The Eugene Water and Electric Board is warning customers who have resisted getting a smart meter that their power is now at risk of being disconnected.
Smart meters transmit real-time utility data using radio waves, helping to detect leaks or power outages. They’ve been installed in about three-quarters of homes nationwide, according to federal data.
Since 2013, EWEB has been replacing its existing analog meters with these devices. Jennifer Connors, a spokesperson for the utility, said they will help meet the community’s growing demands for electricity.
“Utilities and customers need better data about real-time energy use, so that we can work together to shift use to off-peak times,” said Connors.
However, some Eugene-area customers are refusing to switch, claiming smart meters will harm people with sensitivity to electronic emissions.
According to the World Health Organization, there’s no evidence that people who report “electro-magnetic hypersensitivity” detect those signals more acutely, or that the exposure is the cause of their symptoms.
However, Kathy Ging, an EWEB customer and anti-smart meter activist, said people can be forced into homelessness because of their aversion to radio waves.
Ging is also worried about security issues. Last year, OSU researchers told KLCC that smart meters can be vulnerable to cyberattacks on a power grid.
“The ratepayer customers, we own our utility,” said Ging. “Before accepting the smart meter, [we] have asked to see a signed report by a professional engineer, showing that all the safety risks have been evaluated and mitigated.”
She said some customers have undertaken creative means to prevent utility workers from accessing their meters, including constructing new fences or cages.
The Deadline
Now, EWEB has sent letters to around 400 customers who it says have impeded meter replacements, saying they need to comply or risk being kicked off the grid. The deadline to reply is March 13.
“It has not been our intent or policy to allow customers to retain a legacy meter long-term or to choose their meter type,” Connors told KLCC. “Because, like poles and wires and transformers, the meters are owned and operated by EWEB.”
The utility said its smart meters are safe, emit far less than a cell phone, and transmit data for less than a minute in total each day.
But Connors said the utility will continue to offer customers an option to have EWEB turn off the "smart" functionality of a reader after its installation, meaning the device would not send or receive wireless signals. Eventually, she said, there will be a fee to manually read those meters.
Ging said she isn’t convinced that turning off that function of the meter will eliminate risk. And she said unlike using a phone, receiving utilities isn't optional.
“Everybody should be outraged that EWEB has taken this Draconian step to deny the freedom of choice,” she said.
EWEB's policies differ from some other nearby providers. Both the Emerald People's Utility District and Pacific Power allow customers to keep their old meters for an additional cost, while the Springfield Utility Board doesn't use smart meters.
“We can't rely on outdated tools and technology to solve modern problems,” said EWEB's Connors. “A smarter modern grid is essential for things like reducing greenhouse gas emissions, continuing to provide reliable power and improving affordability for all customers.”
