Oakland Press Story

Schuette sides with opponents of smart meters

Published: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
By CHARLES CRUMM, Oakland Press
charlie.crumm@oakpress.com; @crummc

Opponents of electric service smart meters have appealed a Michigan Public Service Commission order that allows their installation and allows utilities to charge a monthly fee for people who don't want them activated.

They continue to have an ally in Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, whose office represents government agencies like the MPSC but also functions as a consumer protection advocate.

"I think the poeple ought to be able to opt out and then not face a penalty, a payment, for choosing to opt out and not purchase a smart meter," Schuette said Tuesday in a meeting with The Oakland Press.

"We're going to review all these things," Schuette said. "My position is a) well known and b) I'll continue to make it known."

Opponents of smart meters scheduled a meeting in Rochester Tuesday evening to update their efforts to block the installation of the meters.
They argue the radio frequencies they use cause health problems.

The MPSC ruling they appealed said utility companies, DTE in this case, can continue replacing analog meters with digital smart meters.

The MPSC ruling also said the utility can charge a $67 fee up front and $9.80 to customers who choose to have them disabled to cover the costs of having them manually read.

Utilities and proponents say the advantage to smart meters is that they eliminate the need for someone to physically read the meters, eliminate estimated utility bills, more accurately pinpoint the causes of power outages, and improve efficiency, according to information from the MPSC. Continued...

Last summer, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution in favor of letting people opt out of the smart meter installation.

And state Rep. Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills, has introduced legislation that prohibits utilities from refusing service to people who don't want the smart meters.