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<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">To put it bluntly Martin,
you apparently know nothing about PG&E or its history with
these 'smart' meters (which have been causing huge rate spikes for
some of the customers that have them installed. Frankly you don't
know what you are talking about.<br>
<br>
PG&E is using its 'smart' meters to raise rates both to
individual customers, and by using them as an excuse for a general
rate increase to cover the costs of the meters (even though they
are going to save PG&E money).<br>
<br>
And the way that PG&E is rolling out these meters is causing
them to exceed federal limits for radiation exposure to customers.
So the radiation concern is real and based on current science and
standards.<br>
<br>
Eric B<br>
</font><br>
On 3/25/2011 10:45 AM, Martin Zehr wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:BAY147-w598C3A43D82BAF8A08D265F8B90@phx.gbl"
type="cite">
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This is simply fear mongering. At a time when San Francisco Greens
should be demanding monitoring of radiation from japan they are
working to undermine valid science and technology that would
empower efforts at conservation of electricity. You follow the
ignorant instead of leading the aware.<br>
<br>
<div> </div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<hr id="stopSpelling">Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 10:03:44 -0700<br>
From: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:brookse32@aim.com">brookse32@aim.com</a><br>
CC: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:sustainability@sfgreens.org">sustainability@sfgreens.org</a>; <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:active@sfgreens.org">active@sfgreens.org</a><br>
Subject: Re: [Sustain] [SFGP-A] PG&E: Hundreds Of Dollars Per
Customer To Opt Out Of Smart Meters<br>
<br>
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<font face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif">Not if it gives people
higher cancer risk and raises their bills because PG&E as a
private corporation is gaming the meters to jack up rates.
PG&E has no intention whatsoever of using these meters to
lower electricity use; and it will do everything in its power to
obfuscate their use for that purpose (making them bad for
conservation goals).<br>
<br>
If the meters were hooked into a more environmentally and health
safe fiber optic system and run by the city instead of the
corporation, -then- smart meters would be good and effective.
Until we get PG&E out of the picture, its smart meters will
be a bad thing.<br>
<br>
And the best way to reduce electricity use,<br>
<br>
is to use less electricity...<br>
</font><br>
On 3/25/2011 8:17 AM, Martin Zehr wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:BAY147-w613A0B3AEE16ECCF6519A5F8B90@phx.gbl">
This is such nonsense. We need to support measures for accurate
and timely monitoring and measurement if we really want to
reduce electricity use. <br>
<br>
<div> </div>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:18:29 -0700<br>
From: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="ecxmoz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:brookse32@aim.com">brookse32@aim.com</a><br>
To: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="ecxmoz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:active@sfgreens.org">active@sfgreens.org</a>; <a
moz-do-not-send="true" class="ecxmoz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:sustainability@sfgreens.org">sustainability@sfgreens.org</a><br>
Subject: [SFGP-A] PG&E: Hundreds Of Dollars Per Customer To
Opt Out Of Smart Meters<br>
<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.baycitizen.org/pge/story/pges-plan-smartmeters-opt-out-pay/"
target="_blank">http://www.baycitizen.org/pge/story/pges-plan-smartmeters-opt-out-pay/</a><br>
Thursday, March 24, 2011<br>
<h1>PG&E's SmartMeter Plan: Opt Out, Pay a Premium</h1>
Customers who choose to turn off radio signals could pay as much
as $270 up front plus $14 a month<br>
By: <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.baycitizen.org/profiles/john-upton/"
target="_blank">John Upton</a><br>
<br>
Pacific Gas and Electric Company plans to charge customers
hundreds of dollars on top of their regular gas and electricity
bills if they choose to switch off radio signals emitted by
SmartMeters, which are being installed in businesses and homes
throughout Northern California.<br>
SmartMeters are being installed by PG&E as part of an
industry-led effort to replace the nation's aging electrical
infrastructure with digital equipment that can track and manage
customers' energy consumption. Already, PG&E has replaced
7.7 million analog electricity and gas meters with the new
devices.<br>
Following years of public outcry about rollout of the meters,
which some customers say have caused serious illnesses and
incorrect energy consumption readings, the California Public
Utilities Commission earlier this month <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.baycitizen.org/pge/story/pge-customers-can-now-opt-out/"
target="_blank">ordered PG&E to allow customers to opt out</a>
of using the technology. <br>
PG&E submitted a proposal to the CPUC Thursday that, instead
of allowing customers to continue using analog meters, would see
radio signals switched off from their SmartMeters. The
SmartMeters would continue to monitor a customers' energy use,
but they would not transmit the results to PG&E through
radio signals. Instead, a PG&E official would visit the
customers' home to manually read the meter for billing purposes.<br>
Customers who select the “radio-off” option would pay a $135
up-front fee followed by a $20 monthly charge, or a $270
up-front fee followed by a $14 monthly charge, PG&E
proposed. Low-income customers would pay 20 percent less.<br>
Instead of the fixed monthly fee, customers could choose to pay
a monthly rate that varies with the amount of gas and
electricity that they use. That option could be less expensive
for customers who use little electricity or gas.<strong></strong><br>
PG&E justified the seemingly high rates by saying that its
anticipated costs in deploying the “radio-off” option for an
expected 146,000 opt-out customers would exceed $80 million over
two years.<br>
"We wanted to make sure that those who elected that option would
bear the costs associated with that option, as opposed to the
rest of our customers," PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith said.<br>
The opt-out program costs will include expenses associated with
turning customers’ SmartMeter radios off; switching radios back
on if customers change their mind or new tenants move into the
premises<strong></strong>; modifying PG&E’s existing
SmartMeter-related information technology programs and radio
networks; and communicating with customers about alternatives to
the opt-out option, PG&E told the CPUC in <a
moz-do-not-send="true" href="http://bayc.it/dDpY/"
target="_blank">the proposal</a>.<br>
Consumer advocates, meanwhile, characterized the rates as just
another cash grab by a malevolent corporate monopoly.<br>
“I’m definitely going to ask for the data to support their
forecasts for how much it’s going to cost to do all this stuff,”
said Marcel Hawiger, energy attorney for The Utility Reform
Network, a consumer watchdog.<br>
Hawiger said that PG&E should give its customers the option
of reading their own meters instead of paying PG&E a monthly
fee. Some customers with dogs and fences already read their own
meters, he said, suggesting that program be expanded.<br>
Public hearings will be held in the coming months to discuss the
proposal, and a CPUC ruling on PG&E's proposed opt-out
pricing system is expected by mid-September.<br>
<br>
<br>
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