Mike and meter feature photoFortisBC has begun to “safely” exchange electricity meters with advanced meters in Oliver.

The process began at the beginning of this week, and is expected to be completed by the end of next week (May 29).

The Chronicle was invited to a photo opportunity this morning at an Oliver residence, during which an old analog meter was swapped out for the new advanced meter.

The process took less than 10 minutes.

Mike, a meter installer from an authorized contractor (Corix Utilities) first knocked on the residents door. No  one answered, and Mike proceeded to swap meters.

He removed the old meter, inspected the meter base for any safety issues, and then carefully installed the new meter.

The resident was left with information about the new meter.

Fortis BC Corporate communications advisor David Wylie was on hand for the exchange, and provided the following information for Oliver residents.

“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. 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 added 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.

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.

Dale Cory

Oliver Chronicle