The provincial government and sa国际传媒 Hydro have backtracked on the smart-meter program, and opponents of the new technology should be satisfied with the compromise.
Last week, Energy Minister Bill Bennett announced that the 60,000 people who have refused meters will be allowed to get them with the transmitters disconnected. Those homeowners will have to pay to have the meters read manually.
Hydro鈥檚 $1-billion program to swap all the analog meters for digital smart meters has raised anger and suspicion since it began in 2007.
Opponents say the bursts of radio waves that send information on electricity usage and possible problems are health hazards for people who are susceptible to them. Many also fear potential privacy invasions and the possibility of using the meters to charge for electricity based on time of day.
This vocal group has had an effect out of proportion to its size. It has tied the government and Hydro in knots for months. Millions of others have accepted the meters without complaint or health effects.
It鈥檚 clear, however, that nothing will convince the naysayers to surrender their beliefs. The government has apparently accepted this and is willing to buy peace by turning off the transmitters for those who won鈥檛 budge.
The opponents, in turn, should accept the gesture. Some have said there should be no charge for meter reading, and others say they can鈥檛 trust the government to turn off the transmitters.
There is no reason the rest of Hydro鈥檚 customers should subsidize the fears of this group. Take the meter, pay the fee and let鈥檚 put this dispute behind us.
