Just Say No to Big Brother 'Smart' Meters

Many Americans have not yet heard of the "SmartMeters" that are being installed at a rapid pace across the states of California, Texas, and other states across our nation. Many Americans are totally unaware that someone has already installed a meter or will soon be showing up at their home, and, without knocking, or asking permission, will remove their old analog meter and replace it with a new “SmartMeter."

Why the rapid pace and secrecy in installing the meters? Is it because the utility companies know that the majority of Americans would never allow for such a thing if they really knew more about these new meters, their harmful health effects, their inaccurate and often inflated billing, and the “big brother” control they will have over our use of energy and our own appliances in our own homes.

What is a SmartMeter? It is one that contains RF (radio frequency) so that it can be remotely controlled and read. No longer will a meter reader have to come to your home to read the meter. It will all be done remotely. When all is in place, the smartmeter will not only keep track of how much electricity you are using, but it will be able to control, regulate, and ration your use of that electricity. If "big brother" decides that you are using too much heat in the winter time, or too much air conditioning in the summer time, or using too much hot water in your showers or washing machine (even if you are willing to pay for that extra usage), that use of power will be automatically turned down. A future goal is to have - by 2012 - all appliances replaced with those containing RF so that the smartmeter can speak to your appliances and turn them off in peak hours - for even more regulations and controls.

To most Americans, this is a little too much “big brother” snooping into our private lives and trying to control every aspect of them. They never would allow such a thing to happen and would say no, but most Americans are not even asked. The installation is happening without their knowledge. Supposedly when it is done, a sign is hung on the front doorknob informing the homeowner of the switch to a smartmeter, but in many cases, no sign was left. The homeowner had no idea until he just happened to notice a new, different looking meter, or his energy rates suddenly start changing, often much higher.

Why the Rise in Energy Rates with the SmartMeter? One of the propaganda ads about the SmartMeter was that this will be a way to save energy and lower costs, but many who already have the meter are finding out that is not the case. A man called to find out why his rates had gone up and was told that now that the meter could read exactly what time of the day that he was washing his clothes or using his air conditioner, PG&E could determine if that was “peak time” or not, and since it was “peak time” then he would have to pay “peak premium rates.” If he wanted to save money then he could wash his clothes in the middle of the night or use his other appliances at that time, or his air conditioner then (when he really didn’t need it anymore because the temperature is cooler). Many other people have reported dramatic increases in their rates, not decreases. As of March 2010, six hundred complaints had been received by PG&E in Northern California because of their faulty rates. (http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/San-Francisco-Moves-To-Stop-SmartMeters-96618524.html)

Health Risks: People who are doing their own research on SmartMeters are finding out that not only is this an invasion of their privacy and property, their energy rates are increasing, but there is an enormous health risk with so much exposure to electromagnetic/radioactive waves. We already are being bombarded with them through our use microwave ovens, computers, cell phones, remote control phones, and many other remote-control devises, that with the SmartMeters, more and more RF waves will be permeating our homes. There are documented reports of the effects these waves are having on people’s health, such as: loss of memory, dizziness, nausea, headaches, migraines, muscle spasms, insomnia, and even cancer.

How high is the amount of radio frequency coming from the meters? The RF is in a dangerous range, between 2.4GHz [GigaHertz] and 5.8Ghz. This corresponds to the electrical signals frequency used to produce radio waves. The worldwide digital wireless communications network is based upon these RF waves. RF has both an electric and magnetic components both of which can cause damage. The fact that it is pulsed radiation waves going into your home every 2-6 seconds is also worrisome.

How many meters have already been installed? At the time of this update, December 2011, some ten million have been installed in Northern California alone by PG&E. Southern California Edison's goal was to have 8 million installed this year. Who knows how many more have been installed in other parts of the country? It is hard to find out the actual number. Now that so much opposition is mounting, the numbers are becoming more hidden.

A report back in July of 2009 stated that 8.3 million had already been installed across the nation. (“Greentechgrid," http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/8.3m-smart-meters-andcounting-in-united-states.) It is shocking for many of us to find out that the SmartMeters started being deployed back in 2006, with hardly anyone in our nation knowing about them.

Who are really behind the SmartMeters and are they mandatory? In California, we are told by PG&E that it is being mandated by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC). (It is probably the same in other states, but their PUC maybe goes by a different name.) However, it is really “supposedly” being mandated across the nation by the federal government, and stimulus money is providing the funding. As you will read later in this chapter, the law asking for smart meters and a smart grid, Energy Policy Act or 2005, only mandates the utilities to "offer" the meters and to install them "upon customer request.” The choice is still supposed to be ours!

Smart Meters are not just in the United States: According to a report from Europe, by the end of 2008, 39 million units had already been installed. Obviously, they are much farther along than the Unites States. (http://berginsight.com/ReportPDF/ProductSheet/bi-sm6-ps.pdf.) By doing more research, one finds out that smart meters are part of “smart growth” or “sustainable development” or “Agenda 21,” a plan devised by the United Nations in 1992, and “symbolically” signed by President Bush Sr. and signed into law and implemented by President Bill Clinton by executive order # 12852 in 1993. The ultimate goal of Agenda 21 and its various programs is to exercise more and more control over our lives and property using the excuse of “saving the environment or saving the planet.” (The last chapter goes into the connection of the SmartMeter program to Agenda 21 in greater detail.)

Is it too late to say No to Smart Meters? The installers in Northern California are coming from the Wellington Energy company, who are working for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). They were told to tell any property owners who object and refuse the smart meters that they have no choice. It is mandatory. The people either need to allow them to install them now or will have to pay more for the service when the installer has to return, or they will have no electricity. People who are uninformed give in and allow it to happen. As has been mentioned, the law states that you, the customer, are to have a choice.

What can you do? You, the property owner, have every right to object. This is your property. Your tax dollars are paying for the stimulus money that is providing the funding. Your monthly payment to PG&E, or whoever is your energy provider, pays for their providing you with their energy service. Legally, to say no and to have the installer honor your objection, you must have an official notice signed by you, the property owner (or the tenant) hanging over the meter stating your objection. If you have both an electric meter and gas that PG&E services, hang a sign over both meters. Mine is laminated so it is better protected against rain. A large version is shown after this article that you can copy and hang over your meter) It states:

My personal experience – the sign works: On October 20, 2010, I just happened to be on the phone talking to my good friend, Deborah Tavares, who has been very much involved with her husband fighting the smart meter battle and who had spoken for our Sonoma County Eagle Forum meeting on October 19. With her help I had written a resolution against the SmartMeter for our Sonoma County Republican Central Committee meeting to be presented that night. I had the resolution in hand ready to take to the printer to be copied off, and in the other hand, I had the phone as I was talking to Deborah. I walked out to the garage to get in my car, and lo and behold, whom did I see but a young man dressed in a Wellington uniform and standing next to his Wellington Energy truck. I said to him, “I know who you are. You’re here to install a SmartMeter, aren’t you?” He looked surprised and said, “Yes, could you tell me how to get to your meter?”

I showed the young man where our meter was, but that there was no access to it. It was on the side of our garage, surrounded by a fence, surrounded by our two dogs. There was no gate to the fence. The dogs go in and out through a doggy door inside the fenced off area. I added, “Do you see the sign hanging above it. It reads that I refuse to allow you to install a SmartMeter. Legally, you cannot install a meter where you see such a letter posted, is that correct?” He said, “Yes, that is correct.”

As he turned to go, he noticed the paper in my hand that had written at the top, “Resolution against Installation of SmartMeters.” He said, “I can see from your paper you feel very strongly about this.” I told him that is correct, that I was determined to fight it in every way I can, and hopefully our Republican Central Committee would join me in the battle.

As he was leaving, I asked him if he was going to all of my neighbors and he said yes. I told him I don’t think any of them would want a SmartMeter installed, but he said that he had already done it for three of them. As soon as he had left, I called as many of my neighbors as I could and warned them that he was coming, but he didn’t show up. He probably thought that is exactly what I would do.

The Battle is not Over: Even if you have had a SmartMeter installed, don’t give up. Join in the battle and warn your neighbors and friends about it. As you will read later in this book there are now many cities and counties (and more pending) in Northern California where the city councils have come out with either city or county ordinances or moratoriums against the SmartMeter.

Talk to your neighbors, whether they are Republican, Democrat, or somewhere in between. No one should want their privacy and property rights invaded. Everyone should be concerned about the health issues.

People are told that once the SmartMeter is installed, there is no going back to the old meter. Why is that? If there is enough stimulus money for this silly venture, there is certainly enough money to pay to bring back and install the old meters.

As long as there are pockets of protestors, the federal government, utility commissions, and energy providers cannot implement their total “SmartMeter” program. This is still America. We are not a soviet-style dictatorship yet. We still have property rights, but we won’t much longer if we all roll over, play dead, and let people talk us out of those rights. Don’t be intimidated by their threats of higher costs to you, the lone person protesting, or that sooner or later you will have to give in - that it is mandatory for all people. That is not true.

Some people are actually hiring electricians and having them take off the smart meter and install an old analog meter. Dr. Bill Diegle told about doing this on his radio program September 26, 2011. Perhaps, because he has a national show and 5 million people listening, he is too high profile to try to do anything to him. As long as analog meters are available and there is no law passed against it, perhaps that is something you, the reader, might consider doing.

For more information, signs to use in your neighborhood and letters to share with your neighbors, go to www.refusesmartmeter.com. You can also help circulate this article, and other information from this booklet and the following sign and resolution that I presented to the Sonoma County Republican Central Committee, which they unanimously passed.