Smart Meters Not Cause of High PG&E Bills

Posted by Energy Wire on September 10, 2010 at 3:29 PM

The consumer backlash toward California’s Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E) smart meters is apparently unwarranted, according to a new independent study.
When PG&E installed smart meters, many consumers complained that their energy bills were inaccurate and that they were not properly informed about smart meter installation.

The study, performed by the Structure Group, found that the smart meters were not the cause of the increased bills, but that the spike was due to a heat wave that occurred around the time of the smart meter installation. Of the smart meters tested, 100 percent passed accuracy tests. However, the study did find that PG&E should have properly communicated with its customers about the smart meter installation.

The report found that, “PG&E processes did not address the customer concerns associated with the new equipment and usage changes. Customer skepticism regarding the new advanced meter technology was not effectively addressed by PG&E on a timely basis.”

With customers becoming increasingly concerned with the claims that the smart meters emit harmful radiation and are a huge health risk, it is not likely that this review will curb consumer doubt anytime soon.

Read more (http://bit.ly/aYeIAI) and read the report here ( http://bit.ly/9FDS2U).

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