PG&E's ‘SmartMeters' raise concerns in Petaluma

<p>Petaluma city leaders are trying to organize a community meeting with Pacific Gas & Electric Co. representatives due to residents' concerns over newly installed electronic “SmartMeters.”</p><p>PG&E's SmartMeters — which beam customers' utility usage information to the company using wireless technology rather than requiring meter readers — have caused a stir statewide over concerns about accuracy and health effects. Some customers complained that their bills went up as soon as the new meters were installed, while others complained that the radio frequencies the meters emit could cause health problems.</p><p>In Petaluma, city officials say residents have been having the same concerns.</p><p>“We are starting to get quite a few questions,” said Mayor Pam Torliatt. “It really is a statewide issue.”</p><p>PG&E began installing its wireless system on all of its customers' residences in 2006. The devices beam usage data wirelessly every four hours from each residence to a number of relay points, which then send the data directly to the company. Customers can check and monitor their usage online. PG&E says the system is more efficient and has made it mandatory for all customers.</p><p>PG&E plans to have about 9.8 million of the devices installed statewide by 2012. To date, 6 million have been installed since the company started the program in 2006, said spokesperson Paul Moreno.</p><p>In Petaluma, the company has installed the system on about 40 percent of the city's meters — 22,800 of 57,000 residences — and plans to be done by February 2011.</p><p>As the meters have been installed, customers have contacted City Council members about their worries.</p><p>“There are a lot of questions about the accuracy,” said Councilmember Teresa Barrett, who on Monday called for a community meeting about the meters. Barrett said that she has heard from residents who say their utilities bill went up even while they were out of town, after the device was installed. Some worry that they are being overcharged due to problems with accuracy, while others say the radio signals could be harmful.</p><p>“If there is any health concern, that should absolutely be addressed as well,” said Barrett.</p><p>City Manager John Brown said that he is communicating with the company to try to set up a community meeting, and that representatives have been open to the idea.</p><p>The California Public Utilities Commission said they have received 2,074 complaints so far over the meters. PG&E admits that a number of the devices have had problems as the new system becomes the standard, but says that the rollout is going smoothly for the vast majority of customers.</p><p>“Only 1 percent of the meters have been outside of the plus-or-minus 2 percent accuracy,” said Moreno.</p><p>In some cases, customers' old meters were out of date and were under-reading their usage, causing a higher but more accurate bill once the new meter was installed.</p><p>Some higher bills are also due to a change in the season, when higher utilities bills are common for increased heating or air conditioning usage, said Moreno.</p><p>“Whenever you have a change in season, people call, saying, ‘My bill has gone up. Why?'” he said.</p><p>Moreno said that the meters will work for customers with solar panels, but the upgrade will lag for those customers as PG&E works out compatibility issues. As a result, some customers mistakenly think the meters will not work with solar systems, he said.</p><p>“The SmartMeter program does include solar customers,” he said.</p><p>As well, the devices “operate well within the guidelines of the FCC” for radio frequencies, he said. The power density is about one watt, which is “about what you have on a cell phone,” which people come in much closer contact with, he said.</p><p>Moreno encouraged customers wishing for a test of the accuracy of their meter to call the SmartMeter hotline at 866-743-0263.</p><p>Community meetings have been organized recently in other communities over the devices, and Petaluma is hoping to be next on the list.</p><p>“If they are going to mandate that we use a certain kind of meter, they need to make sure it is accurate and reliable and safe,” said Barrett.</p><p>(Contact Philip Riley at philip.riley@arguscourier.com)</p>