After BC Hydro’s announcement of the introduction of Smart Meters, the response from local citizens was generally negative largely attributed to the lack of information given in regards to their purpose. Smart Meters seem to provide few visible benefits, while they seem to give BC Hydro many advantages.
Powersmart? Or Profitsmart?
Where is the support for the Smartmeters?
Smart Meters act as ‘surveillance tools’ and give BC Hydro detailed energy information about each household. Unsurprisingly, this has brought forth the formation of several Anti Smart Meter protest groups; not only are citizens fearful of their privacy, health, there have also been cases of increased electricity bills immediately after the installation of these devices. Consequently, I would agree with Frederick Wong’s blog post regarding the public’s disapproval of Smart Meters, but I would argue on his statement that Power Tab’s should “steer clear of British Columbia”.
I believe it is completely unfair that Smart Meters are mandatory, and Power Tabs could be a rather effective alternative. If households are allowed to use a product that has its functions explained in detail, users are much less likely to protest.
Frederick Wong’s Blog: https://blogs.ubc.ca/frederickwong/