Dive Summary:
- Chris King, the chief regulatory officer at eMeter, writes at Electric Light & Power about recent smart meter concerns, recommending opt-out policies with associated costs passed on to customers as the best solution for utilities.
- King states that fewer than 1% of customers tend to opt out and that since health dangers are not proven, opt-out fees are justified.
- He also looks at a comparison of relative power density levels from smart meter radio emissions versus those of other common sources, including microwaves and cell phones, and points out that smart meters rank low on the list of devices.
From the article:
"... Utilities and customers widely agree that smart meters provide important customer benefits and lay the foundation for increasingly more benefits. The best approach to address the few customers with smart meter concerns—despite that evidence does not support those concerns—is to offer opt-out programs, with the associated costs borne by customers who exercise that option. With no evidence to support smart meter fears, it is time for the general public to begin benefiting from this technology. ..."
