Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 | 6:30 p.m.
Related story
The state Bureau of Consumer Protection, at odds with NV Energy over the replacement of smart meters, has reached a compromise to allow electric customers to keep their existing analog meters — but at a price.
Many customers objected to installation of the smart meters on grounds that the radiation they emit can cause cancer and other ailments.
Under the agreement reached by consumer protection and the major electric company, those unhappy customers will be able to retain their existing analog meters but they will have to pay an up-front cost of $53.46.
And their monthly rate, in addition to the electricity used, will be $8.14 to cover the cost of employees actually going out to read the analog meter each month.
This compromise will be presented to the state Public Utilities Commission for approval. The commission is expected to hold a public hearing on the issue.
The PUC originally approved a plan by the utility to replace the controversial smart meters with digital meters, which consumers complained presented the same health hazards.
The PUC order would have permitted NV Energy to charge $98 in Clark County for the installation of the alternate digital meter. The compromise lowers that amount.
The PUC estimated there were about 4,500 opt-out consumers in the Las Vegas area and 3,000 in Northern Nevada. Many said they should be able to retain their existing analog meter without any upfront cost.
The consumer protection bureau asked the PUC to reconsider or rehear its order and suggested there not be any upfront cost for retaining the existing analog meter.
NV Energy initially said the analog meters are no longer produced by a domestic supplier of meters and they would be more expensive to maintain.
The utility now says it can obtain a sufficient supply of analog meters by reconditioning meters that are currently or were recently removed from service in Nevada.
The installation of the smart meter is for a four-year trial period.
The installation of an analog meter must be tested and reconditioned to ensure accuracy and have a new locking ring and seal. Customers who desire to have an analog meter installed to replace an existing smart meter will receive one in 90 days, says the agreement.
Bull...!
Sad. Sad because the "anti-smart-meter" whack jobs have actually scored a small victory on this one. How many of these anti-smart-meter people also have Wifi, bluetooth and other forms of radiation already in their homes? And how many of them are smokers? No doubt they probably believe Obama is from Kenya as well.
LOL naturalblonde. Good points. I hope they don't use microwaves either. Or have any x-rays or similar procedures at the doctor's. Crazy.
Poor analogies, folks. Is anyone forced to pay an extra fee and a monthly surcharge if they choose not to have Wifi, bluetooth, etc. devices in their homes? Or microwaves? Or to have x-rays or similar procedures? Not that I've heard of - yet. Can anyone provide an apples to apples comparison?
Additionally, read your bills. We're already charged a "Service Charge" to cover reading and maintaining our meters, which are actually owned by NV Energy.
If "The X-Files" was still in production, I'm pretty sure there would be a "Smart Meter" episode...
I am an anti-smart meter person. No Wi-Fi, yes Bluetooth (it's the law), no smoking, and no President Obama's birth place doesn't much matter.
What is actually sad is the meter readers that have been laid off. More unemployment.
Why should the customer be charged up front costs of $53.46, when no action is required by NV Energy?
Why should the customer be charged monthly for something they already pay for? Is NV Energy giving the customers with the smart meters a credit since they don't require a meter reader?
In October of 2011, NV Energy claimed the customers would save 35 million per year. Has your bill reflected that?
I have a smart meter and love it. I get 20% of so off my power bills. My bills have gone down for about 2 years now. There are two schedules, summer and winter, with time frames of peak hours--when you are encouraged to limit consumption. You can still consume but you don't get the discount for that usage. And the time frames are reasonable for me. Winter/early evening hours are easy to avoid excessive consumption. Summer hi-temp hours can be worked around with minimal thought. I do have a timer on one electronic device.
public needs to pay more so nv energy can raise raise enough funds to cover massive lawyers fee's to stop harry reid's new las vegas energy company coming in from china ?
http://www.westernjournalism.com/harry-r...
tried for years to get them to install a transponder because the meter was in the house and they refused unless i paid them $50 even though the water and gas co did it for free. now i'm supposed to pay 50$++ to keep my meter. are you kidding?
natural blonde thinks the anti crowd are whack jobs and party lv thinks thats a good point.
Your handles say it all....ladies???