Some customers are opposed to smart meters

Feb 06 - The Ledger


A lot of people may not even know about smart meters, the new devices installed by Lakeland Electric that allow people to monitor their electrical usage in real time.

But Treasa Towson and Joe Messoras are fully aware of the meters.

And they're both outraged about planned installations this summer.

At one point, Towson, who is concerned about excess radiation from the meter, padlocked her power box to prevent installation. She removed the padlock earlier this month but recently sent a letter to the utility, telling officials they do not have authorization to put a smart meter on her property.

"I have never requested a Smart Meter and do not want one installed on my property," she wrote to an official at Lakeland Electric.

Like Towson, Messoras, who lives in South Lakeland, said he plans to write a letter to Lakeland Electric General Manager Jim Stanfield requesting that the meters not be installed.

He said they are an invasion of privacy.

A note in red letters on his analog meter reads, "Do Not Install Smart Meter."

"Big Brother is going to be getting in your house and can tell when you're not home," Messoras said.

Towson, Messoras and a small but vocal group of Lakeland Electric customers are requesting an opt-out program from the smart meters.

OBAMA'S SMART GRID

In 2009, President Barack Obama's administration announced the recipients of a $3.4 billion grant for smart grid work throughout the country.

Lakeland Electric was one of 100 utilities in the country to receive stimulus funds. The utility received a $13 million grant for the project and $22 million came from utility bonds for the project.

In 2010, city commissioners voted 4-3 to move forward with smart meters. Mayor Gow Fields and commissioners Edie Yates, Phillip Walker and Howard Wiggs voted yes. Commissioners Don Selvage, Glenn Higgins and Justin Troller voted no. Lakeland Electric workers have installed smart meters in about 65,000 homes. There are about 120,000 customers at Lakeland Electric.

The average customer will pay an extra 25 cents per month for the next 20 years for smart meters.

Kevin Cook, a spokesman with the city, said there are no plans for an opt-out program.

Once a smart meter is installed, officials will remove it if requested but customers will not have any power at their homes.

Cook said analog meters will be a thing of the past in a few years.

"LE (Lakeland Electric) is committed to providing reliable power at the best possible rates," Cook said. "It makes little business sense to implement a smart system with a handful of manual meters."

The devices allow customers to log in online and monitor their electrical usage. Cook said the devices will be especially helpful during the summer during power outages. Currently, a Lakeland Electric truck searches a line for the outage. The smart meters are able to pinpoint any outage, Cook said.

"There is a cost savings with receiving that information electronically," Cook said. "It will reduce manpower."

Over time, the utility will save hundreds of thousands of dollars as meter readers retire and the utility does not need to fill the positions.

Cook also said the meters, which are installed where your old meter was, are safe.

"Research indicates that a person using a laptop computer is exposed to more than double the radio frequency than a person standing within a foot of a typical smart meter," Cook wrote in an email. "In fact, a person standing close to a microwave is exposed to 550 times more radio frequency than a person standing within one foot of a smart meter."

One of the most important benefits of the use of the meters is to take advantage of time-of-use rates, which enable customers to pay less during off-peak hours.

Previously, time-of-use customers were required to install use special meters and spend $84 per year.

While Lakeland Electric has no plans for an opt-out program, other utilities around the nation have.

Florida Power & Light officials said they do have some customers opting-out of smart meters.

The state's largest utility plans to replace all of its 4.5 million customers' meters with smart meters by 2014. So far, it has installed meters in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Marie Bertot, a spokeswoman with FPL, said a small number of customers have received inaccurate information about smart meters.

"In a very small number of instances, for customers who remain concerned, we have put a hold on the installation of the smart meter while we evaluate their concerns and work to determine the best long-term solution," Bertot said.

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in California offered an opt-out program in 2011 after a backlash to the program. That company charges customers an upfront fee of $270 and a $14 monthly charge to keep meter reader service.

Maine's state regulators approved an opt-out plan for residents last year.

Customers who want to keep their existing meters would pay $40 upfront and $12 a month, according to The Portland Press Herald.

Earlier this month, Nevada Energy approved an opt-out program for a fee of $110 for an initial visit and $14.86 a month for the meter reader to visit the home or business, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Selvage said last week that he assumes utility officials will make a presentation to city commissioners in the coming weeks about how they plan to deal with customers who don't want smart meters.

He said there could be logistical problems for the utility if only a small number of customers want to opt out.

New City Commissioner Keith Merritt said the meters are more efficient and have several benefits.

He said an opt-out program may be possible for some customers because water consumption must still be recorded by a city employee. So those who choose to opt-out could have their analong meters read by an employee looking at the water meter, Merritt said.

"It might be that is a viable option," Merritt said.

Statewide, there are no requirements for an opt-out program, said Public Counsel J.R. Kelly, the state's advocate for utility customers.

Kelly said he's heard complaints from customers but said he's not aware of any scientific evidence that shows the meters are dangerous.

TEA PARTY OPPOSITION

Towson, a member of the Tea Party, and other Tea Party members in Lakeland are concerned about privacy issues, and they say the meters are dangerous and a waste of money.

Both locally and nationally, many of those opposed to smart meters are in the Tea Party. The staunch conservatives say it's a breach of privacy to install the meters that can monitor electrical usage. Mark LaMons, president of the Lakeland Tea Party, said an opt-out program should be offered.

He said the utility will have a collection of data that shows what kind of appliances he has in his home. That information could eventually be used by a marketing company. "What does one do with all that information No. 1, and No. 2, who do you think would want that knowledge of your personal life?", LaMons said in an email.

For example, LaMons said if he stays up late, runs the dishwasher, watches television and uses the microwave then manufacturers of those appliances may be interested to have that information.

"They know I have the TV on," LaMons said. "Sounds like custom-made commercial time."

Cook, the city spokesman, said the meters can't detect what appliances are used.

He said the utility collects usage information only for billing.

"What it does offer the customer is the ability for them to monitor their usage," Cook said. "A customer can view through a web portal the amount of energy being consumed and they can monitor behavior by turning off lights or appliances.

"We only collect data from the meter, not inside the home," Cook said.

Opposition runs outside the Tea Party.

Messoras, who lives off Shepherd Road, said he's a Democrat angry that a big utility is telling him what to do.

"I just don't like getting something shoved down my throat," Messoras said. "This is not Nazi Germany."

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