Last year, Benita Schluschen, a middle-aged woman from Qualicum Beach, B.C., wrote a letter to The Canadian Charger, thanking the web-based publication for publicizing the views of Barrie Trower, a retired British physicist who claims that wireless (Wi-Fi) computer networks and other low-level sources of electro-magnetic radiation produce adverse health effects. via Spreading wireless panic.
fud
Maine’s public health director has been asked to look into concerns raised by residents that the “smart” electricity meters being installed by Central Maine Power Co. are a potential health hazard. Dr. Dora Anne Mills said Friday that she was contacted for advice by Richard Davies, Maine’s public advocate, after his office began hearing from Continue reading →
A new, high-tech utility meter is inflaming passions around the Bay Area. Now PG&E Corp. is trying to tamp down growing regional opposition to its $2.2 billion meter upgrade—but is failing to mollify many local critics. PG&E, through its Pacific Gas & Electric Co. unit, plans to install 9.3 million digital electric and gas meters—otherwise Continue reading →
No one said transforming the century-old power system into a state of-the-art digital smart grid was going to be easy. But California already is getting bogged down in a growing fight over installing smart utility meters in homes. The wireless devices are a linchpin in building the smart grid as they allow the two-way, real-time Continue reading →
As the “smart meters” that give homeowners details about their electric use make their way into the Chicago market, consumers in some other places aren’t welcoming the new gadgets. The meters, which use wireless technology to give homeowners details about their electric use and pricing, are raising concerns in California and Texas about their accuracy, Continue reading →
The Marin Association of Realtors on Wednesday called on Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to implement an “immediate” moratorium on the installation of its trademarked SmartMeters. The digital meters use wireless radio signals to transmit data on power usage from individual homes to PG&E, eliminating the need for manual meter readers. PG&E began installing the Continue reading →
Big Brother, hackers and laundry at 3 a.m. Who would have thought utility meters were so controversial? Westerville City Council on July 6 heard two hours of public comments, from a total 27 residents — numbers comparable to public comments for all of 2010 until now — about the city’s plans to install “advanced metering Continue reading →
Controversy over the accuracy of so-called “smart” electric meters installed by Texas’ major utilities appears to be all smoke and no fire. Customers began complaining about the new meters after receiving higher-than-average winter bills. But just two of the 2,600 meters tested by an independent consulting firm were out of whack, said Richard Byrne, manager Continue reading →
The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) on Monday rejected a massive smart-grid project proposed by Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., a unit of the Constellation Energy Group (NYSE: CEG). The decision may represent an emerging trend among state commissions that could stand in the way of smart grid deployments nationwide. via Maryland Regulators Reject Massive Continue reading →
In what will likely be one of many small battles utility companies around the nation see as they roll out smart meters in coming years, a town in Marin County, California has asked that state’s public utilities commission to put a halt to plans by local utility Pacific Gas & Electric to install smart meters Continue reading →
Discussion on PG&E’s new Smart Meters will be held at a Sonoma County Public Forum this Wednesday evening in Sebastopol. Bodega Bay and Bodega, both homes and businesses, are on schedule to receive the new meters between February of this year through February 2011. The meeting will be held from 5:30-7:30pm at the Sebastopol Veteran’s Continue reading →
One utility company is making efforts to restore consumer confidence in its new smart meters after months of complaints from its customers over high electric bills, Oncor Electric Delivery began doing side-by-side meter comparisons last week in Temple between its new digital ‘Smart’ meters and the old, recently replaced analog meters. via Oncor Side-By-Side Meter Continue reading →
Pacific Gas & Electric’s smart metering headaches might have just gotten a lot worse. Already, the company has had to fend off accusations that its installation of smart meters hiked energy rates. Now Bakersfield, Calif. residents are suing the utility for price gouging via its smart metering program — but PG&E says the lawsuit has Continue reading →
Pacific Gas & Electric denies a lawsuit’s claims that smart meters are overcharging customers in Bakersfield. Still, it has slowed down smart meter deployments in the city. When in doubt, sue – and slow down. Pacific Gas & Electric has “paused” installing smart meters in the Bakersfield area because of complaints from residents that their Continue reading →
Cameron Scott, a self-described “claustrophobic nature-lover” and blogger on SFGate.com recently wrote an article asking “are smart grids too smart?” The smart grid is intended to revolutionize electricity transmission and consumption, much like the Internet changed communication, by allowing utilities to use real-time data from sensors and advanced meters throughout the power grid to better Continue reading →
The chief executive of the Energy Retail Association (ERA) has hit back at reports that the body is lobbying government not to provide households with digital displays that would allow them to measure energy use. As part of plans to roll out smart energy meters to all households by 2020 the government is currently examining Continue reading →
British Gas, npower and others say they have nothing against their customers using smart meters to cut their bills Experts in the field of sustainability are almost unanimous when it comes to the secret of any truly successful push for efficiency – getting the right metrics. But according to accusations doing the rounds this week, Continue reading →
