Tonight, commissioners with the Eugene Water and Electric Board discussed so-called “smart meters”. As KLCC’s Brian Bull reports, EWEB hopes to get more customers using the devices.
Currently, 4000 smart meters are used by EWEB customers. They can be used to remotely connect or disconnect water and power, and alert EWEB to power outages…like during the big ice storm of 2016.
Spokesman Joe Harwood says this meeting will revise an existing policy, so that EWEB customers need to inform the utility they don’t want activated smart meters…after they’re installed.
“The plan is over the next eight years to start replacing our aging meter infrastructure, with these advanced meters. So you’re looking at approximately 11,000 meters per year.”
EWEB estimates the “opt-in” policy could save $600,000 a year in labor and travel costs.
Some people have voiced concern over radio waves emitted by the wireless meters, claiming they could affect human health. Harwood says people are flooded daily with radio waves, from smart phones, routers, and other wireless technology.
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