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TEN QUESTIONS FOR YOUR UTILITY COMPANY

Utility companies around the world have been caught lying to their customers about their smart meter programs. The
following will allow you to cut to the truth with your local utility and smart meter company.
Note: For additional research and resources, please see Film References and Key Issues & News.

1. Am I legally required to accept a smart meter?
Answer: No. You do not have to accept a smart (or “advanced” or “upgraded”) meter. Any utility company who states this
is lying.

2. Can I expect my energy bills to go up with a smart meter?
Answer: Yes. Where smart meters have been deployed, energy bills have consistently risen – sometimes dramatically. The
price increases will become even more pronounced once Time-of-Use (TOU) pricing is implemented. You will be charged
more for electrical use when you need the electricity the most (i.e. when you come home from work or school). The idea that
you will start doing your laundry at 3:00 AM when prices are cheaper is a dystopian fantasy dreamt up by the same people
who think it is safe to put a toxic, microwave radiation emitting spy-device on your home.

3. In the United States, my 4th Amendment rights prevent unlawful search and seizure in my own home. Do smart meters
violate these rights?
Answer: Yes. With a smart meter on your home, you can no longer retreat into your own home and expect to have the privacy
that is guaranteed by law. Thus, smart meters are unconstitutional and illegal.
“With smart meters, police will have access to data that might be used to track residents’ daily lives and routines while
in their homes, including their eating, sleeping, and showering habits, what appliances they use and when, and whether they
prefer the television to the treadmill, among a host of other details.”
US Congressional Research Report, “Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Cybersecurity,” p. 7, 3 February 2012

4. Is it true that my energy use information will be sold to third-party vendors in order to market products or track my
activities in some way?
Answer: Yes. The California Public Utilities Commission has stated on the record that they look forward to the business op-
portunities that will come from selling our personal energy use data. Just like Gmail and Facebook data, your privacy will not
be preserved if you have a smart meter.
“I support today’s decision because it… expands consumer and third-party access to electricity usage and pricing infor-
mation. I hope this decision stimulates market interest.”
Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon, “California Commission Adopts Rules…”, 31 July 2011

5. Will the smart meter program help the environment by reducing energy use?
Answer: No. None of the existing smart meter programs has shown energy savings. In fact, having a wireless smart meter
and smart grid mesh system takes more energy because now there are millions of new wireless transmitters on the grid that
are constantly using energy and constantly transmitting. They all take additional energy that the grid must produce. Simple
energy conservation steps by citizens would have saved much more energy, but would not have been profitable for utility
companies, the smart meter industry and governments.
Furthermore, any technology that harms the health of humans, plants and animals like that of microwave radiation emit-
ting smart meters can never be considered environmentally sustainable or “green.” It is the exact opposite – an environmental
calamity.
“The pilot results showed no beneficial impact on total energy usage.”
Connecticut Attorney General George Jespen, “Jespen Urges State Regulators…”, 8 February 2011

6. Have there been fires where smart meters have been installed?
Answer: Yes, throughout the world there have been thousands of fires that have occurred once smart meters have been
installed. This is happening because of faulty installations, old wiring that cannot handle the new meters and when smart
meters have been turned on remotely. In Pennsylvania, PECO/Exelon halted their installation program because of more than
twenty-four documented fires. Property damage has been significant and one man died in California because of a smart
meter fire. Notably, the vast majority of smart meters are not approved or listed by UL (Underwriters Laboratories). Because
of this, a fire related to a smart meter on your home may not be covered by your insurance.
“For myself, as an adjuster, I believe the Smart Meters are a real threat to the safety of your home, business and property.
I have personally worked two large homeowner fires in which the Smart Meters were determined as responsible.”
Norman Lambe, insurance adjuster, “The not so smart meter”, 13 November 2011.

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