Beware PG&E Smart Meters by blownnova – NORCAL-LSX forum – October 10, 2015:
http://www.norcal-lsx.com/forum/showthread.php?t=92048
posted October 10, 2015, 09:28 AM by blownnova
On 08/31 I came home from work I had been working a lot of OT, I came home to a house with no power which I find out later that due to working so much OT the bill was not paid. I called that night and paid the bill and was told that the power would be back on between 15 min to a few hrs, so off to bed I went having to be back at work in 6 hours. In the morning still no power, I get to work and call PG&E and they tell me that the power is ON, I tell them no its not and they send a tech out, the tech left a note saying that he pulled the meter and found that one of the lugs that the meter mounts to was burned and could not reinstall the meter as it would be very dangerous.
I get home that night and find his note, call PG&E again and ask when they will have the problem fixed. I am told that it is my responsibility, they are responsible for the side coming into the meter and I am responsible for the other side. How can this be since I have no access to that side of the service panel unless I cut PG&Es tag from the box. When PG&E took the smart meter(also the evidence I’m sure of what I was to find next) the left a cap in it’s place and a wire seal seal. I decided to investigate the problem myself, I cut the seal and removed the cap and could see the burned lug, when I touched the lug it just fell right off. I then removed the lower half of the panel and was in shock at what I saw. There was 1″ of the 1/8″ thick by ~7/8″ wide aluminum buss bar completely melted away there was a teardrop of melted aluminum hanging in some of it’s place. The next day I had one of the electricians we work with on site come over and look at it, he said it looks like a lot of amperage went across there or that the meter was not plugged in very well. Well with the smart meter now in PG&E’s hands who is to know. PG&E drug their feet to come out to turn off the power so I could begin replacing the service panel, which come to find out later that I am not allowed to do either according to the city. So I pay an electrical contractor to do so. I set up with the contractor to come out and do an estimate, next day I receive my estimate and tell them to proceed, later that day I receive a call from the contractor saying that PG&E tells them I need to submit an application for service! WTF I’m not having a new service installed, just to replace my service panel. 26 Days later I have power in the house again, I now need to buy a new dryer, 2 refrigerators and a freezer (depending on if I can get the smell out of them) Bottom line if I had not lapsed in the payment of my bill and power shut off, I would probably be submitting a claim to my insurance for a house fire. Does anyone know of someone who has experienced similar and what did they do about it after, I would like to get some kind of compensation for what I have had to put up with. Oh and during this time while this was all going on I was working 7 days a week double-shifts and then coming home to deal with this. “At PG&E we care” Bullsh*t!
