According to information circulated around the media a Smart Meter deal has been made by BC Hydro. It has been stated that 60,000 people have not accepted the Smart Meter installation.
It has been a dictatory program that has proceeded without being debated in the legislature. If people in general had a say in the installation of this meter there would be many more thousands of people wanting to keep their analog meter.
This billion dollar project is a complete failure because many reports of health problems have gone unnoticed. Doctors and scientists are lobbying for safer standards because the adverse health effects will be cumulative (only a small percentage of the population develop immediate symptons).Energy Minister Bill Bennett is not paying attention to the fact that BC Hydro does not have to make a presence to BCUC. Any suggestion from him that people should “take the deal” is ill-informed and discriminatory. It is only a gesture and not a solution, as it discriminates against those who cannot afford to pay exorbitant rates many citizens are receiving.
The facts are clear. These meters are unproven. The renowned and respected American Academy of Environmental medicine has called for a moratorium on their installation. They have not contributed to energy or cost savings in any jurisdiction where they have been installed.
Anthropologist Margaret Mead has stated “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that has.” Rights of minorities must be protected, or we can no longer function as a democracy. No one should have to pay for freedom of choice in our domestic environment. We still have civil rights that must be respected – the freedom to live safe and secure in our homes without interference, intrusion or trespass.
Ted Dever
Sooke