Flyers in Janesville oppose meter transmission

By ANN MARIE AMES   Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011
ADVERTISEMENT
 

PhotoVideo


Programming a smart meter.

Programming a smart meter.

— If you are one of the Janesville residents finding pamphlets on your porch opposing “smart” utility meters, be warned that your options are limited.

The black and white, four-page pamphlets are showing up under doormats and in mailboxes and newspaper boxes.

The pamphlets accuse utilities of using the new meters to monitor the way residents use energy.

That’s not possible, said Steve Schultz, spokesman for Alliant Energy.

The meters measure only the total amount of natural gas or electricity used in the home each month, he said.

Transmitters in the new meters improve the efficiency of data collection, Schultz said.

He was surprised to learn about the pamphlets being distributed in Janesville.

The pamphlets encourage residents to “just say NO to smart utility meters,” some of which use radio waves to transmit meter readings to utility companies. They replace the meters with dials that required utility employees to walk neighborhoods for readings.

The pamphlets also encourage residents to contact legislators and ask them to sponsor legislation to ban the meters. The pamphlets include form letters for people who want to opt out of smart meter installation.

For many local energy consumers, it’s too late for the latter. All Alliant Energy customers in Wisconsin have the meters. They were installed in Rock County in 2009, Schultz said.

The transition was smooth, and customers have not shared a large number of concerns, Schultz said.

“We say (the change was) positive because we haven’t had any negative feedback,” Schultz said.

Barb Uebelacker, spokeswoman for Rock Energy Cooperative, said Tuesday she wasn’t of the pamphlets being distributed.

Rock Energy Cooperative started installing remote energy meters 12 years ago, she said. In Wisconsin, where the cooperative sells electricity, the meters transmit data to the cooperative office via electrical wires rather than radio waves, Uebelacker said.

Meters in Illinois use radio waves to transmit data, she said.

Not every Rock Energy Cooperative customer has the remote energy meters, Uebelacker said. The utility replaces the old, manual readers when necessary, she said.

The only information the electronic meters transmit is total energy usage from each home for billing purposes, Uebelacker said. They do not record how the energy is used in the home.

“We really haven’t had any members express concerns,” Uebelacker said.

In Walworth County, We Energies uses meters that transmit data through radio waves, spokesman Rick White said. However, the meters do not transmit to a fixed site. Technicians drive through neighborhoods to collect data, White said.

The meters have been in place for about five years, he said.

The pamphlets encourage readers to contact the Wisconsin Coalition Against Smart Meters for more information.

The Gazette was unable to reach a representative of the Wisconsin Coalition to Ban Smart Meters. According to the pamphlet, the meters increase utility costs and are health hazards. The coalition considers the meters a way for utility companies and the government to invade customer privacy.

“Smart meters are just one small part of a larger scheme the government has in store for us,” the pamphlets read.

reader COMMENTS
Click here to view reader comments
(55)
SusanReed
Apr 2, 2012 at 9:05 p.m.
Suggest removal

Alliant Energy does not have smart meters in Iowa or Minnesota for the most part. So why not let people opt out in WI? The radiofrequency radiation is involuntary and not worth the risk to people's families. SInce this article, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a halt to smart meter use due to public health risks over time. Wake up, Wisconsin. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReliT1aMT...

charylzehfus
Nov 8, 2011 at 9:40 a.m.
Suggest removal

P.S. For those of you who say we already are surrounded by microwave radiation from other sources like cell masts, wimax, wifi, etc. you are correct. But since when do two wrongs make a right? Exposure is cumulative, so people who tolerated the onslaught to this point can fall ill when the INVOLUNTARY exposure from a smart meter is added in.

BTW, everyone being exposed has the risks of biological effects. Just because you are not "electro-sensitive" does not mean your health cannot suffer. http://stopsmartmeters.org/

charylzehfus
Nov 8, 2011 at 9:20 a.m.
Suggest removal

I have some questions for Alliant Energy, WE Energies and Rock Energy Coop:

*Why do your meters transmit multiple times per day if you only take a reading once a month with NO OTHER GOALS?

*Why are you lying about the plan for smart meters to link up to smart appliances and numerous other networks in the future, which is clearly the vision, according to this recent workshop sponsored by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin:

http://wpui.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/...

and this industry article that admits smart meters are just a piece of the whole plan:

http://firstdonoharmblog.blogspot.com/20...

*WHO will have access to the data you collect remotely? WHO is responsible for keeping it safe from hackers? Will you sell that information at any point?

*Did you disclose the potential health effects of having a radiofrequency radiation device sending bursts of energy through people's home and bodies 24/7 - so they might realize some new health conditions or symptoms could be related? (Thousands of studies and consumer reports nationwide indicate harm IS possible.) If not, might this explain the small number of complaints you claim to have had?

Eksreigh
Nov 5, 2011 at 6:03 p.m.
Suggest removal

Technically, these meters can’t “monitor what you’re doing” inside your house. But they can report your electricity usage more than once per month. They could conceivably take and transmit a meter reading every hour on the hour, or even every five minutes. This data could possibly reveal when you are at home, when you are away, and what appliances you are operating. (“Mr. Jones, you say you returned home that night at 10 p.m., but these electricity readings show you didn’t turn any lights on until 2 a.m.”)
.
I see some misleading information in the article. Steve Schultz says “the meters measure only the total amount of natural gas or electricity used in the home each month.” Barb Uebelacker goes a little further, saying “the only information the electronic meters transmit is total energy usage from each home for billing purposes.” Yes, the meters measure total usage, but neither spokesperson mentions that the total energy used can also be measured hundreds of times throughout the day, which is how the utilities can offer better unit pricing during periods of low demand and charge more during periods of high demand.
.
This article (http://turn.org/article.php?id=1481) reports that a major incentive for utility companies is that smart meters help them track down theft. They know how much power they are providing a given area and if all the individual meters in that area don’t add up to the same number, something isn’t being measured. They can also use the data to report abnormal electricity usage patterns to the authorities, who then check for clandestine marijuana “grow rooms.”

nicksmom
Nov 5, 2011 at 11:44 a.m.
Suggest removal

Just curious, is there anything you people in Janesville don't complain about?

golfgal
Nov 4, 2011 at 1:43 p.m.
Suggest removal

As a former Alliant meter reader I felt the need to chime in here. Yes these meters have been in place for the past few years but did you know that there are also similar meters (both elec & nat gas) that have been on properties for 10+ years. Customers that still had meters inside their homes, fenced yards, unfriendly animals, remote agriculture meters or just didnt want employees on their property sometimes were given the option of having an electronic meter installed(when they were available). These meters transmitted a radio wave from the meter to the meter reader on site from a distance (outside a privacy fence or basement) so that you did not get an averaged bill. Customers used to beg for these so I find it amusing that now people are complaining. To answer a few questions, yes the meter reading jobs were eliminated with a few being transitioned into different aspects of metering. Most of the other employees were offered positions throughout the company. Few people were without a job completely when this transition happened. Illinois & Wisconsin have different rules & regulations and Dale in Rockton may have been telling the truth but for Illinois customers, as it's a whole different set of standards than Wisconsin. Im not sure if this is still correct but just as an example Illinois customers can have their utilities disconnected for nonpayment at any time regardless of the season. Wisconsin on the other hand has a moritorium for disconnecting during the winter months (don't quote me if this is still in effect as I may be outdated in my info). With companies like Rock Energy they have customers in both Wi & Il so it is possible maybe whomever you spoke with was assuming you were an Illinois customer. As for you who shovelled for your meter readers, put the dogs away or left the doors & gates opened THANK YOU it made my day that much easier!

Magdalene
Nov 4, 2011 at 10:58 a.m.
Suggest removal

Search under: EMR adverse health effects.

25 min. video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCe0rqqyB...
The Science on Human Health Effects with Dr. Ted Litovitz, Physicist & EMR Researcher at Catholic Univ. Washington, D.C.

Based on research in the field of BioElectromagnetics, Dr. Litovitz validates the scientific basis for growing public concern about the human health risks related to chronic exposure to antennas and towers.
He's been studying this for 15 yrs.

ConcernedCitzn
Nov 3, 2011 at 11:45 p.m.
Suggest removal

Its great some of you want to live in the nice furry cocoon that mommy made for you. The reality is that things are changing rapidly and if you maintain your head in the sand, you will be at a loss. When I called the Rock Energy Coop in Rockton IL , Dale told me that there will be no smart meters in this area because they are a COOP and that they are under different Regulatory Structures than other power suppliers and they won't be coming here. Upon talking to my neighbor he informed me that they are already in place. Clearly DALE AT ROCK ENERGY COOP felt a need to tell an obvious lie. Dale, your mommy built a cocoon that lying is OK . DALE, IT IS NOT. If this incident sets the precedent for this companies reputation, need we trust anything they say or do. Unwilling Buyer BEWARE!. Now I have witnessed the reality and honesty of dealing with this Company. Now to the anti-tin-foil-hat people out there, Do YOU HAVE THE IQ LOW ENOUGH TO TRUST representatives that have earned such a reputation as this? I suggest that we all look into the (Lack) of contractual obligation that this COOP membership implies. In the end you will find that Regulations will tie the hands of these "slick willies". Smart meters are not mandatory! Force opt out! Cease and desist the Passive Sheeple Behavior. ENRON was the poster child of power suppliers. Decrease the supply and raise the demand AND PRICE.

gravitylens
Nov 3, 2011 at 3:15 p.m.
Suggest removal

My smart meter allows me to have time of day metering, where I pay twice as much for electricity on weekdays, when nobody's home in exchange for paying half as much the rest of the time. Reduced my bills by 20-30% depending on the time of the year.

I had to request a smart meter for my last house. My Janesville house, fortunately, already had one.

I'll not be needing a tin foil hat, thanks.

frogger
Nov 3, 2011 at 1:13 p.m.
Suggest removal

frusion- well said but it still is irritating-the abusers.

usaret
Nov 3, 2011 at 12:25 p.m.
Suggest removal

I think everybody should use the Progresso Soup phone.

frusion
Nov 3, 2011 at 12:11 p.m.
Suggest removal

js81174, it's not my logic--it's the fact of life. As for your McDonald's scenario, of course you are paying for the guy that took the food without paying. It's the same with any retail business. They know a certain amount to merchandise gets stolen and they account for that. Not to digress from the topic of this thread, but it is the same for cheaters of social benefits. You get the POS's that cheat the system to collect benefits and guess who is paying for it... YOU and ME.

js81174
Nov 3, 2011 at 11:43 a.m.
Suggest removal

frusion,

If I am standing in line at McDonalds, and the guy ahead of me grabs a bag of food and runs out without paying...by your logic they would tell me that I have to pay for a portion of his food before I can enjoy my food.

Why should I as a responsible person who pays my bills be punished rather than the irresposnible person who chooses to not take care of thier responsibilities?

tpaine09
Nov 3, 2011 at 11:08 a.m.
Suggest removal

wow.... these comments are out there...to the peps that r all worried about these radio gadgets on your meter, JUST call up alliant, tell them u don't want their meter anymore and burn wood and candles....
WE don't need their stinkin meters nohow...

fool_on_the_hill
Nov 3, 2011 at 10:34 a.m.
Suggest removal

With regard to:

1. Must-See 4-minute youtube video on Smart meters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla......

That reminds me of the Y2K hysteria, when those of us who specify, engineer and design all the world's smart systems and gadgets --the ones that were supposedly going crash and burn at the stroke of midnight-- were telling everyone for months in advance that the risk of that happening was effectively ZERO. Well, nothing happened, did it?

Looks like we have deja vu all over again, except this call is even safer and easier to make than that one back in 1999, folks: The video above is pure, 100%, unadulterated BS.

With regard to the health risks of exposure to RF radiation, the science on that has not been settled. If and when it ever is settled, there will be a lot of gray area still remaining. Until then, it is wise to exercise reasonable caution. However, if you are really concerned about the piddling amount of RF radiating from your smart power meter, then you have many much worse sources of RF you should be worrying about. You're looking at one of those sources right now. So am I, but I'm not losing any sleep over it and neither should you.

frusion
Nov 3, 2011 at 10:22 a.m.
Suggest removal

js81174, which are you outraged about? That the Public Service Commission allowed Alliant to make the addition or that some people can't or won't pay their utility bill? Any way you look at the issue of non-payers is we, the rate payers are going to pay the difference.
.
Wisconsin is a regulated state which means Alliant can not do anything without approval from the PSC but they are allowed to turn a certain percent of profit. No one is getting rich investing in utility companies but generally it is an even rate.
.
If you have throngs of people not paying their bill, Alliant will ask for a rate increase to cover that loss. OR, you can cut out the red tape and pay a contribution upfront for those that don't pay their bill.

samchuck
Nov 3, 2011 at 10:11 a.m.
Suggest removal

Remove your tin foil hats! There is no way these meters can monitor "what you are doing" in your home so get out of your storm cellars and wake up! Cell phones and microwaves (which of course you are probably not using because oooh they're radioactive in your eyes) emit more waves than the electric meters. I was a meter reader for Alliant and these meters have been on Janesville homes for almost 2 years now so why you complaining now? Nothing better to do than be an idiot & not know what you're talking about?

crunch_munch you dont have to shovel a path to the gas meter either...there is an electronic module on it for readings also...oops, another can of worms just opened up but thanks for doing that in the past for the readers, it really was appreciated!

js81174...low income fee isn't Alliant's doing, state legislation governs all utilities statewide to charge it and return the funds to the state.

js81174
Nov 3, 2011 at 9:51 a.m.
Suggest removal

I don't see the problem with them using technology to efficiently run thier business.

What I am angry about is that Alliant has added a "Low income assistance fee" to my bill without my consent since 2009. Thier website gives some excuse about the wisconsin state budget allowing them to charge this. Isn't anybody outraged over this?

No1shouldHate
Nov 3, 2011 at 9:39 a.m.
Suggest removal

Since the smart meters were put in, my gas/electric bills have been accurate every month. When there was someone "reading" the meter, I always got estimated bills and my bills were outrageous. There will always be conspiracy theorists out there. Not everyone or everything is out to get you. Grow up, get a life and move on.

kite
Nov 3, 2011 at 9:03 a.m.
Suggest removal

I think some heads here are emitting a pulse - Oh thats an echo. Does anyone else hear the theme for the twilight zone playing over and over

frusion
Nov 3, 2011 at 8:58 a.m.
Suggest removal

These meters put out no more RF radiation than walkie-talkies or cell phones. In fact, the signal is so weak Alliant is needing to put up additional antennas to pick up the signals. They are not on some secret death ray frequency that is going to cause anymore genetic mutations than than the cordless phone in your house would.

One thing that the article doesn't mention is that the meters can be turned on and off from the office. So, those that do not pay their utility bills will not require a visit from the friendly lineman. A click of an icon and the power is off.

Ezoner
Nov 3, 2011 at 8:43 a.m.
Suggest removal

What a bunch of idiots. Now I know why OBama was elected in the 1st place. People uanble to think for themselves.

concernedperson
Nov 3, 2011 at 8:18 a.m.
Suggest removal

Gazette staff: Did you not notice that you have a missing word in this paragraph? More proofreading needed.

Barb Uebelacker, spokeswoman for Rock Energy Cooperative, said Tuesday she wasn’t of the pamphlets being distributed.

916WI
Nov 3, 2011 at 7:06 a.m.
Suggest removal

dkush......Why aren't you rallying against the millions of other products that emit radio waves?
At least we have now got a handle on who was up all night printing pamphlets........

dkush21
Nov 3, 2011 at 6:28 a.m.
Suggest removal

They are saying that smart meters added to all the other electronics we use can be harmful. Boy you people don't give a crap about people's health, do you? Just a concerned citizen here that there might be potential harm to others. But so many other people are wrong just because you say so.

Sigma40
Nov 3, 2011 at 6:11 a.m.
Suggest removal

Does the pamphlet come with a tin foil hat to protect us?

joker
Nov 3, 2011 at 2:48 a.m.
Suggest removal

Do you have a cellphone or a computer or digital TV? Guess what they all use a crystal. All cyrstal emit radiation, however for years the emissions are shielded. Go back to the stone age. These save hundreds of dollars for the average homeowner
That is how all wireless work.

baegucb
Nov 3, 2011 at 12:23 a.m.
Suggest removal

Someone said half the population has a below normal IQ.

janesvillean
Nov 3, 2011 at 12:09 a.m.
Suggest removal

Oh my god! Radio waves are flying through the air! Turn off your cell phones! Turn off your wi-fi! Turn off your television and radio!
.
Sheesh.
http://www.arrl.org/smart-meters

Zoom
Nov 2, 2011 at 11:42 p.m.
Suggest removal

Good god, none of the links any of you have provided show actual scientific evidence of a problem, or potential problem. The meters don't use some new, different source of data transmission.

dkush21, I could find a hundred people that complain about the moon giving them headaches. That doesn't mean the moon is the problem. Your 8:04 p.m. link is a joke.

Widemouth
Nov 2, 2011 at 8:34 p.m.
Suggest removal

Smart Meters - something to be afraid of? http://www.squidoo.com/beware-of-smart-m...

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 8:07 p.m.
Suggest removal

No one has to take my word for it. Do your research and learn. Smart meters are the same all over. Wisconsin is no different.

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 8:04 p.m.
Suggest removal

THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THIS IS ONE OF THEM:

I have been using an ELECTROSMOG Anylyser HF 35c to measure the microwave radiation coming from the "smart" meters.

No matter where the meters are located on a property, they pulse many times per minute, 24/7 on all home wiring causing everything electronic including electronic appliances and all (microwave
radiation) wireless technology to burst with dangerously high levels of radiation.

The "smart" meters also emit these high radiation bursts outside.

The not so "smart" inventors who invented them never thought of or tested the levels of radiation the meters would emit when combined with all other electronic technology.

I have been trying to tell you this since April because of how sick I became from this radiation. Some others are becoming ill from this exposure and many have no idea what is wrong with them yet.

http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=229...

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 7:49 p.m.
Suggest removal

Note: Complaints about smart meters should be sent to the FDA Medwatch program, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the EMR Policy Institute, as well as legislators at all levels.

Labeler80
Nov 2, 2011 at 7:40 p.m.
Suggest removal

Zoom people care because they are just now being informed. Der

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 7:32 p.m.
Suggest removal

Wisconsin Utilities Bullying Customers Over Smart Meters

"The nationwide roll-out of transmitting radio frequency utility meters, known as smart meters, has intensified since the federal push and funding for them came through the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Wisconsin utilities got $21.5 million of the $3.4 billion awarded for smart grid projects, including meter installation. But people who are sensitive to the effects of microwave radiation and electrical fields cannot tolerate the new source of emissions. And some Wisconsin utility companies have been bullying their paying customers who have resisted the installation of smart meters, or requested their removal for health reasons.

"In fact, the chronic bursts or pulsing of smart meters have not been proven to be biologically safe for anyone. Current federal standards are grossly out of date, not taking into account the growing levels of microwave radiation exposure people now get 24/7 from various sources. Furthermore, FDA/FCC standards are based solely on the heating effect of microwave radiation on a large, grown man, ignoring numerous studies that point to other effects, including irregular heartbeats, melatonin depletion, which affects sleep, and abnormal mast cell proliferation, which affects the immune system and inflammation levels."

Zoom
Nov 2, 2011 at 7:21 p.m.
Suggest removal

dkush21, who cares what happened in other states. Did you read the article? Alliant Energy installed them in 2009. Rock Energy Coop. started installing them 12 years ago. Where are all the Wiscinsin complaints?

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 7:07 p.m.
Suggest removal

Opposition to wireless ‘smart’ meters is not limited to California. Widespread resistance has been reported in other states where utilities are installing them, such as Illinois, New Mexico, Arizona, and particularly Maine, where the Governor last week declared his support for residents’ right to opt out. Utility customer backlash is also being reported internationally. In Australia, fires and electrical shocks from a series of poorly installed meters have been reported.

baegucb
Nov 2, 2011 at 7:07 p.m.
Suggest removal

usaret: hahaha such a funny comment, I haven't had such a laugh in a long time. thanks
dkush21: you just did a search? As you said? Check your own water meter. Silly.
Robert Williams nick sounds like John Eyster and is a new person. Wait, I hear black helicopters. I'll be right bac

RobertWilliams
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:43 p.m.
Suggest removal

SMART METER PRIVACY VIOLATIONS.
1. Must-See 4-minute youtube video on Smart meters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...

CUSTOMER UTILITY BILLS AFTER SMART METERS INSTALLED.

10. Skyrocketing Utility Bills after installation
TV News Video (3 minutes)
http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/63581...

11. Systemic Smart Meter Billing Errors Over 200% Uncovered in Australia
TV News Video (7 minutes)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/today-tonight/m... - video

NATIONAL SECURITY RISKS DUE TO SMART METERS.

12. CIA Director James Woolsey calls Smart grid “Stupid” due to National Security problems caused by so-called smart meters.
News Video (1 minute)
http://www.energynow.com/video/2011/08/1...

usaret
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:43 p.m.
Suggest removal

Haven't had any problems. Sounds like someone just wants to complain.
Had a Charter Service call yesterday. Called in the problem, they set the appointment and the person was here in the allotted time. Am I just lucky or do I need to go out of my way to find a problem with something?

RobertWilliams
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:41 p.m.
Suggest removal

SMART METER PRIVACY VIOLATIONS.
1. Must-See 4-minute youtube video on Smart meters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla...

SMART METER HEALTH PROBLEMS AND CANCER.

2. The WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION on May 31 2011 placed the Non-ionizing radiation coming from Wireless smart meters (and some other wireless devices) on the Class 2-B Carcinogen List.
http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/20...

3. The NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH Feb 2011 found biological changes in the brain after only minutes of exposure to non-ionizing radiation.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/305/8/8...

4. LABORATORY SCIENTISTS have observed
 (1) Human Cell Damage
 (2) DNA Chain Breaks 
(3) Breaches in the Blood-Brain Barrier
 from levels of non-ionizing radiation lower than emitted by WIRELESS Smart meters.
http://electromagnetichealth.org/electro...

5. INSURANCE COMPANIES Hired Independent Laboratory Scientists and these scientists also observed Cell Damage and DNA Chain Breaks and now the Insurance Companies will NOT Insure Liability damage from Wireless Smart meters and other wireless devices.
 TV Video (3 minutes)
http://eon3emfblog.net/?p=382


Cell Phone use and other devices are Voluntary and can be shut off at the user’s discretion, but Smart meters mounted on homes are emitting radiation 24/7 and can not be shut off.

6. WIRELESS SMART METERS – 100 TIMES MORE RADIATION THAN CELL PHONES.
 Video Interview: Nuclear Scientist, Daniel Hirsch, (5 minutes)
http://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/04/20/da...

7. WIRELESS SMART METERS – CANCER, NERVOUS SYSTEM DAMAGE, ADVERSE REPRODUCTION AFFECTS. 
Video Interview: Dr. Carpenter, New York Public Health Department, Dean of Public Health, (2 minutes)

http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?p=3946

9. RADIATION MEASURED FROM SMART METER MOUNTED ON A HOME (once active in the utility system) SHOWS RADIATION TRANSMISSION PULSES APPROXIMATELY ONCE EVERY FOUR SECONDS 24 HOURS PER DAY traveling through the bodies and brains of the inhabitants of that home. 
Youtube Video (6 minutes, 1st minute is sufficient)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRejDxBE6OE

NOTE: many of the tests on non-ionizing radiation (the type of radiation emitted by smart meters) have been done using instruments other than smart meters because smart meters have only been in people’s homes for a very short time.

But as a Wireless smart meter emits 100 times more radiation than a cell phone, it is not difficult to project. If a machine gun (smart meter) fires 100 bullets in the same time that a pistol (cell phone) fires one bullet, it is not difficult to project the harm that the machine gun can inflict, even if the tests were done with the pistol.

Third_Eye
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:38 p.m.
Suggest removal

Tin foil hat sale at Menards!!!

hellojvl
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:33 p.m.
Suggest removal

Aren't those the new digital meters that were installed in Janesville a few years ago? After they installed ours, our bills went down. The savings was a really pleasant surprise.

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:28 p.m.
Suggest removal

I could be here forever if I posted all the complaints from different states. Do the search yourself.

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:26 p.m.
Suggest removal

commonwealth edison used them in Illinois and people were complaining. If you do a search, all the states that are using them and the utility companies involved, there are lawsuits filed or complaints against them.

baegucb
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:21 p.m.
Suggest removal

dkush21: all the links you posted that I checked were for PG&E. A California company (disclaimer: I worked for them once, and they are idiots). Apparently, in my case, I have the one on my water usage. The article does not say what model of meter is being used. When Alliant uses the same, then is the time to get outraged.

Labeler80
Nov 2, 2011 at 6:14 p.m.
Suggest removal

Oh no does this mean the manual readers jobs were phased out? God forbid they had to walk all those neighborhoods. Just one more way to eliminate jobs from what l see. Does this mean rates should have gone down slightly if they DID eliminate these positions and whatever salary they were making?

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 5:59 p.m.
Suggest removal

People were filing and may still be filing lawsuits about these meters. I even heard complaints on a Chicago radio station about these meters.

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 5:53 p.m.
Suggest removal

I did a search about "complaints on smart meters" and every state that got them, people are complaining:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/busine...

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/...

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section...

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/st...

These are just a few complaints, the list goes on, just do a search!

dkush21
Nov 2, 2011 at 5:46 p.m.
Suggest removal

Don't get the smart meter! I remember about a year ago people in Illinois were complaining that their bills were outrageous after installing these smart meters. Do a search on these and read about them.

gmaof3
Nov 2, 2011 at 5:35 p.m.
Suggest removal

Such silliness. There are always the whackos who find something to gripe about. Me thinks someone has way too much time on their hands.
My father was a "meter reader" back in the 1960's for Commonwealth Edison in Rockford, IL. The meters used to be IN each home so he would need to go into each and every house to read those meters. Boy, the stories he could tell!

baegucb
Nov 2, 2011 at 5:09 p.m.
Suggest removal

meh...my water is apparently measured this way. We got a doorknob notice there was a problem reading our water meter. A very nice guy from the city showed up and replaced the transmitter. lol, he called to say he was running 15 minutes late. I wish Charter had that level of customer service.

Before you post a comment, consider this:

Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy Agreement
  • Keep it clean. Comments that are obscene, vulgar or sexually oriented will be removed. Creative spelling of such terms or implied use of such language is banned, also.
  • Don't threaten to hurt or kill anyone.
  • Be nice. No racism, sexism or any other sort of -ism that degrades another person.
  • Harassing comments. If you are the subject of a harassing comment or personal attack by another user, do not respond in-kind.  Hit the "Suggest Removal" button on offensive comments.
  • Share what you know. Give us your eyewitness accounts, background, observations and history.
  • Do not libel anyone. Libel is writing something false about someone that damages that person's reputation.
  • Ask questions. What more do you want to know about the story?
  • Stay focused. Keep on the story's topic.
  • Help us get it right. If you spot a factual error or misspelling, email newsroom@gazettextra.com or call 1-800-362-6712.
  • Remember, this is our site. We set the rules, and we reserve the right to remove any comments that we deem inappropriate.

Post Comment

Commenting requires registration.

Username:
Password: (Forgotten your password?)

Comment:

ADVERTISEMENT