I live in NYS.
I have it on very good authority that meter readers in our neck of the woods are reporting that people are never at home for readings.
Two problems. Many were at home. And have the security cam footage to show that the meter readers were never there..
What those meter readers were in fact doing, who the heck knows.
Complaints to both the utility and the legislature have gone ignored.
Smart readers serve a dual purpose.
And neither are good news for customers.
Smart meters mean one thing....total control of your energy use.
our rural electric co-op uses meters that can be read remotely
we don’t have meter readers
too many folks with locked ranch gates
Same here. Most meter readers they hire are DEI and can barely do basic addition. I own rental property and have had SEVERAL bad reads, “mix ups” at the office where they reversed the meter numbers on a duplex, etc.
One of my (leftist) tenants decided to “fight” the local utility company by not paying and lost. They had their utilities cut off (a lease violation). Wanted me to feel sorry for them (I don’t).
In general, since 1/20/21, electric/gas bills have doubled. Not so much per KWH or units of gas, but via “delivery charges” and “service fees” to pay for others who can’t or won’t pay.