BC HYDRO Part 3 (AKA) Does "No" actually mean "No" to the BC Liberals? To all of them? Some of them? And on what day?

Today's Conservative Thoughts commentary is a guest op / ed.  Unfortunately I am unable to include the name of the writer, but this is a person I have known and have respected for nearly 20 years.

 

As B.C. Hydro and Corix installers roll out across the province, targeting people who’ve refused the Hydro smart meters, the message changes constantly.

“I’ve been ordered to put a meter on every house
and I’m doing it.”, he replied ... and he did.

From 85,000 to 140,000 British Columbians have registered with Hydro to refuse the smart meters. Reasons include health, safety, privacy, time of day billing and, as one man put it, “the jack-booted way it’s being imposed”.

On January 22nd Energy Minister Rich Coleman reassured the hold-outs that meters wouldn’t be forced upon them.

On January 29th Liberal MLA Gordon Hogg issued a statement, telling people pressured to accept new meters, to notify their MLA’s.

On January 30th a Kamloops reporter wanting to confirm the government’s position, phoned several MLAs.  BC Liberal MLA and Energy Minster Rich Coleman wasn’t available, but his office sent a copy of the Jan. 22nd statement that Smart Meters would not be forced on them.

Gordon Hogg’s office replied “Mr. Hogg is no longer speaking to the media on the smart meter issue.” 

Kamloops South Thompson MLA Kevin Krueger, the only Liberal MLA who would speak, said “..We always have some people who think everything’s bad for them. …however there are some people with really unique health conditions.  I don’t want to have smart meters anywhere near them."

People felt reassured.  It didn’t last long.

Between January 28th and February 1st, the city of Kamloops was targeted for a final installation blitz. Corix, the company doing installations, employs mostly young men who are paid by piece work.  Every morning they held a team meeting during which they’re told where to go, what to say and what to do.

On January 28th, a 72 year old woman insisted to the installer that she didn’t want a smart meter.  “What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” she asked. 

“I’ve been ordered to put a meter on every house and I’m doing it.”, he replied, and he did.

Another woman, who has medical problems, explained why she was refusing. “Now I’ve talked to you can I be confident no one else will come install a meter?” 

"We’ll be back”, was the response.

“When?”, she asked 

The response?  ... “Maybe tomorrow.” 

One man became so exasperated, after he was asked three times why he was refusing, that he grabbed for the smart meter.  In the scuffle a Corix employee fell to the ground.  The RCMP arrived within 15 minutes and told the householder he would be charged.

Auditor General John Doyle stated they are creating; "the appearance of profitability where none exists ... they are creating a burden on ratepayers in the future"

BC Hydro and smart meters are back in the news again.  It has always been my belief that the main reason for smart meters being pushed on us by government had little to do with saving energy; instead the push was to have an increased revenue source. 

After all, the BC government does drain revenues, from BC Hydro, which are then lost in a black hole called General Revenue.

To give what I believe is clarity to the push for Smart Meters, lets sandwich the comments of Energy Minister Rich Coleman (Surrey Leader) -- along with the words of a BC Hydro Media Advisor (Kamloops Daily News) ... and those of a Corix employee (Kamloops Daily News) -- between two news stories from the CBC in 2011:

CBC NEWS -- Oct 27th, 2011

B.C.’s auditor general says BC Hydro has deferred $2.2 billion in current expenses that he says sooner or later, Hydro customers will have to pay for.

 

SURREY LEADER -- January 31st, 2013
Energy Minister Rich Coleman says smart meters won't be forced into homes over the next few months but he denied reports the province has reversed its policy and will let objectors opt out of having the wireless devices.  "We're going back to talk to our customers ... We'll not force any customer to take a meter."

 

KAMLOOPS DAILY NEWS -- February 1st, 2013
... after Liberals Rich Coleman and Gordon Hogg said meter opponents won’t be required to take the devices — a Corix employee showed up at Wendy Johnson’s Oak Hills home and insisted smart meters are being ordered for all B.C. homes.

“He said ‘Ma’am, we’ve been ordered to put meters on every house.’ He turned around and put on the meter,” Johnson said.