Some people have asked for the letter from Jack Buchanan stating Bill Bennett’s stance re “opting out” in its entirety. From: “Jack MEM Buchanan:EX” Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 Subject: BC Hydro Smart Meters Dear ,xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Your July 17, 2013 email addressed to Honourable Bill Bennett, Minister of Energy and Mines, regarding BC Hydro’s Smart Metering Program, has been forwarded to me for response. The Government of British Columbia has a vision to modernize our electricity system, just as jurisdictions around the world are doing. The replacement of obsolete mechanical meters with modern smart meters is a critical part of this transformation. BC Hydro expects smart meters to deliver significant savings which will be passed onto customers and will help keep rates affordable.Smart meters will also support a more efficient and reliable electrical grid, with advantages such as: automated, real-time notification of power outages so repair crews can be dispatched straight to the problem and restore electricity service faster; lower operating costs by shifting power within the power grid to where it is needed most; and simplified requirements when a customer moves so that crews do not have to go to a customer’s home to read the meter or turn the power on or off when opening or closing accounts. Recently, Minister Bennett announced that BC Hydro customers who do not yet have a smart meter will now have three choices: choose a standard meter at no cost; accept a digital meter with the radio off; or keep their old analog meter until its seal expires, it stops working or they choose to move. Customers who choose a radio-off meter or keep their old meter will have to pay cost-recovery fees. These fees will cover the cost of the additional infrastructure needed so that the smart grid can operate around the non-communicating meters as well as the cost of maintaining the old system. The British Columbia Utilities Commission will review these fees to ensure they are appropriate and are only recovering those additional costs. These options are designed to find an appropriate balance between addressing the concerns raised by people who have put their meter installation on hold while ensuring that the majority of customers who have a standard smart meter will not be paying for those who select an opt-out option. You can read more about these options on BC Hydro’s website at bchydro/meterchoices. [- bchydro/energy-in-bc/projects/smart_metering_infrastructure_program/smart_meter_installation/installation_preparation/meter-choice.html?WT.mc_id=rd_meterchoice] Customers who do not currently have a smart meter will receive a letter from BC Hydro explaining their choices and the associated costs. These customers will need to return the enrolment form to BC Hydro indicating which meter option they choose. Customers who do not indicate a choice by December 1, 2013, will not have their meter exchanged by BC Hydro and will have the costs of keeping their existing meter added to their bill. The radio technology used by BC Hydro’s new meters is common in our everyday lives and has been used safely for decades. Within most neighbourhoods, common sources of continuous radio frequency include FM radio, television and cell phone signals. British Columbia’s Provincial Health Officer and Health Canada have confirmed that the new meters pose no known health risk or reason for concern. You can review a statement on smart meters, prepared at the request of Dr. Perry Kendall, Provincial Health Officer, at health.gov.bc.ca/pho/issues.html. [- health.gov.bc.ca/pho/SmartMeter-and-Cancer.html] Additionally, BC Hydro’s meters have been independently tested. The results show the meters’ signal strength is less than 50 percent of the strictest standards in the world, which are the precautionary limits set by Switzerland for schools and hospitals. You can read more about these tests on BC Hydro’s website at bchydro/smartmeter_safety. [- bchydro/energy-in-bc/projects/smart_metering_infrastructure_program/faqs/radio_frequency.html?WT.mc_id=rd_smartmeters_safety] The safety of workers, contractors and the public are BC Hydro’s highest priorities. Although radio frequency fields vary depending on the technology used, the radio frequency exposure from wireless electricity meters is very low. The components of a smart meter will emit radio frequency signals much lower than many commonplace household appliances. When considering risks associated with radio frequency, there are three things to consider: strength, duration and distance. Strength: BC Hydro’s smart meters communicate using a very low power signal – less than 2 microwatts/cm2 when standing 20 centimetres from the meter – which is 50 percent less than the strictest standards in the world. Duration: Smart meters transmit an average total of a minute a day. Distance: Smart meters are located outside of the home. At a distance of 3 feet, the power signal is 0.07 microwatts/cm2 which is one ten-thousandth of the federal health and safety standard governing exposure to radio frequency and electromagnetic fields. BC Hydro’s business case for smart meter upgrades does not include any use of smart meters to send non-usage information. If you would like additional information, BC Hydro’s business case for the smart meter upgrades is available at bchydro/content/dam/BCHydro/customer-portal/documents/projects/smart-metering/smi-program-business-case.pdf. More information on the terms and conditions of your service from BC Hydro can be found in their tariff at: https://bchydro/content/dam/BCHydro/customer-portal/documents/corporate/tariff-filings/electric-tariff/00-bchydro-electric-tariff.pdf. Should you have further questions or comments, I recommend you contact BC Hydro directly at 1-800-224-9376 or smartmeters@bchydro. Thank you for writing. Sincerely, Jack Buchanan Senior Economist, Generation and Regulatory Electricity and Alternative Energy Division Ministry of Energy and Mines
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:56:22 +0000
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