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.
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!
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.
Smart meters are just another way to track us dummies.
Gouge the senior citizens!
I do not understand why the power companies cannot install the smart meter away from the house, maybe out by the street, to appease those who do not want them installed? Charge a one-time fee to the user for this option.
Bull. We don't have a technician fee now.
Maryland "Freak State" PING!
If you live in a home that predates 1960 you may have problems with the install itself. They went through five meters before they sent an installer who knew what he was doing. I also spent a considerable amount of money having my electrician come out and prove to them it was the meter not the electric inside the house. This went on for a week.
Some of the older meters have junction tabs that have to be lined up, and you can’t just knock the meter in place assuming it will work. The electricity would then arc and burn out the tabs that weren’t line up on the new meter, so I only had half the power coming into my home. Basically, the reg meter install guys, are not electricians and merely technicians... who really don’t know how to deal with older equipment.