Smart Meters are about improving the delivery of electricity and upgrading British Columbia’s 50-year-old infrastructure, said BC Hydro representative Fiona Taylor in Merritt last week.
Taylor, who is the deputy project officer for Hydro’s Smart Meter Program expounded the benefits of the program at a recent Merritt and District Chamber of Commerce meeting, Nov. 21, and fielded questions from the chamber members.
During the meeting, Taylor explained that with a need for an estimated 40 per cent more electricity over the next 20 years BC Hydro needs to modernize the grid to meet the growing demand.
“In terms of local economic development and economic sustainability, frankly, our current grid is not able to support that,” she said.
Taylor also spoke about the benefits of an electricity system that allows a two-way flow of information. For one thing, she said that the meter would be able to report disconnections allowing Hydro to pinpoint power outages faster.
“Currently we don’t know when your power is out – you have to call us, and then the crews have to drive up and down the line until they find out where it broke,” said Taylor.
On the other hand, a smart meter is capable of sending a signal back to Hydro reporting the outage, which means crews can restore power faster, she said, adding that this is a big deal for out of the way cities.
Smart meters are also able to provide more information that will help crews detect electrical theft before damage occurs, which will improve safety for communities, first responders and field crews, she said.
“We are not a law enforcement agency,” said Taylor. “However, our job is to develop electricity, which is inherently dangerous, and safely and securely deliver it to customers.”
Taylor described the enhanced grid as adding two million eyes and ears to the electrical system to gather information for Hydro to use. However, she said that while many people have concerns about privacy issues, Hydro still has no idea what customers are using electricity for once it flows into their home, only how much they are using.
Still, the image prompted chamber member Tod Dean to suggest that the idea sounded much like George Orwell’s novel 1984, though Taylor assured him it was not very “Orwellian.”
While Taylor’s presentation focused more on the benefits of smart meters than the concerns that opposition groups have been raising, she did address safety concerns and reiterated BC Hydro’s stance that radio frequency exposure from the wireless meters is not harmful.
“This is not radiation, which is at the upper end of the electromagnetic spectrum,” she clarified. “This is radio-frequency, which is at the lower end of the spectrum.”
Taylor said that holding a smart meter 20 centimetres away from your head for 20 years would be equivalent to a 30-minute cell phone call. She also assured those present that the wireless smart meters had been tested by the Centre for Disease Control and “passed with flying colours.”
Following Taylor’s formal presentation, chamber members had the chance to ask questions and give her feedback. Rob Miller, general manager of Community Futures Nicola Valley, suggested addressing the top five public concerns during the presentation.
“Public perception is not reality, but it is everything,” he said. “This doesn’t really give me information on those concerns.”
Business owner Darrell Brooks asked Taylor whether or not BC Hydro is going to offer any secondary options to customers opposed to installing a smart meter on their property. She replied that there would not be any other options.
“[Smart meters] are a part of our infrastructure and they are how we are going deliver energy,” she said. “You can’t meter shop.”
Taylor did say that customers can choose to relocate the meter base away from the their house. She also responded to concerns about rates saying that time of use rates (where using electricity during peak hours would cost more) are not being implemented at this time.
