Re: Smart meters needed, costs returned to users, Letters, May 25, 2011.
BC Hydro has been hitting the hustings lately with the message that its wireless smart meter program will save us money — it won’t. And that we need it — we don’t.
Where a utility company introduced it in California, the residential rates went up by as much as 300 per cent. In Ontario, they’ve gone up by an average of 80 per cent.
Everywhere the wireless smart meter has been introduced, rates have increased.
Even Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty admits their billion dollar program isn’t saving money. And why is that? Because that clever smart meter figured out that shifting major utility use to overnight when the rates are lower will save money.
Imagine that. Who would have guessed? But Ontario residents decided that such a shift in pattern is disruptive, inconvenient, and, since day and night rates are practically identical, without sufficient incentive.
There are many reasons for B.C. residents to oppose our own disaster-in-waiting. Cost is only one. As well, the smart meter communicates through wireless technology and so is easy to hack into.
Further, it emits harmful electromagnetic radiation in spurts that some electrical engineers report ranges in frequency between 4,000 hertz to 60,000 hz. And this every 30 seconds, 2,880 times a day. Added to the plethora of wireless devices now assaulting our systems every moment we live and for every breath we take, our health costs are going to skyrocket.
All in all, BC Hydro’s wireless smart meter program is an expensive and nasty piece of work. We deserve far better representation from our politicians than this. But unless the B.C. Liberals can be convinced to deep-six this destructive device, we’re not going to get it.
Dennis Noble
Colwood