I scared away the guy that came to put in a water dept. “smart meter” at our house this spring. I happened to have bronchitis at the time and worked up a crazy coughing fit while telling the fellow that my Dr. warned that I couldn’t have such a device in my home. I was hacking and wheezing and saying all the while that I had been warned the thing would interfere with my “medical devices”.
I have no medical devices. Yet.
Anyway he flew to the front door and stumbled all over his equipment trying to get away from the flu bug he thought I had. I kept telling him he couldn’t catch what I had. He looked at me like I was a potential murderer. It was funny.
A different guy showed up the next time, and told me that the first one had CUT THE LINE TO THE EXISTING METER on the outside of the house. He said that’s what they were doing, then they call and say there is a problem with your meter and it needs to be changed. That’s how they are doing it around here.
Sneak up to your house, cut your line, tell you it’s the meter and they have to “estimate” your bill until the thing is “fixed”. Then the guy shows up and installs the smart meter without telling you that’s what he’s doing. Guy #2 fixed the cut wire and started up my old meter.