When ‘Smart’ Meters Kill: The Story of Larry Nikkel — Details Emerge of Vacaville, CA Smart Meter Fire Death

Larry Nikkel

Larry Nikkel

 By Joshua Hart, Director StopSmartMeters.Org

Details have come to light of a man killed by a Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Smart Meter that caught fire in Vacaville, CA on July 9th, 2010.   Larry Nikkel of 230 Arbor St. died from a suspicious electrical fire that consumed his home the day after Wellington Energy, contractors for PG&E, installed a Landis & Gyr “smart” electric meter.  A wrongful death suit lawsuit filed by the family against the utility, subcontractor, and meter manufacturer has now been settled for an undisclosed sum.

The circumstances surrounding Mr. Nikkel’s death add a grave and tragic chapter to the growing human cost of the ‘smart grid.’ The following account is based on interviews with his brother Walter, as well as details obtained by the fire incident report, investigation, and coroner’s report.

Picture 6Larry Nikkel worked for more than 30 years as the groundskeeper at Solano Community College, and was well liked in Vacaville by those who knew him.  He was in a rock band in the Seventies called The Panties who played gigs all over the East Bay.  Larry loved his rock music and he loved his 1958 Gretsch guitar (the same kind as Chuck Berry played).  The guitar- worth thousands- was given to Larry by a co-worker at the College, underscoring how much he was loved and admired by those who knew him.

Larry was diagnosed with throat cancer in early 2010 and had just finished his chemotherapy treatment at the time of his death.  The day before he was killed, he had submitted the paperwork to retire from his job at the Community College.  On July 8th, 2010, according to neighbors, Wellington Energy came through and deployed electric smart meters all along the street, including on Larry’s house.  Less than 48 hours later, Larry was dead- killed by smoke inhalation and burns from an unexplained electrical fire that consumed his home.

According to his brother Walter, who had spent time with Larry at his house the morning before the fire (and only hours after the smart meter was installed), there were serious electrical problems in the house that day.  Larry had tried to boot up his laptop to watch a DVD that evening, but the computer would not function.  The cable box did not work either.  Walter and Larry both heard a very loud, high pitched “snap” coming from the wall.  Later that night, after Walter had returned home, he received a call from Larry, who said that the ‘house was humming.’ He regrets to this day not coming over immediately to investigate what was wrong.

At about 10:30pm on July 9th, a man walking down Arbor St. saw flames coming out of Larry’s house.  The man opened the garage door to see if anyone was inside but this caused the fire to “flash” and so he was forced to retreat and call the fire department.   By 10:40, fire fighters were on the scene.  After battling the fire, crews entered the house and found Larry’s body in the hallway bathroom, under a dresser (which Walt speculates he may have pulled on top of himself to shield against the heat).  He had shoved towels under the door, and the water was running in the sink.  He was on the floor, having succumbed to smoke inhalation and burns.   Larry had placed his beloved guitar in the bathtub, where perhaps he hoped it would survive the flames (it did).

Picture 5

Walter remembers hearing a lot of fire engine sirens that night and wondering whether there was a large grass fire in the area.  He received a call from Larry’s neighbor at about the same time, and immediately got a bad feeling.   He got in his car and when he arrived at his brother’s house, the house was charred and blackened and Larry’s body was already in a bag.   Walter was distraught and started to open the bag but was stopped by the police. “Why aren’t you working on him??” he remembers yelling at the emergency responders.

The official Pathology Report notes that the cause of death was smoke inhalation and thermal injuries (burns):

Picture 10

 

Larry Nikkel was officially pronounced dead at 11:04pm on July 9th, 2010.

The official cause of the fire- according to the Vacaville Fire Department’s Investigation was “undetermined, but was most likely caused by an electrical problem”

Young Larry Nikkel

Young Larry Nikkel

About a month after the fire, Walter met Ken Burton at the house.  Ken was the former bass player in Larry’s band, a friend of the family and also a retired fire fighter.   Walter had noticed that his brother’s swamp cooler had fallen to the ground from the window, and was not burned except that the motor was charred, and the belt was melted to the pulley.  The two speculated that something had caused the power cord to become so hot that it caught the plywood that fit in the window on fire, and this quickly spread throughout the house.

While they were talking, a fire truck pulled up and Vacaville Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Jansen came up to them.  He asked how they were doing, and walked back to the charred breaker box, where two of the breakers were found tripped right after the fire.  He asked them if they were aware that the “smart” meter was installed on Larry’s house the day before the fire.   It turned out that PG&E had hurriedly removed the meter following the fire.

A month later, Walter was clearing the neighbor’s grape vine out of his tree.  That night he started hearing loud buzzing and humming sounds coming from his wall.  He immediately called PG&E, who sent a lineman out and discovered that the neutral wire was off the pole.  (Walt figures he accidentally pulled the wire off).  As a result, 2 TV’s, and a DISH DVR player were fried because of over voltage.

Suddenly, it clicked for Walter.   The humming and popping noises.   The electrical problems.  The “smart” meter having been installed the day before the fire.   His brother Larry had died because of PG&E’s smart meter.  He did an internet search for “smart meter hazards” and put two and two together, finally grasping what likely killed his brother.

Picture 8According to electrical engineers, the popping, humming, and appliance damage are all telltale signs of an electrical problem caused by arcing, possibly from a meter that was not installed properly.  Arcing can lead to fires and explosions.  (As we documented in late 2010 in our interview with a whistleblower from Wellington Energy, workers were encouraged to ignore safety hazards and only had 20 hours of training, violating FCC requirements that smart meters be installed by a professional electrician).  Larry’s death appears to be a direct result of the kind of violations uncovered by the whistleblower, whose reports were summarily ignored by the CA Public Utilities Commission.

On June 10th, 2012, the Nikkel family filed a lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric, Wellington Energy, and Landis & Gyr meter manufacturers, alleging negligence and wrongful death.

The case was settled out of court earlier this year, showing that the utilities and meter manufacturers were alarmed about the potential to lose the case, as well as more terrible publicity related to their meter program.  The settlement- though not ideal as it avoids a verdict that might force the utilities to compensate others who have suffered smart meter fires or even recall the meters- has nonetheless provided a sense of closure to the family, who would have had to live through the pain of Larry’s loss once again during a trial.

A Stamford CT house fire where 5 people died.  The evidence leads to a smart meter as the culprit.

A Stamford CT house fire where 5 people died. The evidence leads to a smart meter as the culprit.

Meanwhile, the number of smart meter fires has continued to grow.  Last year, a Stamford CT woman lost five members of her family after a fire likely started by their ‘smart’ meter.  Twenty-four hours later, her home was bulldozed, eliminating any evidence that could have been collected showing why the deadly fire started (and preventing future fires) In August 2012, Peco Energy of Pennsylvania was forced to suspend its deployment after at least 26 separate incidents where newly installed smart meters had caught fire or exploded.  The EMF Safety Network has tracked many of these fires here, and we have documented a number of these incidents at StopSmartMeters.Org.

A June 15th 2012 presentation by the Ontario Fire Marshal analyzes the numerous smart meter fires being reported in Canada and abroad and states:

“We encountered an unusual amount of fire incidents involving smart meters…prior to any proper investigation the utility company had removed and replaced the meters from the affected areas…New meters may have defects that cause electrical failures (or they may be caused by) careless installation during change over…”

It’s fairly clear by now that there is another major safety problem with smart meters- aside from RF radiation pulses.   Hundreds of fires, explosions, and other electrical problems have been documented.  Pre-market safety testing simply did not happen in the rush to harvest stimulus funds and corporate profits.   The process of third party safety testing might have uncovered these problems before they ended up killing people, but unfortunately UL certification was never sought.   In cases of fire, the utility’s strategy has been to blame faulty household wiring, a candle, hot ashes, anything to take the focus away from the smart meter.  Homes with old or vulnerable wiring seem to be especially at risk, and surely the utilities know this by now.   But they do not warn, and they do not inspect.

If we had responsible utility companies that prioritized health and safety, smart meter deployments could have included a safety check of the socket and wiring.  Unfortunately such caution would have required professional technicians to work longer hours- a cost the utility company refused to bear.   They can’t seem to have anything get in the way of their guaranteed 11.5% annual returns on shareholder investments (in the case of PG&E).  Sadly, for whatever reason most fire departments have failed to investigate smart meter fires as a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution. Meanwhile more homes burn and more people die.

When the Nikkel case came to the attention of Stop Smart Meters! we immediately connected the family with a lawyer and started to try and obtain documents from the Vacaville Fire Dept.  Unfortunately, multiple attempts to get a copy of the investigation failed, even when requested by members of Larry’s own family.   The attorney for the case- David Kyle- who won his own small claims court case against SCE- said he’s never seen such reluctance to release these kinds of documents.  It finally took a subpoena and legal threats to obtain the investigation, something that a bereaved family should not have to go through simply in order to understand why their loved one died.

Unfortunately despite pledges of safety and reform from PG&E and the CPUC following the horrific explosion in San Bruno that killed a dozen people and razed an entire neighborhood, the same decisions are still being made- trading people’s lives for shareholder profit.  You needn’t live near a gas pipeline to be at risk.  This time it is a device that is being installed on most everyone’s home, in every neighborhood.

While PG&E and other utilities install unsafe devices that are costing some their homes and their lives, the CPUC- led by the industry itself in the form of Mr. Michael Peevey- looks the other way.  Such inaction in the face of overwhelming evidence of mortal risk is truly criminal.   Let’s make sure that Larry, and others who have lost their lives in the name of the ‘smart grid’ are not forgotten, and that we honor their memory with action and political change.

Larry’s obituary can be found here.

Picture 12

Larry’s guitar pick survived the fire

 

This entry was posted in California, Cancer, CPUC, Fires, legal issues, PG&E, Smart Grid. Bookmark the permalink.

24 Responses to When ‘Smart’ Meters Kill: The Story of Larry Nikkel — Details Emerge of Vacaville, CA Smart Meter Fire Death

  1. Pingback: MeterFreedom.org | When ‘Smart’ Meters Kill

  2. elena says:

    Thank you for these updates. I have a question concerning a new so called “ demonstration project” . I live in Montana, Philipsburg. I haven’t any idea as to the extent or even if these Smart meters are being installed here. I know that the town not to long ago had to get water meters(never had them B4), but I have no idea what kind they are.

    Recently, NorthWestern Energy has conducted a Smart Grid demo project here in MT (see article below). Do you have any idea what this means? I don’t think they’ve been changing the existing meters , but I know they have with the poles. One such pole down the street starting throwing off sparks so bad that nearby home owners heard the sound B4 realizing what it was. At the same time a major fire broke out about 10-15 miles away destroying several homes and acres. The cause supposedly was a tree falling on the wires connected to the new poles. We have been experiencing several problems with our own home ever since NorthWestern has been doing major pole replacements and additions, testing and planed blackouts.

    I know you must be busy, but I hope you can answer my question. I don’t think that people are connecting the dots if they are experiencing the same problems as others which can be attributed to the same cause. A number of us are concerned and would be interested in your answer.
    Thank you in advance for your time.

    Elena Gagliano
    Philipsburg MT

    http://www.northwesternenergy.com/display.aspx?Page=Smart_Grid&Item=429

    Smart Grid Demonstration Project

    Building a more efficient way to move electricity takes careful planning and strategy. Every moment the entire grid must be changed to balance energy supply with the demand for electricity.

    NorthWestern Energy has joined with regional partners to develop a smart grid demonstration project using matching stimulus monies from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). We’re using innovative technologies to find ways we can enhance the safety, reliability and efficiency of our system.

    What is Smart Grid?
    Smart Grid is an advanced, telecommunication/electric grid with sensors and smart devices linking all aspects of the current grid, from generator to consumer, and delivering enhanced operational capabilities that:

    Provide CONSUMERS with the information and tools necessary to be responsive to electricity grid conditions, including price and reliability, through the use of electric devices and new services.

    Ensure EFFICIENT use of the electric grid optimizing current assets while integrating emerging technologies such as renewable and storage devices.

    Enhance RELIABILITY by protecting the grid from cyber attacks and other disruptions and also by increasing power quality and promoting early detection and self correcting of the grid.

    Our Plan
    NorthWestern Energy is planning to prolong the life of our current utility system by utilizing new technology and innovative approaches. This is a two-part plan that occurs on both the utility and customer side of the meter.

    On the utility side of the meter, we are piloting conservation voltage reduction (CVR), volt/VAR optimization, and distribution automation. The utility side does not require customer participation – the utility has the ability to adjust the distribution system voltage to conserve energy without affecting customer equipment.

    The customer side of the meter requires customer participation. NorthWestern Energy is currently identifying a sample group of customers in Helena and Philipsburg, MT, who will be testing this approach. They will be utilizing Home Area Networks and interval metering, which will give them the tools and know-how to be smarter energy consumers. NorthWestern Energy will monitor and measure customer acceptance and energy use behavioral changes.

    NorthWestern’s project is unique in that it will test applications in both small urban and rural settings. Through the project, NorthWestern plans to test techniques that will monitor activities in real time, exchange data about supply and demand and adjust power use to changing load requirements. We will monitor and measure customer acceptance and energy use behavioral changes. This will better inform our decision making about potential future expansions of the Smart Grid.

  3. Paul H says:

    Time for a recall……..

    “Toward a Smart Meter RECALL! Posted on June 24, 2013 by admin

    Customers all across the United States have reported being harmed by utility smart meters. In Indiana, a mother of three small children can’t live in their home because a bank of smart meters gave her debilitating health problems. In California hundreds of customers have reported headaches, ringing in the ears, heart palpitations, sleep problems and more. Customers report flames shooting from outlets, burned out appliances and fires after smart meter installation. Meanwhile in some states, the utility companies and their regulators response is to charge more money (opt-out fees) to avoid smart meters and they ignore the health and fire hazards. The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is a federal agency that will take complaints on utility smart meters from all US states.

    Last year the CPSC recalled 1.3 million GE dishwashers due to “15 reports of dishwasher heating element failures, including seven reports of fires, three of which caused extensive property damage.” If you have or had smart meter health or safety problems CALL:(800) 638-2772 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET or submit your complaint by email. Here’s the information you will need to provide: 1. A description of the product; 2. The name of the manufacturer; 3. A description of the injury, or death, or the risk of illness, injury, or death related to use of the product; 4. The date or estimated date when the incident occurred or when you first became aware of the potential for the product to act in an unsafe manner; You will also need to provide a description of who you are, for example, consumer, health care professional, a government agency; your name and mailing address; and permission to publish your Report on SaferProducts.gov. Finally your verification that the Report is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief. Once the CPSC receives your complaint they will send a report back to you for your review and consent. It will then go to the manufacturer where they will have to respond in ten days. After that depending on the number of complaints the compliance office receives, they will decide if the products should be recalled! Sandi Maurer”

  4. Good Morning says:

    http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/09/self-combusting-smart-meters/

    “A General Electric smart meter after it burst into flames at a home in Illinois. Image courtesy of Shirley Bayliff

    In June 2010, Shirley Bayliff was sitting at the piano in her suburban Illinois home, giving music lessons to a student, when she heard a “pop” outside the house before the power went out.

    When she and her husband looked out the window, they saw five-foot flames shooting out from a new General Electric smart meter their utility company had installed as part of a pilot project. “Very, very scary,” she told Crain’s Chicago Business newspaper.

    Apparently Bayliff isn’t the only who got a surprise from her smart meter.

    Since then, two more of the 130,000 smart meters Commonwealth Edison installed in the area have burst into flames, one in 2011 and one this last July, according to the newspaper.

    ComEd recently disclosed the fires, as well as information about 15 other overheating incidents that caused damage to smart meters, only after another utility in Philadelphia, Peco Energy, decided to suspend installation of smart meters there following a fire in a home and a dozen incidents involving overheating smart meters.

    Fire from the smart meter melted part of a window screen (at right). Firefighters told the homeowner that her house would have been more damaged if the meter had been installed on a wood wall instead of one made from brick. Image courtesy of Shirley Bayliff

    In the Philadelphia case, a neighbor called the fire department on a Sunday morning after hearing a pop and seeing sparks and flames shooting out from the meter of another house…”

  5. Good Morning says:

    http://blogs.citypaper.com/index.php/2012/09/smart-meter-fires-yeah-they-happen/

    “…Neither company uses the brand of meters—Sensus—that burned in Pennsylvania and which are subject to a whistleblower law suit in Alabama.

    PEPCO had 15 overheaters, and no fires, Karen Lefkowitz, PEPCO’s vice president of business transformation said. Most of the problems there were at the connection to the house. “It’s the exchange process that introduces some risk,” she told the commissioners.”

  6. Michael Bond says:

    I ,m not too happy about these smart meters overheating and such like. If it was a motor car problem,, the manufacturers would be forced to recall every model and rectify the problem. But not so with power companies it would appear..I .hope they don,t appear in my locality any time soon.

  7. smart meter recall says:

    http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=10289

    Toward a Smart Meter RECALL!
    Posted on June 24, 2013 by admin
    Customers all across the United States have reported being harmed by utility smart meters. In Indiana, a mother of three small children can’t live in their home because a bank of smart meters gave her debilitating health problems. In California hundreds of customers have reported headaches, ringing in the ears, heart palpitations, sleep problems and more.

    Customers report flames shooting from outlets, burned out appliances and fires after smart meter installation. Meanwhile in some states, the utility companies and their regulators response is to charge more money (opt-out fees) to avoid smart meters and they ignore the health and fire hazards.

    The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is a federal agency that will take complaints on utility smart meters from all US states.

    Last year the CPSC recalled 1.3 million GE dishwashers due to “15 reports of dishwasher heating element failures, including seven reports of fires, three of which caused extensive property damage.”

    If you’ve been harmed by smart meters or had safety problems call: (800) 638-2772 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET

    or submit your complaint by email.*

    Here’s the information you will need to provide:

    A description of the product;
    The name of the manufacturer;
    A description of the injury, or death, or the risk of illness, injury, or death related to use of the product;
    The date or estimated date when the incident occurred or when you first became aware of the potential for the product to act in an unsafe manner;
    You will also need to provide a description of who you are, for example, consumer, health care professional, a government agency; your name and mailing address; and permission to publish your Report on SaferProducts.gov. Finally your verification that the Report is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge, information, and belief.

    Record the time and date of the call and the name of the person who took your complaint. Write down the receipt number they give you. Keep this information for your records.

    Once the CPSC receives your complaint they will send a report back to you for your review and consent. It will then go to the manufacturer where they will have to respond in ten days. After that depending on the number of complaints the compliance office receives, they will decide if the products should be recalled!

    * PLEASE NOTE: If you hope, or plan to file a lawsuit for damages there is a two year statute of limitations, so registering and providing a date of harm will start that clock. (If so, you might also want to consult a lawyer regarding timing)

    Initial smart meter complaints sent by email to the CPSC were troublesome. Calls to the CPSC today (6/25/13) confirmed that the CPSC is taking reports on smart meter harms. If your complaint was rejected please persist and follow up with a phone call. Also we learned in order to reach a decision for a recall they may work with other federal agencies such as the Department of Energy, or the FDA. Be assured however that the CPSC is handling smart meter complaints.

  8. Sovereignty Soldier says:

    The so-called Smart meters are more about control than saving you money. When coupled with new Smart appliances, they can be used to control said appliances as well as monitor what appliances you are using. They can shut you off with no warning and once the feds stage a false flag, they will take control of the grid.
    Remember this, He causeth all, both small and great, to accept a mark. Those without the mark will be shut off from everything.
    Your government in cooperation with other governments, are enslaving the world. Right now they are setting up the control grid.

  9. Pingback: ‘Stop Smart Meter’ Announcement « Food, Health, Nutrition & Politic

  10. Cyndi says:

    We have the Smart Meter problem on the November Ballot in Colorado. Say no to having these meters installed! Health risks are huge!

  11. Cloid Hammers says:

    I want all of my smarts meter remove. I don’t like the electromagnetic field around my brain at this close of a distance when I’m sleeping. I know your trying to enslave me but you’ll have to think of a better way then doing this. I would like to dream of Heaven before waking up in Hell. Thank you for being courteous and concerned for our health by removing these meters.

  12. Dumb Idea says:

    The ‘new’ ‘smart’ meters have semiconductor devices which the previous (analog) meters did not. Semiconductors are much more prone to overheating and failure. Just look at all the online consumer reports that have occurred over the years of semiconductor based devices that fail, overheat, etc. This greatly increases the chance of a power meter catastrophic failure. Sort of like light bulbs. Traditional filament light bulbs won’t burst into flames accidentally on their own, they just die-out and quit. CFL and LED ‘bulbs’ all have semiconductors which if defective at the microscopic silicone-surface-level can overheat and burn unexpectedly just read about it online. Semiconductor chips have hidden defects in about 3% of the manufactured volume conservatively speaking. Many people would argue an even higher percentage. They are time-bombs waiting to go off. This means that for every one-million ‘smart’ meters installed 30,000 of them are potential semiconductor overheating time-bombs. Hopefully in many cases the semiconductor if defective would burn itself out and nothing else. But it’s still not as safe as a traditional analog (non-semiconductor) device. Money first reliability and safety 5th according to power companies. This is a generalized statement. We know that a certain percentage of semiconductor chips manufactured have a hidden defect that years later is going to result in overheating (thermal runaway). There are hundreds of documented cases that can be found online regarding all kinds of various devices. In hot climates, add a 110F sunny day with sunshine directly on a ‘smart’ meter box day after day and it’s asking for trouble. In other words power companies are avoiding worst-case analysis and placing safety way down the list. This post is a generalization, the safety-related details however can be found online.

  13. Pingback: More Smart Meter fires? | Smart Meter Harm

  14. Chantell a says:

    My smart meter caught fire, thankfully no one hurt as we were all at work, but there was extensive damage to structure and property. This was in Ontario Canada. I can’t believe there is not a mass recall, how many lives will be impacted before something is done!

  15. Janet Curtis says:

    alot of questions. no answers.In reno, nv, my neighbor died a month ago from fire that firefighters said was the smart meter..now when questioned by us neighbors..they say arson or inconclusive. all of us have refridgerator breakdowns (mine is fairly new) freezer side works but not fridge. no explaination. This tramatic and tragic event has us all afraid. lights going out..no lights working..inside elec probs we all seem to have them. One x firefighter neighbor said you can ask for the old ones bk but YOU have to pay for them. who is going to pay for the death of my neighbor and 20yr friend and her pets? the husband is overwhelmed as he also is in the middle of chemo treatments in sf and now lives in carson with his daughter. he lost everything! comments do nothing I know but I cant find any answers this whole article is one question after the next without solutions. I dont want to die this way! How do I get the energy company to investigate my whole house electric and wiring etc? I cannot pay fo that! they killed my neighbor now I /we want ansers and ation b4 someone else dies. really exacerbated my ptsd!

  16. Janet Curtis says:

    Also I denied the instalment of smart meters on water and electric..but i came home and they had installed them already! how can they do this? my neighbor is dead. someone paid dearly for this smart mistake and we dont want it happening to us…but it will!! then who pays? our association wont..we cant aford to..now we cant sell bcuz there is a burnt townhome on this circle. who would ever buy now. this is alot of damage and financial harm..I live alone and my bill has gone up to more than ppl with family and kids. how is that possible?

    • It’s possible because utility companies (and many govts) are run by a bunch of psychopaths who don’t care about you, your lives, or your health. Only $$$$. Resisting this agenda together is really our only hope.

  17. Judy Kosovich says:

    I have declined a smart meter because my meter is indoors, in the basement in a cabinet, and some of my wiring is pretty old. Whatever the risk of fire and health consequences, my risks are above average. I am going solar with battery back up and going off the grid. My utility, Pepco, has declined accepting my excess power, even though I will have almost twice as much capacity as I need for average conditions. They would rather disconnect my power. I am in DC, which recently commissioned a study to assess the safety of smart meters. The study was a detailed comparison of smart meter emissions to cell phone standards — non sequiturs including voluntary exposure, not 24/7, and not a fire hazard. Further, these standards have been repeatedly questioned as to whether they are reasonable standards to establish safety. (US standards are among the most lax in the world.) The DC study did not examine fire safety, vulnerability to hacking, Americans with Disabilities Act, nor Constitutional issues. The “experts” that did the study were from a company in litigation in Naperville, IL for installing smart meters there. Clearly, there is no risk of bias. DC government has accepted this study as the whole truth and is moving forward as if the study was not contradicted by significant evidence of problems. I understand that Florida recently made it illegal to be off the grid. The same could easily happen in DC, where Muriel Bowser, the candidate for Mayor most likely to win was the party responsible for bringing smart meters to DC.

  18. Bill Fee says:

    It has taken time to develop the device and imm almost done!
    The smart meter KILLER!!! Take 4 junk microwaves ,open them up . Remove the
    magnetron (it has a donut round magnet with a coil rod . Place all four on the end of a stick 8+ft so as to project the wave directly on the sides of Mtr . This will kill the Mtr by overpowering the chips . A magnetron is 120v and can be run by a DC to 120v inverter . Oh yes ask the guy at the end of the block ,make a community project.
    Go to IQ thinker but don’t take the pill . Stay smart. Get Em Dum Mtrs .

  19. Now in 2015 here in Victoria Australia although the official government roll-out of these so-called but far from Smart Electric Microwave broadcasting and receiving machines has stopped, the five Electric Power companies here are still badgering people to accept these dopy and Incendiary Machines. This is in my view CRIMINAL. As we live in what is supposed to be a Democracy it is Unlawful to push and harass people to accept these now proving to be increasing numbers of INCENDIARY machines on the citizens of Victoria Australia or in any other State of Australia.
    These dopy so-called Smart Meters do not save people any money at all they cost more money to run and that is a fact because they need extra electricity to run the Microwave radio equipment which broadcasts these machines readings to their Electricity Base Station.

  20. Pingback: ‘Smart’ Meter Update: Late Lessons from Early Warnings, Still | John C. Carleton

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