On April 28th of this year, I sent the following "open letter - for the record" about a recent very one-sided news article on Analog Utility Meter Choice legislation in Michigan, to Representative Glenn, Chairman of the House Energy Policy Committee, and copied all the members of the committee:
Dear Representative Glenn,
This article was published yesterday by DEI (Daily Energy Insider): Smart meters opt-out bill ready for Michigan House energy committee vote - Daily Energy Insider
Most customers of DTE Energy and Consumers Energy were not given the option of "opting-IN" to the smart and electronic metering program.
Consumers Energy claimed in their testimony that only a small percentage of customers "opted-OUT", yet they also admitted that a customer would have to go to their website and click on a tab having to do with "questions" in order to find any information about an "opt-out program". It is no wonder so few opted-out.
Some customers have had electricity shut-off for refusing a "smart" meter, and have gone through two or more Michigan winters with no electricity. They would most likely argue that thoughtfulness (per the article) was not, and has not, been used. Regardless of what DTE Energy and Consumers Energy say about privacy and cyber security, "smart" meters remain a "digital back door" to our homes and our personal lives via the wireless connection.
This article also mentioned that analog meters would cost customers more money to keep in place. Neither DTE Energy nor Consumers Energy has offered to "show us the books" to prove this claim. How could a system of metering that has been in place for decades (analog metering), suddenly cost "roughly $9 million more annually for energy"?
With analog choice, we are not asking for anything new or special. We are simply asking for the continuation of a system of utility metering that does not infringe upon our property, and other personal rights.
Thank you for all you do to support this legislation.
Sincerely,
Jeanine Susan Deal
Battle Creek, MI 49015
