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Posted on 08/07/2013 10:01:28 AM PDT by RedMDer
Residents who want to opt out of smart meter installation could be charged a monthly fee for their choice, if BGE and other utilities are able make their case convincingly to state regulators Tuesday.
BGE is proposing both a one-time fee of $100 and a monthly fee ranging from $15 to $87, while Pepco is proposing a one-time fee ranging from $71 to $105 and monthly fees ranging from $30 to $35, according to The Baltimore Sun.
(Excerpt) Read more at bowie.patch.com ...
BGE says smart meters save money since they do not need to be read in person. They argue that the proposed fees for customers choosing to opt out are necessary to recoup the cost of sending technicians out to read meters, reports the Sun.
Maryland Smart Meter Awareness told the Sun that these fees are “unreasonably high.”
They have to populate that database in Utah with something, after all.
Have they informed Caliph Baraq about the job destroying potential of smart meters?
I know he was worried about ATMs....
Utilities long ago subcontracted meter reading to firms using minimum wage employees and no benefits.
Takes about five seconds to read a meter. Once per month, equals a minute at minimum wage (about 13 cents here). I’d be willing to pay that.
This is Maryland, they slip a few bucks in O’Malleys and Millers pockets and they will get their fee’s all right.
Don't worry the Public Service Commission will resolve this to protect the consumer /sarc.
They want to penalize the nonconformers.
So your meter needs to be read once per month. A good meter reader can read what, 20-30 meters an hour. So lets go the low end 20 X $35.00 = $710.00 dollars per hour in up-charges.
Does that sound about right? Man, I may be in the wrong line of work...
And if we’re talking thirty meters at $87.00, one of the fee levels mentioned, that’s 30 x $87.00 = $2610.00 an hour. That’s a fair amount of pocket change from those who wish to opt out.
I would submit an additional $2.00 per month would more than cover any employment issues. They’re not going to pay this person more than $20.00 an hour to check meters. $2.00 x 20 account per hour, $40.00. That’s enough.
This is punitive. You won’t play ball with us, we’ll screw you to the full extent of the law. WRONG!
Exactly!
Thanks RedMDer...
In the Era of Baraq, that's an aspirational career job and MUST be able to feed a "family of four".
Talked to a guy who worked for one of these outfits. He quit and took a part-time gig at Kmart. I asked him why, he said they sent him out to shut off some guy’s water for bill nonpayment, and he was shot at. Not worth it for minimum wage.
LOL!
I would be wary of any installation that would give the utility company or some government agency control over my heating or cooling.
They already did that in my town — $75 non-installation fee and then $10 a month. Called the local office and was informed that the $10-a-month charge would “very likely” go up in the near future.
That is outrageous!
I guess that we are not allowed to go off grid to say the heck with them.
Smart meters are just another way to track us dummies.
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