The opt-out program approved Wednesday requires PG&E customers to pay a one-time fee of $75, plus monthly charges of $10, to hold on to their old meters. PG&E initially wanted $270 up front and $14 per month.The fees infuriate SmartMeter opponents, who say wireless signals from the devices have made them ill, with symptoms including insomnia, heart palpitations and painful ringing in the ears. Paying extra to protect their health, they say, amounts to extortion. They want the entire $2.2 billion SmartMeter program scrapped.
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine, a group concerned with toxic substances in the environment, last week sent the commission a letter urging a moratorium on SmartMeter installation, calling the devices' radio frequency radiation "a preventable environmental hazard." Some 49 city and county governments, including San Francisco, have asked for a moratorium until the health questions are answered.
"They're very convinced this is a health risk," said [PG&E Chief Customer Officer Helen Burt]. "As someone who enjoys the wireless life, it's not something I understand. But how can we be respectful of our customers if we don't respect their views?"
"You can't have a smart grid without a smart meter - it's that simple," [PUC President Michael] Peevey said Wednesday.
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