Smart Meter Concerns Proof of Program Failure: MPP Bailey

(Queen’s Park)-  The failed Liberal smart meter program must come to an end immediately before any more damage is done, says Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey.

On Thursday, the Electrical Safety Authority issued an order to Bluewater Power to immediately remove over 3800 Sensus 3.2 smart meters with remote disconnect from properties in Sarnia-Lambton after a review of performance by the ESA raised concerns with the ongoing safety of the units.

“The Liberal’s smart meter experiment has been an abject failure since day one” said MPP Bailey after hearing the news of the ESA order.  “The cost to replace this faulty equipment could easily reach into the millions of dollars. Not a single penny from rate payers, Bluewater Power, or our local municipalities should go towards paying for this.

There are a reported 5,400 Sensus 3.2 meters with remote disconnect in Ontario, based on information from the Ontario Energy Board.  The ESA has given local distribution companies, like Bluewater Power, until March 31, 2015 to replace the flagged units.  In its briefing the ESA says the Sensus 3.2 meter with remote disconnect is susceptible to “arcing within the components if water/moisture and other contaminants get into the meter.”

“When the Liberals forced smart meters on Ontario they made all kinds of promises that haven’t held up: installation ran $1billion over budget, energy rates increased costing homeowners billions, energy usage has actually gone up rather than down, and last month the Auditor General reported that 1 in 6 smart meters in the province still haven’t reported a single watt of energy use,” noted MPP Bailey.

“Now the Electrical Safety Authority is concerned about these units even being attached to your home; at this point every single home and business in Sarnia-Lambton should be given the option of completely opting out of the smart meter program at no cost.

– 30 –

For more information, contact:
Bob Bailey, MPP | 519-337-0051 | bob.bailey@pc.ola.org | www.bobbaileympp.com