Smart MetersShould We All Just

Opt Out?

by David Sheldon

Outline of Talk

Overview Illness Caused By Radio Frequencies Illness Caused by “Dirty Electricity” The Privacy Issue DTE’s New Opt-Out Plan What Can We Do? The McMillin Bill

Appearance of Smart Meter No longer has the

familiar big wheel or the clock dials.

Has an electronic digital display that flashes different numbers in sequence.

Functions of Smart Meter Can measure and store, or transmit,

usage information in intervals of an hour or less, enabling the utility to see your usage broken down, in some cases, to the exact time of day.

Uses radio waves, or a hard wired internet connection for real-time transmission of the data to the utility.

smart meter functions continued:

Uses two way communication so that the utility can send signals to the meter as well as receive signals from the meter.

Often has the ability to turn service on or off remotely – when a bill has not been paid, or at time of move-in or move-out.

smart meter functions continued:

Acts as a gateway for communication by the electric utility to and from individual appliances within the home – once the home has installed the next generation of appliances that will contain ‘smart chips’.

Is All This Data Collection Really Necessary?

It reveals information to the utility, and possibly others, about your lifestyle and heretofore private activities within the home.

Let us examine the arguments of the utilities to see if they really need all this data.

Why do utilities say they need smart meters? To encourage customers to conserve

energy AND to shift some of their energy demand to off-peak times of day.

Conservation to be encouraged by providing customers the ability to see their energy usage by the hour thru an internet display or in real time on a home monitor.

Do Smart Meters Really Conserve Energy?

NO – Only the customer can do that by making changes in lifestyle.

No study to date has shown real evidence that customers change their behavior because a smart meter was installed.

But let’s say there is a way to make these incentives work. Does that mean we need ‘smart

meters’? NO – All that would be needed is

dual register meters that accumulate peak time usage in one register and off peak usage in the other register.

Dual Register Electric Meter

Utility would send signal to meter during time of peak demand to turn on the

peak usage counter.

Why else do utilities say they need all this data?

To eliminate the cost of meter readers.

But there are systems in use by other utilities called “AMR” systems, which automatically transmit monthly reads to a drive by vehicle, only once/month.

Are smart meters necessary to promptly report power outages?

Utilities want to be alerted to power outages and be able to dispatch service personnel quickly to correct these.

All that would be needed is a radio signal (battery powered) transmitted ONLY when there is an outage!

Who Pays for Smart Meters?

We all do – through our federal taxes and through the extra costs that will be passed on to us through our monthly utility bills.

Why are Smart Meters so controversial? Invasion of privacy – our Fourth

Amendment rights are being violated. Health – electro-sensitive people

become sick almost immediately. Health – entire population at risk long

term for cancer and neurological illness.

Canary in Mine???

Why controversial – cont. Damage to household appliances –

reports of refrigerators burning out, expensive high end stereo equipment being destroyed.

Making entire electrical grid as vulnerable to hackers and terrorists as the internet already is.

Risk of house fires.

Pattern of Smart Meter Emission

Note that radiation is only slightly less out the back side of meter into home or business.

Smart Grid Traits

The meters communicate with the utility using wireless radio frequency radiation (RFR)

They use pulsed waves (as much as 2 times per second), not continuous waves.

Each brief transmission reaches high intensity peaks.

The peaks are usually averaged over 30 minutes, hiding the peak energy levels.

Peak vs Average Power Density

Peak Pulse Intensity vs Avg Exposure

50 millisecond long pulse can have 1 watt peak pulse intensity but the average power level is in the micro-watt range.

It is the average power that would cause heating of tissue, but it is the peak intensity that causes biological effects!

Why it is (falsely) claimed to be safe

Meets FCC guidelines Said to be less exposure than from a

cellphone or other common devices Only transmitting 1% to 2% of time

FCC Guidelines

To protect a 6 ft 200 lb male from thermal effect (heating of tissue)

Emissions averaged over 30 min. Protection from one device only, (not

from cumulative exposure to many devices)

Protection from a single acute exposure (not 24/7 exposure)

FCC Guideline – No protection from:

Non thermal biologic effects Pulsed signal vs continuous wave The peak energy level of pulses Cumulative exposure from all

sources.

FCC guideline – No provisions for:

Children Elderly Pregnant women A nightime recovery period

Cell phone vs. Smart Meter

Same or similar RF frequency Utilities say smart meter radiation is

much less than cell phones Daniel Hirsch, nuclear physicist, says,

with apples to apples comparison, smart meter emits 100 times more than cell phone

World Health Organization

WHO in May 2012 issued a report classifying the radiation from cell phones and smart meters as a possible carcinogen

WHO in 2001 had issued a report classifying Extra Low Frequencies as a possible carcinogen

Effect of Pulsed Microwaves

Breach the protective blood/brain barrier Effect neuro transmitters Effect testosterone levels Can decrease sperm production Effect natural rhythym of brain Can effect heart rate and heart rate

variability

Links to original reports:

michiganstopsmartmeters.com

stopsmartmeters.org

Recap Part 2 – Radio Frequency

FCC regulations do NOT protect against all effects Low radio frequencies can interfere with cell

communication Resident’s exposure is much higher than admitted RFR is a ‘toxic accumulant’, i.e. effects of exposure

build up over time Wireless microwave is NOT acceptable for the

smart grid

Power Quality or“Dirty Electricity”

The green line is a pure 60 cycle current on your house wiring. The jagged red lines represent high frequency pulses.

Most Common Complaints From “Dirty Electricity”

Cognitive Functions – concentration, memory, behavior, etc.

Other Studies – sleep disruption, headache, depression, discomfort, irritability, nausea, visual disorders, cardiovascular problems, respiratory problems, nervousness, agitation.

All these are related to electricalchanges in the brain.

What Causes “Dirty Electricity”?

A device called a “switched mode power supply” is primary culprit.

All “smart meters” and “digital” electronic meters contain this type of power supply. The type of power supply that does not cause “dirty electricity” is too expensive, too bulky and too heavy for use in a meter.

Part 3 –Threat to Privacy

How ‘smart’ meters threaten both our privacy and our freedom to lead our lives as we choose.

Why is Privacy Important?

The freedom to lead our lives depends on our being able to establish areas of our lives that are not monitored and controlled by others.

If our employer can pry into all our daily living habits, it may turn out that we have to conform to the employer’s dictates in order to hold on to our jobs.

If an insurance company can pry into all our daily living habits, it may turn out that we are denied insurance unless we live according to its dictates.

If our government can pry into all our daily living habits, it may turn out that every aspect of our personal lives can be regulated and controlled.

Privacy Assault – Phase One

The installation of a ‘smart’ electric, gas or water meter on your home

All 3 types of meters reveal information about your private life.

The electric ‘smart meter’ reveals the most and is also a kind of ‘gateway drug’, leading to still further intrusion when you are forced to buy ‘smart appliances’.

Data Revealed - ‘Smart’ Meter Alone

Once a ‘smart’ electrical meter is installed on your home, even before there are any smart appliances in the home, much information about your daily activities will be revealed to the utility company – and to anyone who can buy (or hack into) the data the meter generates.

Each Appliance Has Unique ‘Signature’

Amount of current draw Duration of current draw Startup or ‘inrush’ current Whether current drawn is in step with

applied voltage or lags behind (‘power factor’)

Whether there is a regular pattern of on and off cycles.

One Minute Intervals With Appliance ID

Utility Can Change Recording Interval

Most utilities now say electric usage will be recorded separately for each hour. These readings will be stored in meter’s memory and may be transmitted less often than hourly.

The ‘smart’ meters are remotely programmable.

The utility can change the recording interval times by remote control at ANY time, with or without notice to homeowner.

Software to Automate Data Extraction

In California, utilities already have permission to sell smart meter data to 3rd party marketing companies.

Software is already on the market that will transform a raw data graph into usable information about lifestyle, habits, kinds of appliances being used, etc.

A battle is already in progress about who controls all this data.

Who Would Want This Information? Insurance Companies Employers Marketing Companies Police

Privacy Assault – Phase Two

‘Smart’ appliances will give the utility the power to turn off individual appliances in your home.

The utilities are saying these programs will be ‘voluntary’ (for now anyway)

Soon you will not be able to buy any appliance that is not ‘smart’.

Federal Privacy Guidelines NOT Being Followed

The National Institute for Standards & Technology (N.I.S.T.), a federal agency, formed a working group to study and recommend appropriate standards for protecting people’s privacy within a smart grid system.  This group issued a report in August 2010.

Key recommendation of N.I.S.T.

“Choice and Consent. An organization should clearly, fully, and accurately describe the choices available to individuals, and to the extent practicable, obtain explicit approval for the collection and use of their personal information. Consumers should have the option to forgo data collection and services that are not related to the core services provided by the organization.”

Recap Part 3 – Privacy Issues

When a utility tells you all they are measuring is your total electric consumption, that is not true

Utilities want to capture the details of your daily life because this is a commodity they can sell

Federal N.I.S.T. recommendations on privacy are not being followed

Where else are these meters being installed?

DTE’s “Opt-Out” Plan You agree to have a “non-

transmitting” smart meter installed on your home.

You agree to pay $67 up front and $9.80/month indefinitely or until DTE gets a rate increase next year.

You don’t get any relief from the privacy invasion. The non-transmitting meter is still a smart meter and has the memory capacity to store all your detailed electrical usage for upload to a hand held device carried by the monthly meter reader.

You eliminate the direct RF radiation from your own meter but not from neighbor’s meters.

You still may get sick or develop long run health problems from the “dirty electricity” that this meter puts on your home wiring.

When you visit health care practitioners you may become ill from the RF in their offices, since they cannot “opt-out”.

You don’t get any relief from the privacy invasion. The non-transmitting meter is still a smart meter and has the memory capacity to store all your detailed electrical usage for upload to a hand held device carried by the monthly meter reader.

What To Do?

Do NOT sign up for the “Opt-Out Plan”. To do so would constitute consent for smart meter installation.

Inform utility, by certified letter, that you DO NOT CONSENT to the installation of a ‘smart’ meter on your home, whether it is radio transmitting or not.

Post a sign on or next to your meter to inform the installer that you DO NOT CONSENT to such installation.

Lock your meter housing if possible.

If meter already installed, demand its removal, and consider self help if your demand for removal is not honored.

If DTE starts adding opt-out fees to your bill, pay them “under protest”.

Let your state legislative representatives know how you feel about this issue.

If your rep holds a “town hall”, this would be good opportunity to speak out.

Ask your local government to pass a resolution:

Supporting the right of all utility customers to opt-out of smart meters without paying an “opt-out fee”

Supporting the right of opt-out customers to keep or get back their analog meter.

Extending these protections to at least small business and professional offices

The McMillin Bill House Bill 4315

A proposed law to defend the rights of utility customers not to be forced to accept a harmful meter or to pay a fee to avoid getting one.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

A UTILITY SHALL NOT DO ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

(A) MAKE UTILITY SERVICE TO A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER CONTINGENT ON THE INSTALLATION OF AN ADVANCED METER OR USE OF AN ADVANCED METER FUNCTION.

(B) OFFER OR PROVIDE A RATE DISCOUNT, METER PRICE DISCOUNT, REBATE, BONUS, OR OTHER INCENTIVE TO A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER FOR REQUESTING OR ACCEPTING THE INSTALLATION OF AN ADVANCED METER OR USE OF AN ADVANCED METER FUNCTION.

(C) IMPOSE ANY DISINCENTIVE ON A RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER FOR NOT REQUESTING OR ACCEPTING THE INSTALLATION OF AN ADVANCED METER OR USE OF AN ADVANCED METER FUNCTION.

(D) CONDUCT A COMMUNITY INSTALLATION PROGRAM DURING A MORATORIUM ON A COMMUNITY INSTALLATION PROGRAM ADOPTED BY RESOLUTION OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE LOCAL UNIT OF GOVERNMENT.

(E) INSTALL AN ADVANCED METER AT A RESIDENCE UNLESS THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER HAS EXPRESSLY REQUESTED AN ADVANCED METER OR, AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE THE INSTALLATION, THE UTILITY NOTIFIED THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER OF THE UTILITY'S INTENTION TO INSTALL AN ADVANCED METER AND THE CUSTOMER HAS NOT OPTED OUT.

Michigan State Rep Tom McMillin, representing the Rochester area, introduced this bill with 7 Republican co-sponsors in January. The bill has been assigned to the House Energy and Technology Committee, chaired by Rep Nesbitt.

We would like this House Committee to agree to ‘take up’ this bill for consideration, so that hearings will take place where evidence may be offered in support. So far no date has been set when the bill might be considered. A similar bill languished in this committee all of 2012 with no action.

We now need to make this happen! END

The End