Smart Meters - Public Service Commission

9/23/12 Smart Meter Fires and Explosions | EMF Safety Network
hand to check the meter base for heat. (You don’t want to suffer burns on your palms or fingers.)
Some of these installations of so called “smart meters”have resulted in fires almost immediately, or in a matter of months.
There should be no heat! If there is, it could indicate a poor connection between the “lugs” of the base and the ”stabs”of the
meter.
A fire potential!
Jennie says:
August 20, 2012 at 5:31 pm
I had a really difficult day, the other day.
I woke up. The sun was shining. Life was good. I was heading out to take my dog for a walk, and I bumped into a nice PG&E
man. We both spooked each other.
He told me that they were getting a “hot meter” alert from my “smart meter”. Heard about those? They are new meters that
are internet connected, and speak both to your appliances, and to the head office. Sounds spooky, huh?
Anyhow, he took the meter off, and the clips that I own with the house, were melting and were a fire hazard. Key word: The
part “I own”.
So, in all good faith, he couldn’t walk away from my home, knowing that it was a fire danger, until “I” got it fixed! He put a
jumper on it, so that I had at least 110 power, (but no 220) and left. He took my meter with him, so that I had to get it fixed.
Good day: OVER.
I called my preferred electrician, and then realized I have First American Home insurance. So, I called them. They said, “Yes,
it was a covered expense”, and they were sending out their electrician to fix it. The electrician they sent out had a bad
reputation on Angie’s list.
Well, they couldn’t come till Tuesday.
It is a fire hazard, and they can’t come till Tuesday??? It was Friday! It is 100 degrees out, and I have no electricity!? So, my
insurance called until they found someone that could do it, today.
RWE came out, (they had a better reputation on Angie’s list, too!) and ordered the parts, and fixed it, (this, about 5 PM) and
called PGE to shut down my main power on the street, and wait till it was fixed, to turn it back on. I had 5 large PGE trucks in
front of my house! Yikes!
In the meantime, I found out that PGE had previously installed THREE (count em!) smart meters into my home, since Feb
2010 and all had failed. In March 2010, the house was not occupied. I bought the home in July of 2011.
All three “smart meters” had given out “hot socket” alarms and one had actually melted, and they had come out to change
each one, without notifying anyone. Somehow, though, this fourth one is my fault?! I’m a little weird-ed out by this. I also
found out that these smart meters are starting fires in homes, by doing the very same thing, this one did. I don’t know if it’s
due to installing smart meters into older equipment, or what? But, I found some interesting links about them.
People aren’t liking them at all. It’s kind of a 1984 “big brother” thing.
Anyhow, when all was said and done, after the insurance company said they’d pay for it, well, the electrician called to make
the claim and they ended up denying it! So, I paid $720.00 on my VISA for something I’m not thinking is my doing! Do you
even know how long this will take for me to pay off? Wah. I’m a single disabled woman, and I live from paycheck to
paycheck.
I mean, why, when the meter was giving out hot signals, did PG&E not tell me and instead, replace it three times…. but then
not the fourth time? I have on record from Portland General that they replaced it once due to it being melted, once giving out
a not socket alarm, and once again a hot socket alarm.
Why were my meter clips OK until they installed one of these new meters? Why did the insurance company say they’d pay
for it, and then not? Do they do that, sometimes? Did they look up this problem like I did, and find the problems with these
meters?
I’m new at this whole home ownership thing, but I think I’m going to be doing some research.
Thing is, I don’t feel safe, even now, after having this thing get hot, melt, and then melt the clips. Is it going to happen again?
While I’m out of town, or in town? What’s worse?
I don’t know, but I’m sure interested in doing something about all of this.
Jen
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