People complaining about smart meters

[Soundy]

This is the problem with most of the people who are "against" them"

"Our constitution allows us not to have that kind of intrusion on our personal privacy," she said. "They’ll be able to tell if you are running your computer, air conditioner, whatever it is."

What they're "against" is bullshit. Not technologically possible.

They're getting worked up over some made-up claim that some self-proclaimed internet guru is spewing, probably with the sole intent of getting the lemmings worked up in the first place.

And they're falling for it.

[Psykopathik]

the meter man better think twice before pushing anyone. never mind pulling a gun out, its already assault.

[Mr.HappySilp]

Originally Posted by Presto

If you don't want a smart meter, just whip out your gun when the dude comes to install it. Like this lady:

LOl they should cut her power right away. She is dangerous and also the meter belongs to CenterPoint and if she doesn't comply with their ToS then cut her off. I am sorry but having power delivery to you is not your right. You paid for a service and agree to their ToS.

If the ToS is change to use a smart meter, you can either live with it or disconnect the service. I am so sick of all these ppl who are against smart meters. I am not againt it or agree to it but again it is not YOUR RIGHT TO have power delivery to you. CenterPoint /BC Hydro is providing you a service, they can take it away anytime.

[Soundy]

Oh yeah, that's another thing:

"Our constitution allows us not to have that kind of intrusion on our personal privacy," she said.

It doesn't, actually: Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

[q0192837465]

She should lose her gun license. She obviously cannot tell when and how a gun can or should be used. Just because she has a license doesn't give her the right to threaten other people who are simply doing their job.

[Lomac]

Oops?

BC Hydro claims a Mission homeowner is ultimately liable for a fire that originated at the base of a smart meter one day after it was installed.

A report by the Mission fire department said the blaze, which destroyed Trish Regan’s house in the 7900-block of Burdock Street and leaped to the roof of a neighbouring home on June 15, originated at an insulating “lug” in the lower left corner of the meter base. The report says the terminal, which attached the meter base to the home, appeared cracked and “radiated heat to combust the wall at or near the meter base.”

The base is the mounting plate for the meter, which measures how much electricity a home consumes during each utility-service billing period. Electricity must pass from the meter through the lugs to connect with the house wiring.

BC Hydro maintains the meter base is part of the house and thus any damage or faulty wiring is the customer’s responsibility.

Spokeswoman Cindy Verschoor said the Crown corporation has fixed about 1,000 homes with faulty or damaged wiring before it installed the smart meters, but residents should be ensuring they have electricians check the wiring regularly.

“We are fixing that for the customer free of charge as long as they give us permission,” she said. “Those are cases of a fire risk. They are potential accidents waiting to happen.

“We’re always [doing work] on good faith that the customer has working, functional equipment to support our infrastructure.”

The meter bases function like household electrical sockets and are built to withstand meters being plugged in and pulled out multiple times, Verschoor said.

If a resident is concerned about their meter base, they can call Hydro to come unlock the meter and remove it for about $100, she added.

Verschoor acknowledged the technician in Regan’s case did not see the crack when installing the smart meter at her home, but wouldn’t speculate as to what caused the damage, saying the issue is still under investigation.

“It’s possible there was a pre-existing condition that wasn’t evident,” Verschoor said.

But Regan argued she had no idea she was responsible for the fire, noting smart meters are locked in place on the base and she has no access to them. Furthermore, Regan said the crack could have been caused by the installer, noting that she wasn’t home when he arrived, but her daughter witnessed him trying three or four times to jam the meter onto the base.

“If there’s an existing crack they’re not supposed to put a meter on it,” she said. “I’ve lived in my house for 20 years and the day after they put in a smart meter, it burns down.”

Regan is also increasingly frustrated by the Mission fire department, who initially told her the fire was caused by a crack on the base of the smart meter; it later revised its verdict to “electrical in nature.” Her insurance company filed a freedom of information request, which indicated the fire did originate at the base of the smart meter.

The blaze destroyed Regan’s home, three vehicles in her driveway, and damaged her neighbour’s house.

The smart meter itself was eliminated as the cause of the fire, and BC Hydro maintains it did not see any cracks when the meter was being installed. The utility said out of the 1.5 million smart meters it has installed to date, only 250 residents have complained of faulty meter bases.

Read more: Fire guts Mission home after BC Hydro smart meter installed

[blkgsr]

my electrician on site told me about these meters being swaped and causing fires


hydro swaped mine out the other day...boo

what are the high/low times for rates?

[Graeme S]

Billing is the same, but now the readings go out over cell networks, instead of having a guy come to your house and read it.

[JesseBlue]

Originally Posted by blkgsr

my electrician on site told me about these meters being swaped and causing fires


hydro swaped mine out the other day...boo

what are the high/low times for rates?

if this is true, then tell that mission lady because it seems like an admission of guilt

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by blkgsr

what are the high/low times for rates?

It's only been said a bazillion times: THERE IS NO PEAK-TIME BILLING.

BC Hydro - Frequently Asked Questions

Question
Will BC Hydro be introducing time-of-use rates?


BC Hydro will not be implementing time-of-use rates because we don't need them.

Time-of-use rates are used in jurisdictions with peak demand that exceeds the utility's ability to supply electricity to its customers. They have to buy expensive electricity in order to meet that peak demand. This is very important in jurisdictions that rely on coal or fossil fuels to generate electricity.

In British Columbia, we are fortunate to have a flexible electricity system that is 94 per cent hydro generation, where water flow can be adjusted to match supply and demand as needed. We are also addressing future capacity constraints through expansions to existing infrastructure, such as Mica 5 and 6 and our Integrated Resources Plan.

[JesseBlue]

they only have step billing...which i think is a cash grab...especially with the explanation above...

[Soundy]

How is it a cash grab? Use less power, pay lower rates. Be a power-hogging fucktard, pay higher rates. Your choice.

[sleepywheel]

My household was part of a test with BC Hydro a few years ago. They put special meters in at our house and timed our usage. We were asked to try and change our non-essential usage to off peak hours to see what differences it would make. The off peak hours would be at a cheaper rate. So we washed our clothes and fired up the dishwasher at 9 o'clock at night and I think it did make a little difference on our electrical bill.

At the end of it all, we had a meeting which was kind of strange. The participants and a moderator were all in one room and the hydro people were in another. We couldn't see or hear them but they could hear us discuss what we did to try and use the power at off peak hours.

My take on the trial was that it was successful, but to the point where Hydro would lose money since it was possible for the participants to save money. So they came up with the two tier system because it made them more money, which tells me that they are definitely in the money business.

[Soundy]

Saw this rather long-winded diatribe in the Maple Ridge Times today:

Data access unequivocally refused

Data access unequivocally refused


BY RUONA K. ASPLUND, THE TIMES JANUARY 24, 2013


Dear Editor,

The following is an open letter to: Mr. Gary Murphy, chief project officer for Smart Metering Program.

I am writing in response to your letter dated Jan. 4, in which you stated your intention to install a Smart Meter at my residence.

I wish to bring to your attention a registered letter, a notice of no consent, sent to Mr. Greg Reimer, executive vice-president, transmission and distribution in November 2011.

I will state my reasons for refusal and ask that you carefully consider these concerns, which are not only for myself but for all citizens of Canada and throughout this beautiful planet we call earth.

For Canadians, let me say that our forefathers and mothers, yours and mine, came to this country to escape tyranny and rigid anti-life regimes. They came here to be free. Many people have given their lives so that we may enjoy freedom in this great country.

Having said that, I am distressed that a system is being put into place which is anti-free choice. There has been no public approval of this wireless technology, many people do not even know that it is wireless. They assume that it is a new version of the fibre optic system which has served us well and not been shown to contribute to health problems.

That brings me to the next point: Potential and real health risks involving wireless and microwave technology.

Many people on the planet are more sensitive to energy – I am one of those people.

I cannot tolerate a microwave in my home, and I do not want to have one outside my home.

I urge you to read the studies. There are many studies over many years, independent studies, not studies paid for by governments or companies.

These studies demonstrate a direct correlation to health problems and exposure to electo-magnetic radiation.

I urge you to educate yourself for the sake of your own health and the health of your loved ones. Cancer and related diseases are epidemic in our society, RMFs are some of the contributing factors.

In addition to the health issues, there is the matter of data collection.

Excuse me, but do you want someone gathering data on you and then selling it or sharing it with others?

I don’t think you do.

You may give all the assurances you want, but the reality is that anyone and everyone can access the information if they so choose. In fact, WIRED magazine calls the smart grid a “spy grid” and states: “We’re going to use smart tech to spy on you, this is what we’re doing. What are you going to do about it?”

There is the security issue.

You and I know that there are hackers who can get into anything. You can’t guarantee security. It’s not just security of information, it is security of the grid itself.

Terrorists and nation states can easily shut down the whole grid. Do you want to be responsible for enabling that to happen?

Although you are currently chief project officer for the meter program, you are first and foremost a human being, an individual with individual rights and responsibilities. I ask you recall that the S.S. officers in Nazi Germany were “just following orders.”

I will repeat to you and to all contractors:

Be advised that you and all parties are hereby denied consent for installation and use of all Smart Meters on my property for surveillance, and actively monitoring device or devices at the above property.

I forbid, refuse, and deny consent to install a Smart Meter.

Any attempt to install such a device will constitute trespass, stalking, wiretapping, and unlawful surveillance and endangerment to health and safety – all prohibited and punishable by law through criminal and civil complaints.

This is a legal notice. Notice to principal is notice to agent, and notice to agent is notice to principal.

Ruona K. Asplund, Maple Ridge

And my response:

A favorite TV character of mine once said, "There is always choice. We say there is no choice only to comfort ourselves with the decision we have already made."

When you want internet and television service (from Shaw, Telus, etc.), you choose to accept the equipment they provide with it (modem, decoder box)... or you choose not to use their service. Nobody seems to have a problem with this.

When you want to drive on our public streets, you choose to obtain the proper license and insurance... or you choose to walk. Few would argue against this either.

When you want to cross the border, you choose to provide the required identification upon request... or you choose to stay in Canada. This is an accepted truth.

I would submit to Ruona K. Asplund that should she want to use BC Hydro's services, she must likewise choose to use the required equipment... or she has the choice to not use their service. She has to choice to generate her own power by any number of alternate methods available (I have a friend who does just this, somewhere outside of Boston Bar). She has the choice to use gas lamps for light, and chop wood to burn for heat (I grew up with this, trust me, it's not all that bad, and it's good exercise).

Nobody is taking away those choices. Nobody is forcing her to use BC Hydro's power. Neither does she have any right to BC Hydro's power if she doesn't accept their conditions for its use; if you think you have a right to electricity, just try not paying your bill for a few months - that's a choice as well.

You see, Ms. Asplund... nobody is infringing on your free will. Conditions are being placed on delivery of a service that people lived without for thousands of years... that's all. If you don't like the conditions placed on its delivery, you are free to choose to forego that service, to find your own alternatives. Just because you may find those alternatives bothersome, or inconvenient, does not remove your ability to choose.

Because the truth is, there is always choice. We say there is no choice only to comfort ourselves with the decision we have already made.

[tool001]

^ didn't courts already turn down 'right to refuse smart meter challenge'?

[Soundy]

Something to that effect. Still doesn't stop people from "asserting their rights". Some of them are pretty articulate... too bad they don't know what their rights actually are. Or aren't.

[GLOW]

i'd like to read her response to your post

[payrent]

People seem to not know that you don't have full property rights here compared to the USA or even mainland China, a communist country. Everything here belongs to the crown. If the government wants to build a skytrain through your house, they're going to get it. Likewise if you strike gold or oil in your backyard.

[Gridlock]

Originally Posted by payrent

People seem to not know that you don't have full property rights here compared to the USA or even mainland China, a communist country. Everything here belongs to the crown. If the government wants to build a skytrain through your house, they're going to get it. Likewise if you strike gold or oil in your backyard.

Happens in the US too.

Eminent domain. All you need to do is pay off the owner, show cause for the greater good and watch them roll out the asphalt.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by GLOW

i'd like to read her response to your post

Alas, people like that don't think rationally, so I wouldn't expect a rational response. I quite expect it would go on about democratic process and basic human rights and the Constitution so forth... none of which really apply here.

[Tapioca]

Originally Posted by payrent

People seem to not know that you don't have full property rights here compared to the USA or even mainland China, a communist country. Everything here belongs to the crown. If the government wants to build a skytrain through your house, they're going to get it. Likewise if you strike gold or oil in your backyard.

Half-correct.

The Crown has rights over natural resources. The Crown also has the right to build public highways and rights-of-way, but they cannot be more than 1/20th of the size of the land you own unless compensation is paid.

[Yodamaster]

Originally Posted by Soundy

Oh yeah, that's another thing:



It doesn't, actually: Things That Are Not In the U.S. Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net

You're right, it's not in the constitution, but it is a human right.

Not that I'm defending her actions, but her right to privacy is undeniable. Of course, that means that the company should just shut her off from their services.

She signed for her energy consumption according to the company's terms, not her own. This is also why I find it amusing to watch people complain about hydro, energy is not a right.

However, you do have the right to build energy producing machinery as long as it complies with zoning and safety regulations.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by Yodamaster

You're right, it's not in the constitution, but it is a human right.

Not that I'm defending her actions, but her right to privacy is undeniable.

Is it? Says who? You?

There are no true "human rights". Everything we consider "rights" today have been granted by human decisions and agreements over the years, many dating back to the 13th century... but none are truly "inalienable". Parts of the world don't recognize these agreements, and guess what? If you go there, you don't have those "rights" any more.

While it's true that most of Western law grants citizens varying rights to personal privacy... those don't apply here. You can't tell a service provider that you want their service, then deny them access to provide it. You can't call Shaw and tell them you want internet but then tell them the installer isn't allowed on your property because of "privacy" concerns.

[beproud]

God, someone always have something to complain about eh. Don't like it - don't use it, don't want it - don't buy it, can't stand it - gtfo lol

[CharlesInCharge]

There are too many cell biologist in this thread... and conditioned minds without real knowledge of present and past tyrannies.