VANCOUVER — The last 2,500 smart-meter holdouts across B.C. might soon be out of options.
As the seals on the remaining “legacy” electrical meters have expired, B.C. Hydro is requiring residents who rejected installation of a smart meter in the past to switch to a “radio-off” smart meter or face having their power disconnected.
The utility company began contacting customers in August to inform them of their limited choices, issuing about 350 “final notices of disconnect” across the province, according to B.C. Hydro. So far, staff have conducted about a dozen disconnections out of more than two million accounts.
The old meters, which were usually reverified and resealed every two to 10 years, must now be removed from service when their Measurement Canada accuracy seals expire, as B.C. Hydro no longer stocks or services them.
Many of the 60,000 B.C. Hydro customers who initially rejected installation of a smart meter when the utility company moved from electromagnetic meters to smart meters in 2013 have given up the fight, but a committed group of about 2,500 holdouts remain — and some aren’t planning to give in.
A Surrey couple has filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal alleging discrimination based on physical disability, saying the utility company’s threat to disconnect the power has compromised their health and safety.
Cheryl Shewchuk and Daryle Hanson said B.C. Hydro installed a smart meter at their home without their permission, disregarding a “No Trespassing” sign posted on the existing meter.
Shewchuk said she was sick in bed on the morning of Oct. 2 when she heard a knock at the door. She was unable to answer and later discovered the house’s electrical meter had been replaced with a smart meter.
“As far as I’m concerned, they stole our meter,” she said Thursday.
Shewchuk said her husband is a double-amputee and has several disabilities, including diabetes. He has also undergone a kidney transplant. The couple is concerned about the safety of wireless technology and the radiation it emits. They’re also wary of the “radio-off” smart meter, which doesn’t send a radio signal.
The meter installed at the couple’s house is a radio-off smart meter, which will result in a $20 monthly fee because it must be manually read by a B.C. Hydro employee. Previously, they paid $32 per month to keep a legacy meter.
