Pacific Gas and Electric has developed an opt-out option for energy customers who don't want the controversial radio-emitting SmartMeters used at their residences—and it's going to cost them.
In a press release released March 24, PG&E laid out the CPUC-ordered opt-out: for between $135 and $270 the utility will disconnect the wireless part of the meter; for between $14 and $20 per month a technician will come out to read the meter, as they've done for decades.
SmartMeters employ radio-frequency technology that monitors household usage digitally and sends the information to PG&E. Critics have said people shouldn't be forced into being exposed to the low-level radiation emitted by the meters; they've also questioned the possibility of improper use of the information collected by PG&E—a charge that gained credence last year when SmartMeter officials were caught spying on anti-SmartMeter Internet chatrooms and disguising their identities to gain information about SmartMeter protests.
In a press release released March 24, PG&E laid out the CPUC-ordered opt-out: for between $135 and $270 the utility will disconnect the wireless part of the meter; for between $14 and $20 per month a technician will come out to read the meter, as they've done for decades.
SmartMeters employ radio-frequency technology that monitors household usage digitally and sends the information to PG&E. Critics have said people shouldn't be forced into being exposed to the low-level radiation emitted by the meters; they've also questioned the possibility of improper use of the information collected by PG&E—a charge that gained credence last year when SmartMeter officials were caught spying on anti-SmartMeter Internet chatrooms and disguising their identities to gain information about SmartMeter protests.
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