Utilities are finding that the number of customers definitely opting out of smart-meter programs shrinks as the companies move through the process. There are a few possible  explanations for the change of heart.

In Pacific Gas & Electric's 5 million-customer territory, about 15,000 users have opted to reject smart meters out of 92,000 who initially asked for a delay. Some of that might be because regulators said the opt-out customers had to have analog meters rather than smart meters with their radios disabled, making customers more confident that there was no physical way to capture their usage data.

Another explanation offered by observers is that people simply want a choice, not a decision made for them. Sometimes people simply need more information and will opt into smart programs once they understand them.