{"id":3634,"date":"2011-09-23T10:51:23","date_gmt":"2011-09-23T17:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=3634"},"modified":"2011-09-23T10:53:27","modified_gmt":"2011-09-23T17:53:27","slug":"3634","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/?p=3634","title":{"rendered":"Kamloops : Homeowners raise protests over smart meters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Devices are safe, effective and will modernize grid, Hydro maintains<\/strong><\/h2>\n

SEPTEMBER 22, 2011<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

BY MIKE YOUDS
\nDAILY NEWS STAFF REPORTER<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Smart meters don\u2019t qualify as a smart move as far as Brian Theissen is concerned.<\/p>\n

The new wireless electrical meters, to be installed in every Kamloops home starting in October, will enable two-way communication between the devices and B.C. Hydro.<\/p>\n

Yet some homeowners, wary of uncertain health risks, possible rate hikes and even security\/surveillance concerns, are fighting back.<\/p>\n

Thiesen and about 30 other local residents are in the process of forming a community action group to delay or halt the installations. Cost \u2014 the conversion is expected to run close to $1 billion provincewide \u2014 is a major issue for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere will the money come to pay for these meters?\u201d said Theissen, a student of economics. \u201cWe already know B.C. Hydro is quite improperly managed and having difficulties. You and I are going to pay for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

While they don\u2019t look much different from conventional meters \u2014 aside from a digital readout \u2014 they represent a major leap forward for the Crown corporation. Dag Sharman, Hydro\u2019s community relations manager, calls it a \u201csmarting of the grid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, they allow us to Power Smart ourselves,\u201d Sharman said. \u201cThey\u2019re something that\u2019s needed because electricity is the backbone of energy in this province.\u201d<\/p>\n

The household devices will form part of an integrated system for effective monitoring of electrical demand. Their installation is expected to yield a net savings of $70 million, climbing to $520 million over 20 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s money that would have to otherwise come through electrical rates,\u201d Sharman said.<\/p>\n

Response times in power outages will be shortened significantly, he added. Consumers will benefit through a greater ability to monitor their consumption, Hydro contends.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives them the tools if they opt for an in-home display of power usage. You get a better sense of how much you\u2019re using.\u201d<\/p>\n

Petrina Gregson, another Kamloops resident, is one of many homeowners concerned about the health risks of exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and microwave radiation. She\u2019s told Hydro and its contractor that they are not to come onto her Powers Addition property to install the new devices.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe more I read about it, the more I think it\u2019s like cigarettes or leaded gasoline,\u201d she said. \u201cWe just weren\u2019t aware until they caused too much damage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Customers cannot opt out of the wireless meters, Sharman said. The conversion to smart meters is legally mandated under the Clean Energy Act for completion by 2012. The legislation frees the conversion from the oversight of the B.C. Utilities Commission.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do recognize some customers have concerns, se we\u2019re trying to talk directly with them to find mutually agreeable solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The only alternative is to have the meter installed away from a home, but the homeowner will be billed for the additional cost, he said.<\/p>\n

Eva Lyman, a Celista senior, was told she would be put on a \u201cdelay list,\u201d but that doesn\u2019t satisfy her in the least. She has health sensitivities and is concerned about emission of electromagnetic radiation from the meters.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really tired of the lack of concern for people\u2019s health in this province and this country,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really just money, money, money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sharman said wattage from the devices is well below Canadian safety standards for maximum exposure. The radio frequency is outside of homes, directional and backed by a metal plate. People are already exposed to greater levels of EMR through cellphones and Wi-Fi, defenders say.<\/p>\n

Walter McGinnis, an electrician who has tested for EMR for 20 years, argues otherwise.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, there is absolutely conclusive evidence on health effects,\u201d said McGinnis, co-chairman of the EM Radiation Health Alliance of B.C. The group is not just protesting smart meters; they intend to mount a referendum campaign to have the legislation repealed and the program halted. There are no benefits to the public, only risks, he argues.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is so easy to criticize,\u201d McGinnis said. \u201cIt\u2019s like criticizing George W. Bush\u2019s foreign policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another B.C. action group, Citizens for Safe Technology, has asked the UBCM delegates at next week\u2019s annual meeting to support a provincewide moratorium on smart meters.<\/p>\n

Thiesen, meanwhile, hopes more concerned citizens will attend a Sept. 29 meeting. He can be reached atnobcsmartmeters@gmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.kamloopsnews.ca\/article\/20110922\/KAMLOOPS0101\/110929888\/-1\/kamloops\/homeowners-raise-protests-over-smart-meters<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Devices are safe, effective and will modernize grid, Hydro maintains SEPTEMBER 22, 2011 BY MIKE YOUDS DAILY NEWS STAFF REPORTER Smart meters don\u2019t qualify as a smart move as far as Brian Theissen is concerned. The new wireless electrical meters, to be installed in every Kamloops home starting in October, will enable two-way communication between […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,58,55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ami-smart-meter","category-bchydro","category-kamloops"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3634"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3637,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3634\/revisions\/3637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emrabc.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}