BGE Smart Meters: Will You Pay to Opt Out (Baltimore: home, contractors)

[rdflk]

Now that we know opting out of getting a BGE Smart Meter will cost an initial $75 -- AND an $11.00 monthly fee added to your bill.....

.....will you still opt out?

I still haven't decided.
I suppose those of us who don't want the meter have our reasons....health concerns about RF, just not wanting to 'fix something that's not broken," or just don't even want one and you don't even have a reason.

The question is will you bite the bullet and PAY to opt out. Or give in, suck it up.....and pay $75, plus the $11.00 a month?

I honestly don't know which I'll do yet. I don't want a smart meter. But I also REALLY don't want to pay 11.00 a month either.

What have you decided?

(This really isn't JUST a Baltimore issue)

[kharing]

I am opting out and paying....so are most of my neighbors.

[james777]

They have to get in to install it. What happens if you don't let them in? Does BGE charge you automatically after a certain date? How about if they charge you and later you decide to opt in, do you get your $75 back?

There is a Maryland politician who is suing BGE for a billion dollars over these smart meters, claiming they are illegal. You will never hear about his lawsuit because he is not a democratic politician destined to win. Those are the only politicians that the media in this state gives the time of day to. You know how far that lawsuit is going to get; BGE will win because Maryland has the best judges money can buy.

[rdflk]

So are you opting out or not?

[james777]

I haven't decided yet. Right now I am just not going to let them in and see what happens.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by james777

I haven't decided yet. Right now I am just not going to let them in and see what happens.

"In" to what? Is your meter inside your house?

If it's outside BGE employees, or its subcontractors, have an easement, part of your service agreement, to enter your property in order to replace, service or maintain their property.

If the meter is on the outside plan on staying home for awhile and keeping watch, the replacements are done during the day and take about 4 minutes so you'll have to stay vigilant.

[james777]

The meter is inside my house. I received a card at the door stating that a subcontractor for BGE was there to install a smart meter, but no one was home. So if no one is home to let them in, I imagine they would just bill me the fee for not having a smart meter after a certain date. We will wait and see.

[boreatwork]

Yall need to be doing research into smart meters and see why people find them so controversial. Dont do it because the power company tells you to.

[B.K.]

Pardon me for being cynical, but do you really and truly think that BGE (whose parent company most obviously has our State Legislature firmly under its thumb) is not going to be charging you substantially more for that "smart meter" installation and service at some point (and very likewise in perpetuity) whether you have it installed or not? Sucker...!

[trickymost]

I'm not. These are not cell phones where people are irrationally afraid of the physics of how the devices operate.

I made my feelings clear on another post, I think good, safe smart meters can be designed and implemented but I do not believe these are it.

There is no transparency into how they are built, how they are tested, or how they perform. It's the only electronic device in my home which is on 24-7 where this is the case I can think of.

The reality, however, is if BGE gets to collect a fee, why should they care whether you opt in or out. Until people start getting sick, until there's a few home fires which right or wrong are attributed to smart meters, or until they're hacked the reality is there's nothing you can do about it except decide which way you'd like for BGE to insert a large object forcibly into your most private nether regions.