thank you.
X
= = =
On May 29, 2017, at 11:05 AM, Customer Relations <customer.relations@bcferries.com> wrote:
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your concerns about Wi-Fi at our terminals and on board our vessels. We appreciate your feedback; it has been registered.
In response to passenger concerns brought to the attention of BC Ferries regarding the safety of the public from radio frequency (RF) emissions, BC Ferries ordered RF field intensity testing in 2016 from an independent consultant to be conducted on the Spirit of BC and Coastal Celebration vessels and at the Swartz Bay and Tsawwassen terminals.
The purpose of the testing was to ensure that BC Ferries was in compliance with the emissions measure of permissible exposure outlined in Health Canada’s “Safety Code 6” document. Measurement samples were taken from passenger accessible areas located nearby Wi-Fi access points over a 2 day period.
The results observed are consistent with other public spaces including schools, offices, urban outdoor spaces and shopping malls and measured significantly less than the permissible limits; the results comply with the Health Canada RF power density requirements for Uncontrolled Environments i.e. Safety Code 6.
Again, thank you for writing to us.
Kind regards,
Martene Hartnell
Advisor, Customer Relations,
Customer Care
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc.
The Atrium
Suite 500, 1321 Blanshard St., Victoria, BC V8W 0B7
T: 250-978-1184 F: 250-978-1240
martene.hartnell@bcferries.com
bcferries.com | Facebook | Twitter
= = =
From: X
Sent: May 25, 2017
To: Hartnell, Martene
Subject: Wi-Fi on ships
Hello Martene,
I wanted to let you know that I am concerned about the levels of Wi-Fi and radiation on BC Ferry ships and in waiting rooms and parking lots.
Your ships do not shut off the totally unnecessary radar when coming into port and when parking, thus exposing those in line ups and living near by unnecessarily.
Then on board, the only place that is healthier (to avoid the radar), is the indoor seating areas. I have to go inside with my dog (in the dog allowed berth) to escape the Wi-Fi (and him the weather). On the big ships this is in the basement, a thankfully lower EMR area.
If you put Wi-Fi in all areas, I will not be able to avoid this stress on my health and will have consequences for me. It is already very hard to ration my exposure to be able to recover within days of a trip on the boat and to populated areas and public spaces. Please do not make it harder. This is a health issue for a growing number of people. Please insure you have a pet friendly, Wi-Fi free space for those who need to or wish to avoid it.
Thank you.
X
Sharon Noble
Director, Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”
~ Aldous Huxley