Has anyone opted out?

[boomerang]

I notice that I happen to have one of those pesky smart meters just outside of my bedroom window. I am not a big fan of stray rf, especially microwaves.

I also notice from googling around that some power companies allow their customers to shuck their smart meters for a nominal monthly fee. I'm wondering if anyone here has done so or knows of someone who has.

Seems like a bill was recently introduced in the Texas legislature with the intent of giving consumers the right not to have a smart meter on their property. Alas, from what I can tell the measure has not passed.

 

[mike]

They have a lot of bad press thats for sure.

Id rather not have one myself

 

[Jeff Crowell]

Here in IN I've certainly opted out of the smart meter. My energy company started trying to get me to put one on about a year ago and I've never 'granted' permission. One of the so-called benefits is rationing power, such as during the summer and all. The numbers they provided me were higher than if I didn't go on their budget so, not that I know how they figure their payments but no way I was going to willingly subscribe to their little program anyway.

My 2 pennies.

J.

 

[RenaissanceLady]

Once upon a time here in BFE, excuse me, rural Colorado, there had been talk about giving us smart meters. My understanding was that if we "opted out", we'd have some fairly decent-sized charge along with a nominal monthly fee. I have no idea whatever happened with this plan or if it was ever truly considered. I can't even find where I had initially read about this or who did the post. During my search, I did find this article. The prices on it seem a little high to me (at least, I think we were being quoted about a $600 initial fee but I could be mistaken). As our area uses a rural mountain co-op for our electricity that I'm pretty sure was founded in the Stone Age, it's possible any "upgrades" we'll see are still years and years away. I can't even find anything about it on their site.

I hope the article helps. If all else fails, call your company to address your concerns and any options you might have.

 

[SlightlyAbovePar]

I wish I could (we can't)!! When smart meters were sold to the city council, they were billed as a cost savings. Can you believe that? Our power bill has gone up, by table napkin math, about 30%. I think the whole concept is creepy. I'd opt out in a heartbeat, if I could.

I think I remember reading a story about two moms being arrested over refusal to allow utility workers to install smart meters on their homes. The local sheriff deputies actually escorted the utility workers on to their property and arrested the mothers for blocking access to their electrical boxes. Insane.

 

[boomerang]

Objections to smart meters seem to fall into two general categories. I'm on board with both of them. The first and most obvious are questions about possible health effects. I don't for a second believe these have been adequately addressed. There seems to be a roughly 10 to 20 year lag in the introduction of "stuff"--food additives, pollutants, harmful pharmaceuticals--and the point when we are honestly informed of their dangers. (Oops! Sorry about all those trans-fats we've been selling you for decades) The other issue is less obvious but likewise insidious: one of privacy. Turns out it is possible to identify what kind of appliances are in use in your home based on sophisticated digital signal processing in smart meter chips, the designs of which, are a proprietary secret BTW. Smells like one more crack in the already thin wall surrounding what little privacy we have left. With yet to be realized health benefits to boot.

 

[williamjwhite]

Unfortunately, we already had one attached to the house when we moved in, and there is no law enabling us to opt out. We currently own the house, but when we moved in the house belonged to my wife's grandmother. She probably would have agreed to the meter, because she wouldn't have had any access to information critical of smart meters, she refused to ever get cable, never listened to the radio, had no internet access, and refused to ever use a computer. So, if she had been told that this somehow would reduce the electric bill, she would have completely agreed to it.

 

[pixelsmith]

I wish I could (we can't)!! When smart meters were sold to the city council, they were billed as a cost savings. Can you believe that? Our power bill has gone up, by table napkin math, about 30%. I think the whole concept is creepy. I'd opt out in a heartbeat, if I could.

I think I remember reading a story about two moms being arrested over refusal to allow utility workers to install smart meters on their homes. The local sheriff deputies actually escorted the utility workers on to their property and arrested the mothers for blocking access to their electrical boxes. Insane.

This activity of installing smart meters with the help of local authorities is just one small part of Agenda 21 creeping into our lives.

 

[GeoShift]

Creeping into our lives and just plain creepy.

 

[Randall]

I notice that I happen to have one of those pesky smart meters just outside of my bedroom window. I am not a big fan of stray rf, especially microwaves. I also notice from googling around that some power companies allow their customers to shuck their smart meters for a nominal monthly fee. I'm wondering if anyone here has done so or knows of someone who has. Seems like a bill was recently introduced in the Texas legislature with the intent of giving consumers the right not to have a smart meter on their property. Alas, from what I can tell the measure has not passed.

I'd love nothing more than to opt out, but the City of Calgary says if I don't get one of their stupid water smart meters they'll shut off my water. Worse still, if the installer screws up and my basement floods they refuse to take liability. Plus the gas company just snuck one of theirs in on the pretense of "routine meter maintenance', which is ironic because this lousy new one grinds and squeaks whereas the old one ran perfectly smooth. They'll install them outside and away from my house provided that I build a "meter shed" that is freeze proof and become liable for its maintenance. We've also got the luxury of fluoridated water and recently according to the news, there's been a big increase in allergy type symptoms and nosebleeds, which I'm sure have nothing to do with the huge chemtrails I've seen over the last few weeks. Instead they're calling the outbreak something new I've never heard of before ... get this one ... "melting snow syndrome". There's our tax dollars hard at work serving the community !

 

[boomerang]

Ufology, Sounds like you are catching it from all sides. Some Texas cities have bought into the fluoridated water scam, but thankfully not mine as of yet. I utterly fail to see how dumping chemicals into our drinking water can be justified on the grounds of preventing a few hypothetical tooth cavities. Since we don't have snow here, I presume cities would have to concoct some other reason for such shifting disease patterns. Armadillo droppings, maybe?

Below is a rather terse reply to an inquiry I made recently re the smart meter issue. Interesting to note that even if the provision to opt out passes, I would have to purchase an rf detector to verify the blasted thing has indeed stopped emitting.

"The transmission and distribution service provider (TDSP), which is **** in your area, collects the consumption data from the smart meter and securely transmits those readings to the your retail electric provider for billing. In other words, regardless of the retail electric provider you choose, the meter, which belongs to the TDSP, will continue to be on your premise.

Currently, the Public Utility Commission of Texas is developing a set of rules that would allow electric customers in competitive areas to opt out of the advanced metering technology. Since the gear-based meters are no longer available or in production, the proposed rule would allow the utility to turn off the radio inside the advanced meter. Additionally, customers who opt out of the advanced metering system will pay an upfront cost and an ongoing meter reading fee. Once finalized, the Commissioners plan to bring the rules up by July for adoption."

Well gee thanks. The best I can hope for is to pay extra $$ to rid my home of emf pollution and rely on their assurances it is gone.

 

[pixelsmith]

shut up and drink your 8 full glasses of water and eat your gmo food.

 

[Randall]

I think it would be possible to get the meters off your property if you simply closed your account with the utility company and then had an electrician disconnect the lines to your property and remove the meter. To my knowledge there's no law that says you have to buy electricity. Where you get your electricity after that is another story, and there are some places that require you distribute any electricity you do make out to the grid. But it may be possible to challenge that on a constitutional or charter or rights basis. All you need to be able to do this is enough money to build your own power supply and hire a team of lawyers ... no problem right?

 

[williamjwhite]

I think it would be possible to get the meters off your property if you simply closed your account with the utility company and then had an electrician disconnect the lines to your property and remove the meter. To my knowledge there's no law that says you have to buy electricity. Where you get your electricity after that is another story, and there are some places that require you distribute any electricity you do make out to the grid. But it may be possible to challenge that on a constitutional or charter or rights basis. All you need to be able to do this is enough money to build your own power supply and hire a team of lawyers ... no problem right?

Design a high-powered solar/gas-powered (or some, as of now, unknown alternative energy source) generator and tell the utility company to take their meter and shove it.

Or something like that.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

Man, you guys really worry about the craziest stuff. Don't worry about the radio waves!

Wi-Fi, Smart Meters, and Other Radio Bogeymen

 

[Randall]

Man, you guys really worry about the craziest stuff. Don't worry about the radio waves!
Wi-Fi, Smart Meters, and Other Radio Bogeymen

Yes I've read all that and the other side of the issue and talked with people about their own experiences as well, and I'm not convinced that the EM radiation soup we're all living in is as harmless as some studies make it out to be. Neither am I convinced it's as dangerous as some people make it out to be. What bothers me the most is not having a choice about whether or not I want 3 public utility/government radio transmitters inside my house. Regarding the radiation, there is a doctor up here who hosts a medical talk show. His name is Gabe Mirkin. He's a genuine MD and is noted for his skepticism of certain claims including more than one commentary on Quackwatch. One day he had a neurosurgeon on his show from LA and they got talking about EM radiation. The neurosurgeon admitted that although the various scientific studies suggest that there is no health risk, it was hard for him to be objective about it because he spends most of his days extracting tumors out of the side of people's heads that they use for talking on their cellular phones. Personally I don't care how anecdotal that is, it's good enough for me to put up a red flag.

Add to that that not all studies are as open and shut as you might think. Add to that not all the various factors have been considered, e.g. the way that the radiation is measured and the statistics spun ( see the video I posted ). Here's another anecdote for you to laugh at too. I used to work selling electronics ( including cell phones ) and a customer asked me about their safety and I mentioned the radio interview I spoke of above ( which ironically was sponsored by my lousy employer London Drugs ). He told me that he and his wife had retired and bought a motor home and went on a vacation down through the USA. They bought cell phones to keep in touch with home, and while he did most of the driving, his wife would spend time talking with the family back home. Inside of six months she was diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same side of her head she used the cell phone on. So if your so convinced it's that safe go ahead and plaster one to your head. Personally I don't own one and I won't put myself in a position where I have to have one.

 

[SlightlyAbovePar]

Man, you guys really worry about the craziest stuff. Don't worry about the radio waves!

Wi-Fi, Smart Meters, and Other Radio Bogeymen

I hear ya man, truly. For me, it's more of an issue around data collection and the eventual "smart thermostat). It a a few years, they are going to start installing smart thermostats into people's homes; where I live. That's a sticky widget for me. I understand the utility owns the wires, junction box and meter. All are located on the outside of the house and a provided by the city. However, the electrical wiring inside my house, and what I attach to it, is mine and my business one.

The smart thermostats, supposedly, allow the utility managers to change the temperature settings via "my" thermostat. The local utility has said they "probably won't" do such a thing. My response is its none of their dam business. I know some dont see this eye-to-eye with me. My personal feeling is that if I'm playing my utility bill, who's business is it what I set my AC to?

Just my two cents, nothing more.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

I am not plastering anything to my head. Just keep in mind that if you have wi-fi in your home, listen to the radio, watch TV, use a computer, etc, you're already using similar RF signals.

 

[Angel of Ioren]

I hear ya man, truly. For me, it's more of an issue around data collection and the eventual "smart thermostat). It a a few years, they are going to start installing smart thermostats into people's homes; where I live. That's a sticky widget for me. I understand the utility owns the wires, junction box and meter. All are located on the outside of the house and a provided by the city. However, the electrical wiring inside my house, and what I attach to it, is mine and my business one.

The smart thermostats, supposedly, allow the utility managers to change the temperature settings via "my" thermostat. The local utility has said they "probably won't" do such a thing. My response is its none of their dam business. I know some dont see this eye-to-eye with me. My personal feeling is that if I'm playing my utility bill, who's business is it what I set my AC to?

Just my two cents, nothing more.

That's a different issue and I can understand the reluctance towards that.

 

[Randall]

I notice that I happen to have one of those pesky smart meters just outside of my bedroom window. I am not a big fan of stray rf, especially microwaves.

I couldn't agree more. I think EM pollution is the modern day equivalent of lead pipes. But because it's invisible it's largely out of sight, out of mind. If it were made visible people we be shocked at the EM soup we're all swimming in. The transmitter owners know that keeping their towers out of sight lowers the discontent ... check this one out:

Or how about this: Balloon Mounted Cell Tower Mistaken for UFO

FAA may be concerned about cell tower in the sky May 30, 2009 MESA, AZ - Airport officials received a number of calls from Mesa residents during the early morning hours about a UFO over the airport as they witnessed a large balloon with blinking lights descend from the dark sky. Friday the airport was still in possession of the object. "The airport is concerned, and we're forwarding our incident report to the FAA to address that concern," said Brian Sexton, spokesman for the airport, regarding the incident that was first reported at 6:28 a.m. The UFO turned out to be what is being described as a cell tower in the sky. Space Data Corp. Chairman and CEO Jerry Knoblach said the individual units usually hover for about 24 hours at an altitude of 80,000 feet before they make their parachute-controlled descent back to earth. "Space Data operates a wireless network that marries weather balloon technology and the cell tower," he said of the picnic-basket-sized communication devices. "It's basically a cell tower in the sky, and the entire state of Arizona could be covered by one of them." Sexton said his issue was one of concern for safety involving the parachute dropping in the middle of a busy airport. Knoblach said the airport was a glitch and his company launches countless SkySites with little to no concern in the aviation community.

Source: [Noisebridge-discuss] cell towers flying on weather balloons