The refusal rate for the installation of smart meters by N.B. Power in New Brunswick has surged to an estimated 17,000 households, a significant increase from last year, when it was only a fraction of that number. N.B. Power, however, emphasized that the adjustments being made to accommodate those opting out of the smart meter program, including increased costs, are not intended as penalties.
The utility is nearing completion of the installation of around 388,000 new “communicating” smart meters across the province as part of its initiative to modernize the electrical distribution grid. These new meters will enable real-time electronic data collection of individual customer consumption, replacing the manual monthly readings by meter readers.
Smart meters offer benefits such as the ability to quickly identify and locate outages, as well as empowering customers to monitor their daily energy usage to manage costs effectively. They also pave the way for future innovations like variable electricity pricing based on demand fluctuations throughout the day.
Despite the advantages, smart meters have faced criticism, with concerns raised about potential health risks, privacy issues related to data collection, and doubts about their accuracy. In response, some residents, like Clarence Maillet from Moncton, have opted out of having a smart meter installed and are unhappy about the proposed additional charges to retain their current meters.
N.B. Power is proposing to manually read meters of customers who refuse the new smart meters six times a year, with a monthly fee of $4.65 starting in April. This change deviates from the original plan of biannual readings and aims to provide more accurate consumption estimates to enhance the customer experience.
The utility assures that the decision to increase the frequency of meter readings for opt-out customers is driven by the goal of improving service quality, rather than as a financial penalty. N.B. Power acknowledges the unexpected level of resistance to smart meters but anticipates a decline in opposition as people become more familiar with the technology and receive more information to address concerns.
