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EuroWire – May 2011
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Transat lant ic Cable
The PG&E plan calls for the company to go on installing
SmartMeters in houses, over the objections of the customer.
The customer could, however, exercise an option to have the
new meter’s transmitter disabled, cutting off the wireless signal.
Anyone who has already received a SmartMeter could do
likewise – at a price.
❈
Since 2006, PG&E has installed nearly eight million
SmartMeters in its service area. Predicting that as many
as 145,800 of its customers would choose to have the
signal turned off, the company would charge for sending
a technician to disable the transmitter. A new, continuing,
charge would also show up on the customer’s monthly bill.
Mr Baker described one of the payment plans proposed by
PG&E, under which the customer would pay $270 up front
and a monthly fee of $14 thereafter.
A lower initial payment of $135 would entail a $20 monthly
fee going forward. Opt-out customers moving to another
residence could face an “exit fee” to cover reactivation of the
transmitter on the SmartMeter at the previous address.
A PG&E spokesman explained: “For those folks who don’t want
to participate, there are additional costs, and this will help
recuperate those costs.”
A major item is, of course, the necessity for a meter reader
to check each opt-out household’s electricity and gas
usage every month. A fully operational SmartMeter bypasses
this expensive function by sending data to the utility via
wireless communication.
Metals
Historic high prices for copper prompt
a switchover to aluminium for
some important wire applications
As the global economic recovery gets up steam, a surge in the
price of copper is prompting some US manufacturers to turn to
another conductor of electricity: aluminium.
Makers of automobiles, such large appliances as air conditioners,
and industrial components are switching in greater numbers
to the much cheaper metal to help offset rising costs.
Other products ripe for the change in allegiance include
building wire and evaporator and condensing coils for
commercial refrigerators.