Smart Meter Opt-Out Plan Approved Conditionally

**What the opt-out won't do (as now written and this can change):** 1. Won't provide relief for people exposed to multiple smart meters of neighbors. 2. Won't provide relief for people who don't want to be exposed to smart meters in homes of others or businesses. 3. Won't allow businesses to opt-out and therefore will reduce number of customers willing to be subjected to a smart meter, and will contribute to more worker injuries. 4. Won't provide relief for people, pets, and wildlife from incessant, dangerous, RF radiation in a mesh network (blanket of radiation on our communities). That is, the radiation is everywhere indoors and outdoors. 5. Won't provide relief from large collector meters that pulse larger data packets and more frequently. Many of these are on homes but some are on the street, and the radiation is measurable from the nearby homes. **The opt-out will not eliminate the radiation from neighbors' meters, collector meters, the wireless infrastructure from the new electric "smart" grid, placed on the powerlines and poles.** The opt-out will not allow the people who have been driven from homes and communities, who are suffering from radiation-illness, to return. They, the canaries in the coal mine, have nowhere to go. The opt-out will not repair the damage to trust that has occurred, with SDG&E and other CA utilities ignoring complaints of direct harm to customers, with the CPUC's tacit approval. The opt-out will not cure the ongoing media blackout in San Diego County on this topic, which, compared with thousands of extensive articles in northern California that keep citizens there up-to-date, has disappointed those here who are aware of these problems. **We encourage the Reader to do a feature on this story.** www.electrosmogprevention.org; www.smartmeterdangers.org
— March 24, 2012 8:24 p.m.

Smart Meter Opt-Out Plan Approved Conditionally

If you are reading this, chances are you have a smart meter (or two) on your home - for both gas and electric. Probably, also, for water. Do you (or a loved one) have unexplained headaches, sleeping problems, ringing ears, dizziness, memory problems, heart palpitations, or even seizures? Did these start with the installation of smart utility meters? Do you want to reduce potential cancer risks from pulsed RF radiation? Do you occupy a room close to an electric meter? You may wish to learn more about the health complaints of those with smart meters on their homes. You may wish to opt-out (get rid of) the SDG&E gas and electric smart meters. You may wish to contact the water company, find out if you have a smart meter and ask for its removal. **The smart meter opt-out is definitely a first step in what should become a total ban on wireless smart meters.** The American Association of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) says this about smart meters: " *Given the widespread, chronic, and essentially inescapable ELF/RF exposure of everyone living near a 'smart meter', the Board of the [AAEM] finds it unacceptable from a public health standpoint, to implement this technology..*." http://www.scribd.com/doc/79470430/AAEM-Resolution. According to California's Daniel Hirsch, radiation expert, each smart meter's full body radiation exposure is equivalent to that of 160 cell phones. That's a heck of a lot of radiation, contrary to the flawed info the utilities have been providing. After a court order from the CPUC, SDG&E admitted its meters all "talk" to each other and the signals (pulses) are sent every few seconds, up to tens of thousands of times daily. They had neglected to factor this into their earlier claims. The smart meters send out high pulses of microwave radiation every few seconds. **What the opt-out will do (as now written, when finally approved, within a month or two) :** 1. A residential customer can pay to opt-out [get the smart meter replaced by an analog (electromechanical, old-style) meter]. 2. The payment will vary depending upon whether the customer is a CARE customer (low income) or not. Non-CARE customers: $75 changeout and $10 a month; CARE customers $10 changeout and $5 a month. 3. The opt-out will allow people to avoid the closest contact and thus the highest radiation exposures, in their own home, if that exposure is from the smart meters on their residence. (With some the closest is the neighbors' meters aimed at their homes, nearby, and the smart meter may be on their own garage, aimed at the neighbor's house.) **The above can change if people lobby the CPUC for a no-cost opt-out whereby the company absorbs the cost of their own mistake, not the customers.**
— March 24, 2012 8:23 p.m.

Power Outage Cost Local Economy $100 Million

We don't think power outages are "smart". In the wake of this massive, $100 million dollar, uncontrolled power outage, impacting 3 states and Mexico, leading to the unplanned shut-down of a crucial nuclear power plant, citizens are asking, "is the new deployment of the much-touted new "smart" grid the cause?" Visit Underlying Cause of the Southwestern Blackout, Sept. 8, 2011: Failure of the Smart Grid http://lam­­esa.patch­.­com/blog­_p­osts/un­der­l…. In California­­­, the smart grid technology called "smart meters" is sickening the public and exposing everyone to cancer risk. Independen­­­t scientist and physicians say it's dangerous­­­, even the CA Dept of Health, but the bureaucrac­­­y won't budge. Learn more at Living Nightmare: How SDG&E Smart Meter Led to Headaches, Hearing Loss http://lam­­­esa.patc­h­.­com/bl­og­_p­osts­/li­v… , for a series of articles about how smart meter health issues are impacting Southern Californians. The hastily, poorly planned smart grid is not ready to be unleashed, especially with a state and federal government that cares little about public safety. Susan Brinchman, Director Center for Electrosmog Prevention www.electrosmogprevention.org
— September 12, 2011 8 a.m.

Group Wants Out of SDG&E Smart Meter Program

The following media articles have been published locally in many Patches (multiple): Living Nightmare: How SDG&E Smart Meter Led to Headaches, Hearing Loss http://lamesa.patch.com/blog_posts/living-nightma… Smart Meter Nightmare #2: San Diego man sick from bank of smart meters http://lamesa.patch.com/blog_posts/smart-meter-ni… Smart Meter Nightmare #3: East County Woman and Pet Sick, Begging for Help http://lamesa.patch.com/blog_posts/smart-meter-ni… Message for SDG&E: Allow Opt-outs from Smart Meters http://lamesa.patch.com/blog_posts/tell-sdge-allo… How to Opt-Out of Take Action: How to Opt Out of Radiation-Emitting Smart Meters http://lamesa.patch.com/blog_posts/take-action-ho… Open Letter to the La Mesa City Council: Tell SDG&E to Stop the Smart Meters http://lamesa.patch.com/articles/an-open-letter-t… If you think you may have had health issues following installation of your smart meters, post these here, file complaints (see how in How to Take Action article above), or write CEP at [email protected]. Most commonly reported rf radiation symptoms: headaches, nausea, allergic-like reactions, sleeping difficulties (only getting a few hours a night, waking up at same time), heart palpitations, etc. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO SUFFER, AND THE PUBLIC SHOULD NOT BE EXPOSED TO RISK. SHAME ON SDG&E. OFFER AN IMMEDIATE OPT-OUT AND DUMP THE WIRELESS. IT IS DANGEROUS!
— September 3, 2011 12:59 p.m.

Group Wants Out of SDG&E Smart Meter Program

PART TWO: Customer Opt-Out Possible Options •Wired –Electric Meter Only –Phone line –Ethernet –Power line Carrier •Manual Meter Read –Register read –Monthly or less frequent –IR port read –Interval data •Meter Relocation Customer Opt-Out Option Issues: •Incremental costs –Wired –High up front and ongoing costs –Manual –High ongoing cost •No wired solution for gas •Loss of benefits –Outage notification, remote connect, energy information feedback, for the manual option. •Does not address RF issues for multi-unit buildings or ambient concerns •Customer privacy is a priority issue that SDG&E is working with the industry and regulators •SB 1476 became law 01-01-2011 (PUC sec. 8380) –Utilities shall not share consumption data without customer consent –Utilities shall not sell consumption data –Utilities must use “reasonable security procedures & practices” to protect customer consumption data •Ensure Smart Meter lessons learned are incorporated in Smart Grid Deployment Plan Mass Deployment Update Progress –February 2010 –500K Installations Complete –June 2010 –1MM Endpoints Installed –October 2010 –1.5MM Endpoints Installed –December 31, 2010 –1.9MM Endpoints Installed –January 7th, 2011 –Total 1,858,00 endpoints •Electric –1,120,000 •Gas -738,000 –Current Installation Rate –6,000+ per day –Vendor return to Utility rate –1.89% –Planned 2.15 mm Installs -1st quarter of 20112 ---------------------------------------------- (end) Commentary by SB: Note the main concern is money and finding out lessons learned (experimentation). The rapid deployment of a brand new, radical technology in a mesh network that covers the entire SDG&E territory, without health or safety testing (in response to money being released by fed gov't to pay for the smart meters/smart grid, via Recovery Act). When people who are harmed do contact them and want help, SDG&E consistently refuses to take any action to help. They consistently refuse to remove the meters, even with a doctor's request. Heartless conduct and inexcusable. SDG&E NEEDS a MAJOR REDO ON CUSTOMER SERVICE.
— September 3, 2011 12:52 p.m.

Group Wants Out of SDG&E Smart Meter Program

TO GIVE THE PUBLIC AN IDEA OF HOW THE SDG&E SMART METER COMPLAINT NUMBERS ARE CONSTANTLY SHIFTING IN A SHORT TIME FRAME (FROM 100 TO 400 TO 2600+), THEIR EXPERIMENTATION ON THE PUBLIC, AND THEIR LACK OF RESPONSIBILITY IN RESPONDING TO MEDICAL CONCERNS, WE NEED ONLY LOOK AT THEIR OWN DOCUMENT: (from SDG&E SM-TAP presentation, Jan. 2011, PART ONE) Total Smart Meter Related Complaints –2,641 -.15% rate Current Status of Refusal Refusals as of January 12, 2011 •240 Total Smart Meter Refusals •By Reasons for Refusal –208Not Specific, Access, Politics, –32Medical –35Work in Progress (Potential Refusals) •13 Customers Requesting Removal of Smart Meters •Process to address refusals is on hold due to pending legislation and/or regulatory action.
— September 3, 2011 12:51 p.m.

Who Watches the UCAN Watchdog?

Want to see what sick people who have been harmed by smart meters have to endure from UCAN?????: Read the conversation about smart meters including Michael's comments on http://www.ucan.org/forum/forums/energy/sdg_e_dis…. and also Health Effects of Smart Meters -- Overstated & Underproven Posted April 7th, 2011 by michael http://www.ucan.org/energy/electricity/advanced_m… "UCAN News An increasing number of SDG&E customers are raising concerns about smart meters' impacts upon their health. The non-ionizing radiation emitted from smart meters has become an increasingly polarizing issue. A few customers view the meters as deadly ray-emitters polluting their homes. While others couldn't care less. We care. We care enough to say that, so far, there's no compelling evidence that smart meters being installed in San Diego pose a real and present danger to any customers. And here's why. We've reviewed a lot of the literature out in the public domain. Most useful is the report titled "Health Impacts of Radio Frequency from Smart Meters", authored by the California Council on Science and Technology. ...BLAH BLAH (HERE MICHAEL QUOTES A HIGHLY CRITICIZED (BY SCIENTISTS), FLAWED, BIASED REPORT - CCST IS A PARTNER OF THE US DOE, ARCHITECT AND FUNDER OF THE SMART METERS - THANKS BUT NO THANKS, WE DON'T NEED UTILITY PROPAGANDA ON THE UCAN SITE! THIS IS NOT WATCHDOGGING, IT IS SPEWING OUT THE SAME DRIVEL AS THE UTILITY COMPANIES) Some VALID, INDEPEDENT sources: Daniel Hirsch, Radiation Expert: Smart Meters Worse Than Cell Phones – Two Orders of Magnitude http://www.smartmeterdangers.org/index.php/ten-th… Cindy Sage: SIGNIFICANT SMART METER HEALTH RISKS AT 1 TO 6 FEET http://www.smartmeterdangers.org/index.php/smart-… Dr. Olle Johansson: http://www.smartmeterdangers.org/index.php/positi…
— July 29, 2011 7:20 p.m.

Who Watches the UCAN Watchdog?

"Smart Meters May Cause Cancer and Autism", according to a well known European scientist, Andrew Goldsworthy, PhD, past scientific advisor to European Space Agency on the biological effects of non-ionizing radiation. A huge related issue which is not being looked at enough by UCAN are the dangerous utility smart meters that SDG&E has put on our homes and workplaces - pulsed radiofrequency radiation in high bursts, pouring through your home at the speed of light, every 75 seconds (84,000 times a day) at levels associated with serious biological and health effects, including cancer. Do we need this just so SDG&E can make billions off gouging us during peak hours and laying off their meter readers? Yet, UCAN is gung ho over the smart grid and has been, for years. Not doing their homework. Not really supporting the utility customers as they said they were. Rude to me when I brought forth this VERY important issue that risks the health and lives of millions. I take issue with this and invite Don Bauder to do an investigative story on this - in addition to the last one in April, 2011. That one scratched the surface. www.smartmeterdangers.org. Join Southern Californians Against Smart Meters at www.electrosmogprevention.org. Email me at [email protected] if you have smart meter problems or concerns. Mr. Shames, what say you on this topic, here, publicly?
— July 29, 2011 6:29 p.m.

Who Watches the UCAN Watchdog?

The question about salary might be - is it commensurate with other nonprofit directors' salaries? Bonuses sound unprofessional to me, personally. But a commensurate salary sounds appropriate.
— July 29, 2011 3:11 p.m.

Who Watches the UCAN Watchdog?

I have been very disappointed in Mr. Shames' seeming lack of support for those who report health effects from San Diego Gas & Electric's pulsed radiation-emitting smart meters (now on every building including your home). He has insisted on peer-reviewed studies to prove the smart meters were causing harm, even when the meters were "sprung" on an unsuspecting public just in the past year, without any safety testing. My question, never answered adequately, was, "why, Mr. Shames, do you support the smart grid and smart meters without peer reviewed studies to show they were safe ahead of time, but when thousands report illness (like sleeping problems, headaches, dizziness, seizures, etc.) you want peer-reviewed studies to prove it is from the meters?" (As if we could order them up ourselves.) The only other entities who conduct themselves like this are the utilities and I thought UCAN should be more concerned about the sick customers. To his credit, he did file a UCAN Application to have CPUC require SDG&E to allow customers who didn't want smart meters for any reason, to be able to opt-out. This was important. I just wish that people reporting illness from the dangerous radiation-emitting meters would have been treated better. I am sick from my meter and called and wrote UCAN and felt very badly after the interchange. And yes, the website said he was an attorney, I remember that. But today it doesn't. Maybe it should have said "inactive attorney". Lastly, I wonder if this attack on Mr. Shames might have come because he has confronted SDG&E with the opt-out application...? Visit www.smartmeterdangers.org for more info on smart meters and health problems. EVERYONE needs to learn about that and help get these dangerous wireless meters off our homes.
— July 29, 2011 3:07 p.m.