The City of Prince George is not taking a position on smart meters, despite a request by a delegation of residents.
Citizens for Safe Technology spokesperson Marina Jang called on city council to support a moratorium on installing the meters until third-party studies confirm they are safe. Smart meters monitor electrical consumption and communicate that information using wireless signals.
“Smart meters have been installed in several U.S. states and Ontario. Multiple problems have occurred, regardless of the jurisdiction or brand of meter,” Jang said.
“I think there needs to be a review of third-party studies. The information is out there, it just need to be gathered.”
Approximately 20 people came out to support Jang and 100 had signed a petition presented to city council.
Jang said there are anecdotal reports of health effects seen when the meters are installed: plants dying near the meters and fires caused by faulty installation of the smart meters.
“I have concerns for the elderly, they seem more vulnerable,” she said. “And people with young children right close to the smart meter.”
There are also concerns about privacy and the security of the information collected and broadcast by the meters, she said.
“Wireless technology is notoriously unsecure,” Jang said.
If a hacker was able to access the electricity consumption information, they may be able to determine when residents are home to plan break-ins, she said.
Fires in the U.S. and Australia have been linked to the metres, she said.
Council reactions
The city has no authority to dictate policy to B.C. Hydro or the provincial government, Mayor Dan Rogers said.
“No matter what we decide, we have no jurisdiction in this,” Rogers said. “Our role would be limited to expressing concerns on behalf of our residents.”
Coun. Murry Krause said the Union of B.C. Municipalities will be hosting an information session on smart meters at its annual general meeting in September. In addition, a motion is being brought before the members to support a moratorium on the meters.
Councillors Garth Frizzell and Dave Wilbur expressed doubts about the information against the meters
“I’m going to try and keep an open mind, but ... the material I’ve read does not support what you’re requesting,” Wilbur said.
The ability of smart meters to detect electricity theft, possibly deterring or detecting marijuana grow operations, is a “big carrot for a municipality,” he said
“I see smart meters as a potential tool in that regard.”
Hydro response
Approximately 40,000 smart meters are slated for Prince George by the end of 2012. As of Friday, 2,990 smart meters had been installed in the city and over 15,000 across the province.
Last week B.C. Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer told the Citizen that contractor Corix Utilities will not install a smart meter in a home if the residents inform B.C. Hydro they do not want it. In those cases, a representative from B.C. Hydro will call the client and try to resolve any concerns the resident has, Gammer said.
The meters comply with the strictest electromagnetic radiation standards in the world, Gammer said. The Swiss standard for hospitals, schools and other sensitive areas is 4.5 microwatts of electromagnetic radiation per square centimetre.
At 20 centimetres away from a Itron OpenWay metre, the maximum radiation has been tested at two microwatts per square centimeter, Gammer said.
“At 20 centimetres, eight inches, the radiation is less than half of the strictest standard in the world,” Gammer said. “[And] the signal is only output for an average of a minute a day - four or six transmissions.”
At three metres from the smart metre the radiation drops to 0.005 microwatts per square centimetre.
The radiation emitted by a smart meter over its 20-year lifetime is about equivalent to a 30-minute cell phone call, he added.
The information collected by the metres will be used to provide customers with more information about their power usage. Through a web site, customers will be able to monitor their power consumption online.
The meters will also make it easier to detect power theft. B.C. Hydro projects up to $732 million in power theft, primarily by marijuana grow operations, could be prevented by the smart meters.
For more on B.C. Hydro’s smart meter program, go online to www.bchydro.com or call 1-800- BCHYDRO (1-800-224-9376).
