FortisBC is preparing to “safely” exchange electricity meters with advanced meters next month.
The utility recently notified its customers in the South Okanagan about the exchange slated to begin in mid-May.
Corporate communications advisor David Wylie said a meter installer from an authorized contractor (Corix Utilities) will knock on residents’ doors on the day of the exchange.
“There will be a brief power outage during the exchange, so we’ll make sure our customers have a chance to turn off any electronics.”
For example, some residents may want to save their work and turn off their computer.
The installer will then remove the old meter, inspect the meter base for any safety issues, and then carefully install the new meter.
Residents will be left with information about the new meter.
Once the exchange project is complete, the meters will make benefits available to customers, including new billing options and the ability to view more timely information about their electricity use. This will help them better understand and manage their electricity bills, Wylie said.
He stated that advanced meters operate well within Health Canada’s radio frequency exposure guidelines. And Health Canada has concluded that “exposure to RF energy from smart meters does not pose a public health risk.”
Wylie acknowledged that some customers have concerns, so FortisBC is offering a radio-off option. This option allows customers to choose an advanced meter with the wireless transmissions disabled.
Rather than billing radio-off customers based on electricity use information sent wirelessly to FortisBC, a meter reader will read the meter manually.
There are fees for this option, which have been approved by the BC Utilities Commission to ensure the financial benefits of advanced meters are not diminished for the majority of customers due to the cost of providing this option.
The fees are: A one-time per-premise fee of $60, which recovers the administrative and infrastructure cost associated with a radio-off meter. (This is $88 for those who select this option after meter exchanges have begun in the region.)
The other fee is a per-read fee of $18, which is usually every other month.
Customers can choose a radio-off meter by calling 1-866-436-7847.
Wylie said modernizing the electricity grid with wireless meters makes it less costly for FortisBC to deliver electricity to customers by reducing theft and reducing meter reading costs.
Utilities throughout North America have been challenged with finding ways to continue providing safe and reliable electricity service at the lowest reasonable cost, while maintaining and upgrading the electricity grid to keep up with rising demand.
“With more than 50 million advanced meters now installed in North America, utilities have turned to these modern meters as a cost-effective and beneficial step in that direction,” Wylie said.
Despite ForticBC’s assurances, many people still don’t trust advanced meters.
Dr. Malcolm Paterson, a world-renowned cancer researcher in the Okanagan, says electromagnetic radiation is a “sleeping giant” and he worries about the indiscriminate spread of wireless technologies.
Paterson has been giving talks on the harmful effects of electromagnetic fields, including the concern about advanced meters.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
