Pubdate: Wed, 04 Jan 2012
Source: Merritt Herald (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 Mike Taylor
Contact:  http://www.merrittherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1446
Author: Mike Taylor

SMART METER INVESTMENT WORTH THE COST

Dear Editor,

More than $100 million worth of electricity is stolen from BC Hydro 
every year, with much of it stolen to power marijuana grow ops. As an 
honest BC Hydro customer, it makes me more than just a little unhappy 
to know that people are stealing electricity. It makes me even more 
unhappy to know that the cost of all that stolen electricity gets 
added to the hydro bills of honest BC Hydro customers like you and me.

That's why I'm glad BC Hydro is finally installing smart meters and 
putting an end to preventable electricity theft. Smart meters will 
let BC Hydro zero in on electricity theft quickly and accurately and 
shut down the perpetrators. The old mechanical meters BC Hydro has 
relied on since the 1940s and 1950s simply can't do that. All they 
can do is measure how much electricity has gone through them, and 
they only get checked manually every couple of months (long after the 
opportunity to catch electricity thieves has passed).

I doubt that most people are still using the same appliances, phones, 
TVs and radios that were around in the1940's and 1950's. So why would 
anyone want to use metering technology from 50 or 60 years ago, 
especially when smart meters can detect electricity theft and save BC 
Hydro customers $100 million per year? Investing in smart meters is 
well worth the cost. And preventing the theft of $100 million a year 
will basically pay for the meters in just ten short years.

Mike Taylor

Port Moody, B.C.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D