PG&E SmartMeter Moratorium in Santa Cruz

Digital News Report – The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a temporary moratorium on the PG&E smart meters. The meters can transmit a signal to PG&E on an hourly basis telling the utility how much electricity a customer is using.

The public has raised concerns. Besides mistakes made during installation, customers are worried that the meters are not accurate and they could be overcharged.

The meters may send a faulty signal and there may be health concerns, according to a county statement. The smart meters emit an electromagnetic signal. A PG&E report said that there were 45,000 errors in their installations.

The meters could eliminate meter-readers, but the utility could also profit if there are changes to their methods of billing. Right now customers pay extra because of a tiered schedule. Once you hit a certain threshold of usage, the kilowatt hour rate goes higher.

In the future, the utility (if allowed) could charge higher rates during peak hours. This could affect many elderly and home-bound customers who run their air conditioner during the summer months.

By Mark Williams