Question:

Some friends of mine received a notice by mail that the power company is going to install a “smart meter.” After doing a few quick Web searches, it seems there may be some legitimate concerns surrounding health and privacy. What do you think of these smart meters and smart meter blockers?

Answer:

This one is a bit of a powder keg. There are lots of ways to look at it, but here are two basic points of view: one from Joe Grow and one from the power company.

For Joe Grow

Once it’s live, the smart meter may record and track every electrical movement that the power company or an authorized outside party wants it to. It may relay what kind of appliance was turned on, when and for how long. A history is created with which Joe Grow can track his power usage more accurately than ever before.

For the Power Company

If your concerns are serious and local laws permit, you can lock your analog meter to prevent its removal.

Resources are dwindling and populations are growing along with demand from expanding industry. The more precisely the utility company can track usage, the more precisely it can predict how much power it needs to generate at a specific time of day (and how much extra it can produce and sell at a profit to other utility companies). If any irregularities in power supply or consumption are noted, they can be investigated instantaneously. This is useful for restoring power after an outage.

Detailed records of consumer electricity usage can also give a lot of demographic and even personal information, creating a very valuable database.

Just Saying No?

In some instances, those who object to having smart meters installed for privacy or health concerns are able to opt-out of the program. You can do this by mailing your regional electric company. There are templates available on the Web to help assist concerned customers with this process.

Lock or Block

If your concerns are serious and local laws permit, you can lock your analog meter to prevent its removal. Note that your meter must be visible and accessible for the power company. If it’s too late and a smart meter has already been installed, the signal can be blocked, helping to minimize concerns over radiation and violation of privacy.

Fight for Your Right

There are usually at least two sides to every story, but the bottom line is if you feel something is endangering your health or privacy and proof cannot be provided to the contrary, it is your duty and right to refuse until more information is made available or until reasonable concerns are met. Talk to your neighbors and see how they feel too. In some instances, entire complexes or blocks have refused.

Joe Grow

Pros: Joe Grow can have his power restored faster, with no plants sitting in the dark unnecessarily.

Cons: Joe Grow is under unauthorized surveillance — friendly or not. The power company and potentially outside parties, can determine when Joe is home, what his habits are, what his comings-and-goings look like, etc. Unauthorized viewing of this information in the wrong hands could potentially bring harm.

POWER COMPANY

Pros: The power company can better forecast energy trends and use with increasing population and industrial growth with diminishing resources. Billing is efficient and accurate.

Cons: The power company is open to lawsuits from customers for privacy violations and, according to some information, potential legal action resulting from levels of radiation that reportedly emit from some smart meters, thus endangering the health of the occupants. Battles with unions, if applicable, may also result due to perceived threats to job security. No meter readers are required with smart meters.

© Copyright RosebudMag.com, 2012