Comments on: Take Action Now, Occupy the CPUC this Thursday!!!

By: Residents reject smart meters, literally, following CPUC’s costly Opt-Out Proposed Decision « Burbank ACTION

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 07:25:30 +0000

[…] Most people believe Mr. Peevey’s proposed decision, which was directed at PG&E, will be similar to those proposed for the smart meter programs of So Cal Gas, So Cal Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric. If you don’t like or want smart meters, or want better options than what’s being proposed, read about the new SmartMeterHelp.com website and fill out a Complaint there, and make sure to also file a complaint with the CPUC. […]

By: Redi Kilowatt

Redi Kilowatt — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:10:38 +0000

In reply to harry.

That program would never work here in the area that I live.
Here, there are many wealthy households that live on posh estates, some of the things people use electricity for are:
Hillevators, elevators, electric skylights and blinds, electric curtains, electric gates, pool pumps, irrigation well pumps, sewer ejector pumps, home theater and multi-media entertainment rooms, air conditioning systems, heaters, freezers, refrigerators, ovens, clothes dryers, exercise equipment, computer trading rooms, home automation systems, security systems including CATV cameras, driveway loop detectors and amplifiers, guest houses, pool houses, servants houses, electric vehicle chargers, tennis court lighting (HID like growers use), landscape lighting and complex communications systems. I’m sure that I forgot some electricity using devices, but I think you get the idea.
An average power bill for an estate is probably around $2000 per month around here, but in the summer, running the irrigation well pumps bump it up another $1000 per month.
And none of these households are growing pot, they don’t have to, they can afford to buy it ! And they use power in 24 hour blocks, not 18 or 12 hour blocks.
They would have to put half the population under investigation here using a program like what you describe in Canada, and there are many wealthy high powered attorneys that live here who would pounce on any threat against their privacy or freedom.

By: harry

harry — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:28:06 +0000

From Toronto, Canada: We have had these digital recording anmeters ( smart meters ) on every residence in the city for a couple of years now. Concerns about health effects are well founded but the real reason these meters have been installed is very clear: TO SPY ON ALL RESIDENTS AND IDENTIFY MARIJUANA GROWERS. Homes using more than 90 kilowatt hours per day will have their energy use data studied for 18 and 12 hour blocks of power. If these patterns of electricity use are seen records will be given to local police department WITHOUT A WARRANT. Police can then stake out a home and if they don’t see anything suspicious on the outside they can make something up to get a search warrant signed. Even if you are growing a small amount, like let’s say 10 plants under one lamp, you will still be targeted. This is a violation of section 8 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada and a violation of the 4th Amendment in the United States. Utility providers and law enforcement are flipping the bird at our rights. Smart meters are evil and should be abolished at all costs. There will be some high profile court cases coming up in Canada in the next few months challenging the warrantless sharing of DRA data. Hopefully justice will prevail.

By: Les

Les — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:33:15 +0000

Right now the meter is read once a month by the meter reading person. The meter could do the same thing by turning itself on for few seconds each month, sending info, turning itself, and waiting for another month to forward information again. A second or even few seconds per month would not harm anybody. I think PG&E should answer the question why the company is trying to damage our health, when solution to the problem is so simple.

By: James

James — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:43:55 +0000

In reply to Redi Kilowatt. In Houston, TX, you are sent a card that you fill out with the markings that are on the old meter and you send that back to the power company. No one has to come to your house as most do have fences to keep their dogs off the street. It is simple and easy. All power companies can do that same thing if it is that they want to cut back on employees that have to walk the streets and go house to house to read the meters. When the dude came to my house to change out my meter I let him have a few choice words and he beat feet to hurry and leave me alone. That was back in June of this year and I have heard nothing from the electric company and my bill is still the same each month. I live alone and have gotten my bill down under $15.00 a month. I could not afford to pay extra for what they might attempt to do. If I had that extra money I would not bother to walk around in the dark at night, and of course I would want to spend it on something else anyway then to have to give it to Edison.

By: dave

dave — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:02:04 +0000

so thats why my bill skyrocketed they charged me an extra $200 for installation and i cant get any response from them so far to GET THIS FN THING OFF MY HOUSE THAT I OWN

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:54:41 +0000

Jim: agreed.

Redi: we have great power – if we exercise it. The worst thing we can do now is do nothing. That means they’ve won and we’re left sick, enslaved to the Evil Empire, and America ceased to exist.

We are sovereign individuals. The Constitution was written for US TO USE. Let’s use it. WE are the OWNERS OF this great land.

We can evict evil relatively easily here, and by so doing serve a good example to people of other countries.

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:05:50 +0000

In reply to Robert. You are right, who thought having a consumer protection division of government should be filled with appointed officials was a good idea? These meters are really not in the public's best interest, and violate unfair trade practice acts.

By: Redi Kilowatt

Redi Kilowatt — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 18:07:49 +0000

Unfortunately, this is a global problem. New radio transmitting meters are being forced on many countries around the world. The technicalities vary by region and country, but I have been reading some of the government press releases from around the world, and the propaganda is the same.
In the United States, the propaganda campaigns are very strong, with much of the money to pay for all this false advertising coming from the U.S. taxpayers themselves in the form of ARRA stimulus funds, and the rest from the ratepayers.
Many people actually believe these stupid TV ads, with the little colored bars jumping up and down, with no numbers, but supposed to be showing real time energy use.
Many people don’t even know what a SmartMeter is, and don’t really care about the issue at all. Some who have been fooled by all this expensive advertising actually think that the meters are the power grid, and they believe that somehow these meters are going to save the customers money. These are the people that want the new meters, and have no clue as to why anyone would not want one.
What we have is a lack of truth in advertising, and a lack of knowledge by most of the public about energy generation, transmission, distribution (the power grid) and billing for it all (the SmartMeters).
To the many of us who are very aware of what is going on, we wish that the whole project is scrapped, and all new SmartMeters be yanked out and replaced with analog meters. There are many valid reasons that we wish this scrapping would happen, but unfortunately, I think it might be too late for that to ever happen. PG&E alone spends millions of dollars per day on TV ads, printing marketing brochures and holding “educational meetings” of all the benefits of the new meters. The advertising agencies, television stations, speakers and printing companies have enjoyed a wonderful windfall of profits from this propaganda campaign. And it has really worked, they have have even fooled some people who oppose the project into believing some of the lies, the worst one being that the billing meters are part of the power grid.
In a perfect world, the people that are adversely affected could be released from any suffering caused by the wishes of others who could not care less about anyone else or have some financial gain from the meter project.
But this is not a perfect world, and it is ruled by corporations, so the best that we can hope for is that those who do not want a new SmartMeters keep their analog meters, or if they have a new meter, have it replaced with an analog meter with no upfront fees or monthly meter reading fees either. We could even offer to phone in or email in our monthly meter reads in lieu of paying a monthly meter reading fee.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:13:10 +0000

Let’s propose the following bill to be placed for California voters:

ALL CPUC commissioners should be elected, not appointed!

The CPUC does not represent California consumers, California citizens deserve a commission which is designed to protect their interests.

Who’s on board?