STOP SMART METERS IN BC To find information in your area, contact: stopsmartmetersbc@gmail.com What you need to know about smart meters INCREASED CONSUMER HYDRO COSTS. In Ontario, more than 80% of smart metered homes report significantly higher monthly bills, often more than 50% higher than prior to smart meter instal-lation. In California many report bills doubling and tripling. This is without any change in utilization patterns. Hydro says there are no plans to introduce time of usage billing but their business plan calls for the infrastructure to be ready for July 2012. See: http://ow.ly/6WWJe QUESTIONABLE MATH. BC Hydro claims that spending $1 bil-lion on smart meters will save $500 million in electricity theft (due to grow-ops) over twenty years – a business case that any grade-schooler would question. We cannot afford a program which has no benefits and most likely no cost recovery potential. The meters will need to be replaced in 20 years, around the same time they have been paid for. CONSERVATION. No energy is conserved by the meter– this is a false premise. It merely reports usage, as does an analog meter. Unless the user is educated on conservation techniques, no reduc-tion in energy consumption will occur. A better investment would be to educate energy reduction strategies with the current safe, efficient analog meter. Invest in products or technology that will further result in reduced energy use, eg. better insulation, more efficient windows and furnaces, or solar panels. These are invest-ments that will generate safe, permanent jobs in our province. All wireless systems actually throw away energy, and are not green solutions. INVASION OF PRIVACY. Meters have the built-in option to keep records of personal daily use, recording what appliance is being used and when. Companies in the US have declared these records proprietary information and have sold it to marketing companies, insurers, police and others. Is this information you want shared? See this video on privacy is-sues: http://ow.ly/5FUpH SECURITY. Wireless technology is notoriously insecure and can be easily hacked into. Hackers can access private information, determine by usage patterns when homes are unoccupied, or even interfere with the delivery of electricity. HARMFUL INTERFERENCE. Smart meters interfere with house-hold electrical appliances, even medical devices (ie. pacemakers) and home security systems, causing them to malfunction or dam-aging the appliance itsel THE HIDDEN AGENDA. The key reason for smart meters is huge profits for the information and communications tech-nologies sector - IBM, Cisco, General Electric, Oracle, ITRON, etc. The mass installation of Smart meters is de-signed to benefit corporations, not you. This has nothing to do with conservation and everything to do with corporate profit. REMOVAL OF OUR WATCHDOG. B.C. Utilities Commis-sion (BCUC) is the regulatory body with the responsibility to safeguard our interests. Yet the Government’s Clean En-ergy Act (2010) exempts the $1 billion smart meter program from BCUC’s oversight. BCUC was not allowed to fulfill its job of reviewing and approving a business plan. Neither were there public hearings. The MLAs were given no oppor-tunity to debate the program or to review a cost benefit analysis. There is no oversight, no control of this major program. The big question is: Why was this billion dollar project made exempt? NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT- Legislation requiring Hydro to install Smart Meters absolves Hydro of any requirement to issue an environ-mental impact statement-something that has not hap-pened in recent history– This begs the question “WHY , at a time when the planet is facing some of it’s worst environmental crises, would our government not only permit but encourage such a blatant disregard for environmental safety? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TAKE ACTION! It is urgent that we, as neighbours and parents, all take action to protect our democratic rights for health, costs, security and privacy. 1. Send a Non-Consent Letter and hang “Corix No Trespassing” signs on your meter, front door & front yard! Find templates & instructions at stopsmart-metersbc.ca under “Take Action”. Attach signs in Zip-loc or plastic sleeve beside meter; do not cover face of meter. Send letter by email and registered mail. Help those without computers by printing letters & signs for them to mail & post. 2. Join the Coalition www.stopsmartmetersbc.ca to get updates. See www.citizensforsafetechnology.org “Smart Meter Action Kit” and sign the on-line petition. Pre-register for the Petition Initiative Vote www.stopsmartmeters.ca ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Analogue Meter Lovers, Here are links to some excellent websites full of great information: Stop Smart Meters BC Some info about Smart Appliances (also see video, below): Other articles, which I found particularly informative (even if I don't believe everything I read):"Smart Appliances" giving off Radio Frequency waves. A PDF about the pollinating bees vs. EMF waves:Getting a Read on Smart Meters (very informative about present & future) Mobile Communications: The Cause the the Global Disappearnce of the Bees Videos that might be helpful : Other items of possible interest:How to Replace your Electric Smart Meter (though, personally I would recommend using a willing certified electrician, because lethal electrocution is such an inconvenience) Dr. David Carpenter's letter to a City Council ~ Smart Meters |
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