Neighbors are having to intervene to physically stop installations of 'smart' meters, because Santa Cruz County Sheriff Phil Wowak refuses to enforce local laws banning the devices, putting people in danger and violating their civil rights.
This account was sent to us yesterday. Names have been changed to protect identities because of a fear of possible retribution by the utilities. (Why must we live in fear of a corporation? -ed.)
My name is Bruce and I live in the Seabright area of Santa Cruz, California. Here is an account of what happened today August 18th in my neighborhood.
Around 12:30 p.m. I noticed a Wellington Energy truck, license #8R45814, on our court. He parked just past our house in front of our neighbor’s driveway. I asked him if he was going to install a smart meter. He said “yes I am.” I then called out to the son of our neighbors, who was home and I informed him that he could refuse the installation of the smart meter.
The installer went to their door. The son had the installer call his father. The father refused the installation and the installer went to the next house- home of John and Susie who were out of town. They had a sign on their meter requesting no installation and I informed him they were on the “delay” list. The installer then moved on to the next home where Dan and Julie lived. No one was home. I didn’t know if Dan and Julie are on the Delay list. The installer went ahead and quickly installed the meter even though I asked him to check.
The installer then moved his truck up the court to the next house, home of Rita and Tom. Also Tom’s father, Dave, lives with them. I know this family is on the delay list as Dave has a pacemaker. I told this to the installer, and he approached their meter. I walked up to the meter and said, “I cannot let you install a smart meter. I know that Rita has placed their house meter on the delay list until there is definite proof that the smart meter will not cause a malfunction in Walt’s pacemaker and kill him.”
I confronted him and further stated,” If you put that smart meter on, it could kill him. You can punch me out but I will fight you.” (I am a 64 hear old heart patient myself) The installer pulled out the pin of the slot at the bottom of the meter and reached to pull the meter off and I pushed his hand away. He said, “Don’t you touch me” and reached for the meter again. I lightly brushed his arm away and he said, “Don’t touch me.” I replied, “You can’t do this. These people are on the delay list.”
He then stopped, checked his hand held device and found that they were in fact on the delay list. He then put a new clip on their meter to replace the one he had removed. Jenny, my housemate, took pictures of me standing beside him in front of the meter. She also got a picture of his truck and license number.
Next the installer went over to the meter for our HOA (home owners association) pump that services all 5 homes. I didn’t have any knowledge that our association was on a delay list, so I didn’t oppose him. He then installed a smart meter on the pump, read the meter, and then got in his truck and drove away. He returned to the cul de sac and worked the rest of the afternoon on neighboring houses and apartments until 5:25 p.m.
This installer, in my mind, was deliberately ignoring checking the delay list until I intervened. He was installing meters without checking to see if owners etc. were on the delay list. Can PG&E do this? They are doing it. We saw this with our own eyes today.
What a sick society we live in that people have to go to great trouble and expense to build elaborate defenses around meters on their own homes because our state regulatory agencies are controlled by the utility companies and won't do their job to protect the public.
I’ve been watching this Smart Meter situation and ready with my delay call and posting on the meter. It seems it doesn’t matter to the taxpayers. The government does whatever it wants. It will get worse with time. We the people need to stop the government, but how. Our vote does not count.
The best way to halt the smart meters is to add a simple meditation to the other actions to block them. All you do is think about something that makes you happy, something you love and are grateful for. Notice how good that feels and let the good feelings build as you think of this thing (or things) for 20 seconds. Then daydream about the day PG&E is outlawed from installing smart meters and must take out all the ones they’ve installed and replace them with old-style, safe meters again. Notice how good THAT feels for 2o seconds. That’s it. It raises your emotional set-point (or vibrational frequency) in a way that draws to you the thing you want (i.e. to see smart meters off the face of the earth). This works for attracting anything you want and, I believe, is the most effective way we can individually and collectively effect change in circumstances where we feel powerless. It is a very powerful practice — and when enough people are doing it and focusing on good outcomes for humanity and the planet, the world will see what will look like one miracle after another … pass it on …
im willing at this point to try anything.hell,ive tried wrapping myself in tinfoil to get some sleep here thanks to these damnd meters.it was like sleeping in a potato chip bag.ill try it thanks
Who owns the SmartMeter and who has liability if they cause fires or cause a malfunction of a pacemaker, etc.? If the customer owns the meters on their dwelling what gives the utility the right to come in and install a device if the customer would eventually own it and doesn’t want it? Isn’t it like forcing some replaced and unwanted item on the customer? What do property owners, real estate agents and the insurance companies say about all of this? Will there have to be new disclaimer laws about fires, etc. because of these devices?
Unfortunately, I believe PG&E has a right to inspect and/or change out their equipment. I’m not saying I like this, but when you sign up for electric and/or gas service from them you are giving them permission to come on your property and install their metering devices so they can know how much to charge you based on usage. I suspect they will just say they are “upgrading” their meters, and if you don’t want it, then they will just remove them altogether. I agree, this stinks.
Utility easements cover meter reading and equipment maintenance. Nowhere does their easement include the installation of a new broadcasting device on your property! Don’t give up your rights without knowing the law!
Good for Bruce! Thank you for looking out for your neighbors and doing your best to stop the “deployment” of smart meters wherever you can. I would certainly not vote to reelect a sheriff who will not stand up to protect his people against an invading enemy. PG&E uses the term “deployment,” which is a military term about deploying troops or an army. That is what they must think of themselves and their hired Wellington foot soldiers. They are like an invasion of some army seeking to take away our property and privacy rights with their “deployment” of a military weapon that will do harm to the occupied people they are forcing their weapon upon. (I am the author of “Just Say No to Big Brothers’ Smart Meters,” which gives the harmful health effects, as well as the “big brother” snooping effects of the smart meters. It can be read and downloaded on the above mentioned website. )
This just makes me nervous and so sick to my stomach that it has come to this in America..and in our own backyards ! It is SUCH an OUTRAGE to me. I have 2 smart meters that are making me sick and my family..and when I deduced that my symptoms were in connection with the exact timing of installation of the Smart meters being installed (AGAINST THE LAW and MY WILL)..I got HYSTERICAL about it..and went online immediately and did an exhaustive study of others documentation, PRINTED out copies of ~35 pages~ of others complaints who had my EXACT symptoms..and called PGE..and Smart Meter…and Sacramento right away…and implored them to at least disable the frequency of the meters because of my health..with no RESOLVE..they basically told me to LAY DOWN and DIE..I was saying things like who ARE you people..are you a ROBOT ? Is this AMERICA ??? People are getting sick and dying..and can’t even TELL you because they are not here anymore..because we are seen as only RATEPAYERS not people and it’s not OKAY for you to shorten my Lifespan ..They do not care ” OH !!! THE ARE SAFE !!!!!!!!! ” they all said to me. Okay then PGE..AND Smart Meter…America should just roll over and play dead..as YOU wish ??? God is in Charge of me..NOT PGE OR SMART METER..I will be an advocate for anyone who wants me to on this issue of being against the fleecing of America ! It is wrong and CRIMINAL. Makes me want to SCREAM ! I had to leave my house and go to my dad’s to BE ABLE to THINK to write down ALL my own personal ADVERSE HEALTH REACTION SYMPTOMS that are already apparent current and noticeable ..and the ones that could be going on inside that I can’t see..HOW DO I KNOW ??? I said to the people on the phone ” would YOU place your baby in front of a Microwave ALL day to see how much your baby can TOLERATE in 24 hours every day OVER and OVER ??? ” They DO NOT GET IT !!! It is an abomination to our life and our society to be treated as lab rats and guinea pigs and F with our FUTURE HEALTH because we NEED to have electricity !!! WHY can’t MONEY MONGERS SEE this !!!!! People are DYING over these issues ..HUMANS are DYING..at an alarming rate of CANCER…and I would think the exact thong for out PETS and PLANT LIFE..What will BE the QUALITY of life in our own NEAR FUTURE ..let alone OUR DISTANT FUTURES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Okay..I’m done for now…We are a NATION under GOD NOT MAN…this is what I was taught and this is MY TRUTH…and this is why I KNOW it is WRONG.. DEAD RATE PAYERS SOCIETY is what I am talking about…there is NOTHING Smart about THAT .
…ARGHHHHHH !!!!!! Makes me SOOOOooooo MAD !!! When I was in 4th GRADE my then Teacher wrote on the Blackboard for her STUDENTS ~ There are none so BLIND as those who WILL NOT SEE~ I am still a student of life and a LEARNER.. I CAN and WILL SEE TRUTH VERY CLEARLY ..because I LOOK for TRUTH..and I KNOW…” there are none so BLIND as those who Will NOT see” God PLEASE HELP us !!! They KNOW NOT WHAT THE DO ..and it is ~NOT OKAY to shorten my LIFESPAN~ I personally want to HELP PEOPLE
Go ahead and make this a full new blog post. Please!
This article from July 28th:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/28/smart_meter_security_risks/
Talks about “A leading computer scientist has warned of the security risks of using smart meters in controlling utility supplies.”
“Ross Anderson, professor in security engineering at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, warns that the move to smart metering introduces a “strategic vulnerability” that hackers might conceivable be exploit to remotely switch off elements on the gas or electricity supply grid.”
“As an added bonus the technology also makes it easier to switch subscribers to new (higher) tariffs if they persistently fail to pay their bill on time.”
NOW WE KNOW WHY THE RUSH! $$$$
This is a good paper on the subject, and has a lot of references:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/meters-offswitch.pdf
If you want to see how EASILY someone could analyze your power usage with a smart meter, see page 17 of the below document. It’s a graph showing usage of different appliances in a house and pointing them out.
It also shows that no “chip” is safe and a meter being “owned” by a hacker.
Document:
http://www.ioactive.com/pdfs/InfosecurityEurope10SmartGrid.pdf
From:
http://www.ioactive.com/ioactive_labs_publications.html
We know that the power companies are reading these posts, we know they are worried about what is going on, but they continue the installs, they could be held criminally liable if just one person gets hurt in anyway by these meters, and that’s going to cost me and you $$ in higher rates to defend them?
Hi Jim,
Thanks for the submission. We welcome guest articles from our readers. They should be in the form of a concise article and can be sent to: info@stopsmartmeters.org An article about security and hacking is overdue, but these are not our areas of expertise. If you’d like to re-work this as a brief article we’d be happy to take a look at it. Thanks! -ed.
South Florida Alert:
A major surge, wire meltdown and electronics loss is reported to me today 8/24/11.
Computers, golf cart chargers, TVs were lost. Most importantly, the loss of life was narrowly averted. The damage occured 6 weeks after the installation of 12 smart meters on the property. Electricians called to the site reported that this was a Smart Meter problem. The utility has a responsibilty to make this business owner whole!
A Wellington Electric guy just came to my door around noon Monday to install a Smart Meter. I told him I’d like to refuse install and he said “ok”, punched something in his handheld, gave me a brochure and left….I wonder what would have happened if I were not home, or if they’ll try to come back. I noticed them installing one on my neighboor’s house last week.
I believe Smart Meters, in addition to a national security risk from hackers, is also another form of electro-magnetic pollution, in which some people are more acutely sensitive than others, and the long-term risks completely unknown.
If you refuse a new meter to a Wellington employee, they will notify PG&E as refused. They (Wellington) will only be installing in any given area for about 2 weeks. So, if you are there to “run them off”, they will make one more attempt within a few weeks to sneak onto your property, yank out your analog meter and slap in a new digital piece of crap meter.
Wellington is instructed not to attempt to install a meter onto someones property of someone who has personally refused if there is any indication whatsoever of someone being “there” on the property when they return for the second time.
I know for some people, it is an expensive hardship to stay home and guard your meter, but it will be a great ROI of your time that will yield you thousands of dollars of savings in the near future.
The ways to effectively protect your property from being trespassed on are many, but the very best way in addition to locked gates, fences and security animals and devices is to have someone “there” during normal working hours during the week, and overtime on Saturdays. If you or a family member cannot provide “yard duty” 6 days a week, hire a friend or a security company for the hours that you cannot cover. This a small window of time, 2 or three weeks max.
Keep in mind that there is usually a million things to do around the house and in the yard year round, some of which is fun to do yourself, and some of which you can find a friend to do for very little money considering the savings that you will enjoy by not letting Wellington install a new meter.
Make a lowpass filter, install it before the main circuitbreaker and kill the signal coming out of the meter. In essence, make a crossover that allows 60Hz and below to pass but kills all frequencies above it!!! they own the lines UP to the demark point not beyond it!! after the meter you can block anything you like!
The point of demarcation is at the meter.
There is no filter that will stop the meters from transmitting data on RF into the air that you could put down line of the meter.
In multi-family shared wall buildings, they will be using a powerline carrier (optional) called HomePlug to control compressor motors on or off for air conditioning systems. That system transmits RF on top of the power lines into the buildings, so you could conceivably put a filter to block that out.
But that is not what people are up in arms about, they are concerned about all the RF being transmitted into the air to the radio networks for sending billing data for all the single family detatched houses. One could jam that signal, but not prevent the meter fro transmitting it, it will still be there, as strong as ever, just not be received by the radio networks, and it would also jam some cell phones in the area.
If the FCC catches someone interfering with the corporate communications systems, they will come down on you like a ton of bricks.
Hello,
I am an EMF consultant and abatement contractor (licensed electrical contractor) with 20 yrs exp and actively engaged measuring SM emissions at radio frequencies and intermediate frequency emissions from Smart Meters conducted and radiated from building wiring. I and other EMF consultants
believe the conducted and radiated emissions via building wiring from the switching mode power supply and oscillators are more of a stress on the human nervous system than the relateively low powered RF transmissions beyond 15-20 ft from the meter.
Stephen Scott
Professor in security engineering warns that smart meters are a “strategic vulnerability” from hackers
An article from July 28th at theregister.co.uk says “A leading computer scientist has warned of the security risks of using smart meters in controlling utility supplies.”
“Ross Anderson, professor in security engineering at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, warns that the move to smart metering introduces a “strategic vulnerability” that hackers might conceivable be exploit to remotely switch off elements on the gas or electricity supply grid.”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/28/smart_meter_security_risks/
Home PC exploits are well known and so people are now running anti virus software as a standard feature on their PCs.
But it’s difficult for a small computer processor, like the ones in a smart meter, to protect itself from attack.
There just isn’t enough processing power or memory space to include something like a sophisticated anti virus program. There’s only enough room for the data transmission protocols and power line monitoring software. And those functions take most of the processing power.
Smart meters are also a huge target when deployed in the millions with the same hardware and software configurations. Once an exploit is developed, it will operate on all meters that are of the same make and model.
Power company switching station equipment is at risk of damage from power spikes that could be created from a large number of meters being switched on and off over and over by a hacker, causing a massive surge in the system, and as we have seen in San Diego recently, one outage can cause more outages in remote areas, like dominos, a wide part of the grid goes down.
And who pays for the damage? The ratepayers!
This is a good paper on the subject, and has a lot of references:
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/meters-offswitch.pdf
This document shows that no “chip” is safe and a meter being “owned” by a hacker:
http://www.ioactive.com/pdfs/InfosecurityEurope10SmartGrid.pdf
From:
http://www.ioactive.com/ioactive_labs_publications.html
These meters are not safe for any community, anywhere and need to be stopped.
(feel free to post this as a complete blog post on any site anywhere, thanks)