University Study Exposes Smart Meters Inflating Power Consumption Readings​
01 APR 17
University Study Exposes Smart Meters Inflating Power Consumption Readings

From Stop Smart Meters Australia
Posted on March 31, 2017 by Stop Smart Meters Australia
Smart meters overcharge consumers by up to 582% while at the same time collecting owner’s data which is then sold to third parties for further profit, according to the first major university study into the controversial technology.
The University of Twente (UT) in the Netherlands, in collaboration with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) published the results of a major study into the nine most popular smart meters used in the United States and United Kingdom, with the conclusion that smart meters routinely overcharge consumers, often by staggering amount.
“In the experiments (which were entirely reproducible), five of the nine smart meters gave readings that were much higher than the actual amount of power consumed. Indeed, in some setups, these were up to 582 percent higher.”
Is it any wonder that electric utilities have increasingly embraced smart meters, pushing hard for the mass rollout of the technology……
Information on the study can be found at: ELECTRONIC ENERGY METERS’ FALSE READINGS ALMOST SIX TIMES HIGHER THAN ACTUAL ENERGY CONSUMPTION
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Washington Moves to Thwart U.S. Power Grid AttacksBy Elizabeth MacDonald 
Published February 02, 2016 Emac's Bottom Line FOXBusiness

With the hacks into the Ukraine power grid, and the latest cyberattack on Israel’s Electric Authority, attention has returned anew to the vulnerabilities of the U.S. power grid, a problem that victims of Hurricane Sandy and the recent blizzard can attest to given wide scale power outages.
Though black swan weaknesses exist, Washington is moving to fix the problem. Confounding the solution is the fact that an estimated 90% of the 3,200 U.S. utilities are in private hands. Also, the rise of the “smart grid”—the grid’s computing and communications done over the Internet, as well as the Internet of Things--has poked open more entry points for miscreants to hack the grid’s computer systems. In fact, researchers have found holes in thousands of Internet-connected industrial control systems.
Even though James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence, has said that "cyber Armageddon" is less likely than smaller attacks, those attacks could bedevil systems for years to come. It’s the ease of entry that’s concerning authorities. Cyberhackers could, for instance, break into a power grid system via a simple phishing email to a utility insider that’s loaded with malware, as is suspected in the Ukraine grid attack. The hackers can then seize control of certain parts of the system, all the while getting insights into industrial processes so as to conduct sabotage later on.
Though it reads like something out of a Tom Clancy novel, the attacks have occurred in the real world. The U.S. power grid routinely gets hit with hacks or physical attacks, with an estimated 331 from fiscal 2011 to 2014, and now occurring once every four days, according to the Dept. of Homeland Security. A major cyberattack on the U.S. electric grid could cause over $1 trillion in economic damage, estimates ThreatTrackSecurity.com. The Pentagon, too, has warned that, in a worst-case scenario, a massive attack on the nation’s power grid would take "many weeks” to fix, blanket the country in darkness, and push it into a recession.
The Government Accountability Office recently wrote of the weaknesses: “The cyber threat to critical infrastructure continues to grow and represents a serious national security challenge. Foreign malicious actors have directly attacked and extracted highly sensitive materials from the networks of government agencies and major critical infrastructure companies.”
However, the Dept. of Homeland Security has a unit that oversees such threats. It’s called the Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ICS-CERT). The unit is now working with Ukrainian authorities and international officials to combat malware, like the BlackEnergy virus, which had been injected into power grids.
In December 2014, ICS-CERT  issued a warning about “a sophisticated malware campaign compromising numerous industrial control system environments.” It warned that this attack “had been ongoing since at least 2011.” 
In early 2014, the unit warned that an unnamed U.S. public utility had been hacked “when a sophisticated threat actor gained unauthorized access to its control system network through a vulnerable remote access capability configured on the system.”
How did they get in? Via the Internet. “The software used to administer the control system assets was accessible via Internet facing hosts. The systems were configured with a remote access capability, utilizing a simple password mechanism,” the unit warned.
However, Washington has been stepping up its countermeasures on the problem for the last several years. Along with the Dept. of Homeland Security’s ICS-CERT unit, there is Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. The Department of Energy also has its oversight, including the Cybersecurity Risk Information Sharing Program (CRISP). Also, the powerful Department of Defense has had up and running for some time its United States Cyber Command.
And the Pentagon has the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which recently put out a new call to the nation's best tech and engineering minds to come up with a solution that will get the nation’s power grid back up and running in less than seven days in the event of a cyberattack on the country’s power grid. "A substantial and prolonged disruption of electric power would have profound economic and human costs for the United States,” the DARPA solicitation reads. “From a defense perspective, it would hamper military mobilization and logistics, impairing the ability of the government to project force.”
DARPA has been moving to develop secure embedded systems in everything from large supervisory control and data acquisition systems that run and manage physical infrastructure, down to even items like medical devices in hospitals, computer peripherals such as printers and routers, even communication devices such as cell phones and radios, as well as infrastructure that supports the nation’s roadways, airplanes and satellites. The U.S. Department of Energy has also spent millions developing security systems for the grid.
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The Florida Public Service Commission: Smart Meters, Fracking and the Love Fest
December 19, 2014 
By Marilynne Martin 

The Florida Public Service held its last Commission Conference Agenda Meeting for the year on  December 18, 2014. On the Agenda were two important items for Florida ratepayers – the challenge to FPL’s smart meter opt out fees and the inclusion of FPL’s oil and gas exploration (fracking) investment in the rate base for recovery through the fuel clause.

The Commission meeting and the following Internal Affairs meeting was more of a love fest than a meeting, as they each gave their lengthy send off remarks for two members of the team – Commissioner Balbis, who chose not to seek another term and FPSC General Counsel Kirk, who is retiring.

Balbis gave a speech of his proud accomplishments of his four years claiming customers have benefited from a “stable regulatory environment”.  He bragged about the goodness he sees in the controversial nuclear recovery costs clause stating it has saved $3 Billion in fuel costs and took the equivalent of 7 million cars off the roads by removing carbon emissions.

The biggest chuckle I got is when he thanked his colleagues “for their patience with me asking a question of every single witness”. This is a lie and I can prove it. On September 30, 2014 in that same very room, almost 3 months ago to the day, I was sworn in as a witness in Docket 130223, was given a paltry 3 minutes to summarize my pre-filed testimony, and then when it was time for questions not one Commissioner or their staff asked one question. I guess the cat got his tongue that day.

Docket No. 130223 is FPL’s smart meter opt out fees, which I filed a formal protest against on February 4, 2014. Staff issued their recommendation a few weeks ago calling for a couple of adjustments that would reduce the upfront fee from $95 to $89, a whopping  $6. Staff ignored many of the arguments before them; instead their analysis just parroted what FPL said. I’ll write in more detail about that another day, particularly how they doubled-down on an incorrect adjustment in their latest recommendation.

A few days ago I received the Conference Agenda for todays meeting. Of the 15 items on the agenda, all but three had double asterisks beside them, denoting they would be handled as consent agenda items (no discussion). I was relieved to see that Docket 130223 did not have such asterisks, so I expected at least some discussion. Wrong! I guess Commissioner Balbis had run out of questions – for at the start of the meeting they put the smart meter docket into the consent agenda pool. (They have a lot of discretion to do as they please.) The staff recommendation was quickly rubber stamped and approved with no discussion.

FPSC General Counsel Kirk’s love fest speech talked about the dysfunctional Commission of 5 years ago and their “lack of civility” and how much better it was now. He bragged about how the FPL settlement appeal win was a huge decision. In the electric utility market he predicted change similar to that of the telephone industry. Citing his work as a state legislator, he reminisced about his legislation to bring forth peak load pricing. Then he did a no-no. He let the cat out of the bag. He said that the investment in smart meters would now make peak load pricing easier. I guess the truth always comes out eventually.

The Commission also took up the FPL fracking investment issue. This was the fun theater of the day. The script was written in advance to put Balbis up as the chief proponent of this project. Why, you ask? Well, because he is leaving in 12 days, of course. If it goes sour in the next few years, you can point to the man that is no longer there. Each of the others brought up their hesitations pretending to put up some resistance and thoughtful oversight – the contract term is too long, the accounting might not be transparent, who will do the audit?

The best actor award will go to Brise. There were four issues/questions being considered. The first one they tackled was Issue #6 – whether the 2012 rate case settlement agreement precluded FPL from seeking to increase rates as it proposes. When they voted on that issue, Brise voted Yes – meaning that he believed the settlement agreement precluded FPL from seeking rates for this issue. All the other Commissioners voted No.

Edgar so concisely stated before the vote why they were taking up Issue #6 first. Because if the vote was that the majority of the Commissioners felt the settlement agreement precluded this increase, then the other issues are moot.

So how did Brise vote on whether to allow rate recovery for this proposal after the first vote? Well, he concedes he lost the first battle and then votes in line with the others to unanimously approve all the other issues. What? Yes, he believes the rate case settlement precludes FPL from seeking rates on this investment BUT he believes the Commission should approve FPL’s request for cost recovery. Folks, that is what is meant by “civility” – getting along, showing solidarity is much more important than the facts and your convictions to how you see the facts.

There are other supporting actor awards to give out, like Brown’s statements of prudency. She poses very important questions regarding risks for rate payers if state legislators act unfavorably on fracking, for which the legal staff answers, after a long period of silence, “I don’t know” and then she smoothly doesn’t seem to care that she doesn’t get an answer and powers on and votes for it anyway. Once I figure out how to get video clips off the site, I think I can make a pretty good award video.

Not to be out done, they had a rival love fest today in California too for their outgoing Chairman Peevey. He was caught up in just a little scandal of participating in judge shopping for the California utilities. One would think that little event, discovered through freedom of information requests for e-mails, would get you fired for ethic violations. But no, he got to keep his job until the end of his term and throw himself a love fest. California, after a three-year review, also voted today to keep their smart meter fees that were being challenged by the public. But at least they had discussion AND public comments on the issue, unlike the Florida cowards.
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Please read many articles below about House fires Caused by Smart Meters..  Bad decision  and we all pay in so many pays .. including loss of life

Customers fight fees for FP&L standard meters
Garin Flowers, WTSP 8:06 p.m. EDT September 30, 2014

(Photo: WTSP)

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Not everyone is on board with Florida Power & Light's move to the smart grid and smart meters.

Thousands of FP&L customers opting to keep their standard meters pay hundreds of dollars in extra fees.

Now, lawyers representing them are calling on the Public Service Commission to force FP&L to reduce the charges.

The utility service started installing new smart meters to all households back in 2010 and then early this year rolled out fees for customers who don't want them.

That's costing them a one-time $95 enrollment fee and a $13/month charge.

"Smart meters, you can read them remotely, so theoretically you save money not having to have meter readers, but when you're not delivering those savings then who really profits from this? It's FPL," said Nathan Skop who represents one of the FP&L customers complaining.

An FPL spokesman said the smart meters improve service, help them maintain the lowest residential electric bills in Florida and provide customers with more information. He also said less than one percent of customers opted out of using smart meters.

The PSC could make a decision on the fees by early November.

Thousands of FP&L customers opting to keep their standard meters pay hundreds of dollars in extra fees.
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Smart Meter Harm
Overbilling, fires, health problems, inaccuracy, hacking & cybersecurity, interference, privacy loss, and more….

Florida report on energy company influence over legislature and Public Service Commission
Posted on July 27, 2014  by admin
In Florida (and elsewhere), utility companies certainly wield a lot of power. This shows up as rate increases, hidden fees, fees for nuclear power plants that don’t exist, municipal utility buy-up controversies, Smart Meter and Smart Grid problems (including time-of-use rates) which are ignored, and new power plants pushed when capacity is not needed. At a hearing this week, they’ll lobby for most energy conservation goals to be terminated.

All of this is to the industry’s advantage. None of it is for the consumer.

Integrity Florida put out the report “Power Play: Political Influence of Florida’s Top Energy Corporations” in March 2014 [here andhttp://www.integrityflorida.org/powerplay/]

“…between 2004 and 2012, the companies infused more than $18 million into legislative and state political campaigns and spent more than $12 million over the past five years hiring lobbyists. The report also detailed a pattern of favoritism toward utilities by regulators at the Public Service Commission (PSC) and the Legislature.

The report contends the investments of power companies have paid legislative dividends.

For example, Progress Energy, now known as Duke Energy, charged its customers more than $1.5 billion for the now-canceled Levy County nuclear power plant and, even though it will never be built, the law allows Duke Energy to keep the money, including $150 million in profit.

The cost to the company, the report found: an estimated $300,000 to hire 15 lobbyists in 2006 to push for the bill, and more than $3.6 million in campaign contributions for lawmakers to keep the charges intact.

…The report also suggested that a “revolving door” is commonly used “to lure former government regulators and officials into more lucrative lobbying and consulting jobs” for the industry.

It cites news reports that found 18 former state officials with current ties to FPL. Some worked for FPL, while others joined lobbying firms that represented the company. In addition, five former PSC commissioners, including the current executive director [Braulio Baez], have worked or are working for FPL.

Group says power companies wield too much influence in Legislature

In 2010, two PSC commissioners, appointed by then Gov. Crist, were rejected by the legislature. Their crime? They voted against rate increases and represented independence from utility companies.

Klement and Stevens were appointed by Crist in October after revelations that some PSC members and staffers had become too close to the utilities the agency regulates. A legislatively controlled nominating panel sent Crist six possible appointees for two positions, only two of whom had not worked in the utility industry or at the PSC.

Crist said he was “deeply disappointed” by the votes, particularly claims that the two were not qualified.

“I don’t know how you can [say] that with a straight face — when it’s the Legislature that submitted the names to me in the first place,” he said. “It’s hard to pass the smell test.”

Klement, a former editorial page editor for the Bradenton Herald, released a strongly worded statement calling the confirmation process a farce.

“Today’s vote by the Florida Senate was an example of government at its worst — using vital public regulatory appointments to get back at the governor and to satisfy the wishes of the utility industry,” Klement said.

He warned that utility customers should “hold on to your wallets. Because it seems clear that the Senate leadership is bent on appointing utility-friendly commissioners to the PSC. Make no mistake, this vote was not about ability, it was about money — and politics.”

… Pushing lawmakers to reject Crist’s appointees was a priority for Florida’s largest electric utilities, particularly Florida Power & Light and Progress Energy, whose requests for rate increases were rejected by the PSC in January after Klement and Stevens took office.

March 30, 20214:

The current Public Service Commission has never rejected a request by utilities to collect the nuclear fee and has approved every rate increase request sought by the four companies.

That track record won praise from the Senate Communications, Energy and Public Utilities Committee two weeks ago, when it unanimously supported the reappointment of two PSC commissioners, Art Graham and Ronald Brise.

Sen. Joseph Abruzzo, a Democrat from West Palm Beach who serves on the legislator-controlled nominating council, told Graham: “I cannot commend you enough for really getting a grasp on the board, working together and making Florida a better place for all our utilities and most of all our consumers.”

“We have a lovefest,” said Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, the committee’s chairwoman.

A lovefest at the Public Service Commission? A love fest in Tallahassee? Is that really what Florida residents want happening at the PSC and the state capitol between legislators and the energy industry?

This is a part of a wider scandal involving Florida government officials.

A history of Florida’s gift ban: Scandal. Reform. Repeat.

Information on hunting trips to King Ranch in Texas are stonewalled.

Back-and-forth slugfest between Rick Scott and Charlie Crist intensifies

Fortunately, the Florida news media is covering these issues.

In other states, the public is not so lucky. A rare investigative article on telecom industry dominance in California appeared in the Los Angeles Times.[i] And this Sacramento Bee blog was written on PG&E executives in Gov. Jerry Brown’s top staff.[ii] However, despite or because of the influence of utility, telecom, and other industries in California governance, little is reported in the media.

Meanwhile, the Florida energy companies will ask the PSC tomorrow to eliminate energy conservation goals, and the public is not allowed to speak at the hearing.

 The state’s energy future depends almost exclusively on construction of expensive new power plants, the utilities argued in preparation for the Public Service Commission hearing and in their previous public statements.

The utilities see little merit in any other strategy.

Solar energy? Not reliable. Increased efforts to encourage use of energy efficient appliances and building practices? Not “cost effective.” Studies that show it is cheaper to conserve power than to generate it? Misleading.

Given the pattern of recent decisions, there’s a good chance the PSC will approve the requests from Duke Energy, Tampa Electric Co. and Florida Power & Light to gut conservation goals.

Ratepayers alarmed at that prospect will have no opportunity to object at Monday’s hearing. The proceedings will be too ”technical,” the PSC said.

The stakes are high. For the utilities, there’s the prospect of big, guaranteed returns on investments in new plants. Those returns would come from the pockets of utility customers. They, according to economist Shawn LeMond, “are going to get hosed.”

PSC Chairman Ronald Brise said,

“Given the technical nature of this goal-setting procedure and no legislative directive to take public testimony, I do not find it necessary to hold a public hearing.” He suggested the public submit comments in writing.

Too technical for the public to provide testimony? No directive from the state legislature for the public’s input and involvement in this important hearing?

Will Florida residents allow this “members only” club to continue, or will there be protests inside and outside the hearing room, demanding the public’s right to participate in this hearing?

In California, the Bagley-Keene Act governing state agencies was enacted in a rare fit of wisdom. It is often ignored, but it stands, nevertheless.

It states,

Section 11120: It is the public policy of this state that public agencies exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business and the proceedings of public agencies be conducted openly so that the public may remain informed. In enacting this article the Legislature finds and declares that it is the intent of the law that actions of state agencies be taken openly and that their deliberation be conducted openly. The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. This article shall be known and may be cited as the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act.

Florida residents can say, “Enough is enough.” They can take back the PSC and the state legislature.

Will they?
AT&T wields enormous power in Sacramento, April 22, 2012

“No other single corporation has spent more trying to influence legislators in recent years. It dispenses millions in political donations and has an army of lobbyists. Bills it opposes are usually defeated.”

Note: PG&E exec Nancy McFadden was in charge of PG&E’s Proposition 16 campaign to stop municipal utility district formation which jeopardizes PG&E’s monopoly. This proposition was defeated by California voters, yet Brown picked McFadden to be his executive secretary/chief of staff when he took office. Jerry Brown appointed both of these PG&E executives after the San Bruno disaster.
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Smart TV Manufacturers Do NOT Want You To See This Video - CIA Vault 7 (Illuminati Exposed) (2017)

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Athens Medical Association Recommends Reducing Electromagnetic Wireless Radiation To Protect Public Health
“NON-IONIZING RADIATION, ITS EFFECTS ON PUBLIC HEALTH”
Athens Medical Association 16 Rules To Reduce Wireless Exposure
April 1st 2017 from 10.00 am to 14.30 pm
Athens Medical Association Building, Athens, GreeceAthens Medical Association Issues Recommendations To Reduce Wireless Exposure After Scientific Seminar On Non-ionizing Radiation
Seminar focused on public health risks from exposure to elevated indoor and outdoor electromagnetic radiation emissions. ​

On April 1st the Athens Medical Association (AMA) held a Scientific Conference on “Non-Ionizing Radiation and Its Effects on Human Health” at the Athens Medical Association Building, Athens, Greece. Scientific lectures were followed by a discussion, then the Athens Medical Association decision to issue 16 recommendations to reduce human exposure to wireless radiation. 
16 RULES FOR SAFER USE OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
      Use your cell phone with caution and make brief calls as necessary

•       Children under the age of 14 should make limited use of cell phones
•       Do not put your cell phone in contact with your head
•       Do not use your cell phone inside a car, train, aeroplane, or elevator
•       Restrict cell phone use when children or pregnant women are near
•       Keep mobile phones away from your body
•       When using your cell phone keep a safe distance from others
•       Do not carry or keep your cell phone inside your pockets
•       At bedtime, disable WiFi on your router and switch off your mobile phone
•       Do not play games on-line; and if you will, first switch to airplane mode
•       Hands-Free option is always preferable though may not be completely safe
•       Wireless connections may increase your exposure to microwave radiation
•       Limit WiFi connectivity and use hard-wired connection whenever possible
•       When signal strength is weak do not attempt to make a call
•       If a corded landline is available make use of this as a preferred option
•       Disable WiFi, Bluetooth & Data options from your cell phone and other mobile device(s) when not needed.

The speakers contributing to this event were Dr. Theodore Metsis, a Mechanical, Electrical, Environmental Engineer, electro-smog specialist and author of the book “The Radiation of Technology”, Dr. Stella Canna Michaelides, Chemist, an expert on environment and health and President of the Cyprus Committee on Children’s Health and Environment, Stelios Zinelis MD, Vice President of Anti-Cancer Society of Cephalonia and Ithaka, Dr. Lucas Margaritis, professor of biology at the Athens University and lawyer Maria Flouraki. Coordinator of this event was Mr. Sotiris Rigakis MD, Honorary President and Past President of the Athens Medical Association.
George Patoulis MD, President of the Athens Medical Association, said that AMA, in emphasizing its role and duties as guardian for public health, has taken steps to encourage and promote this open discussion dealing with the delicate issues of electromagnetic radiation. Mr. Patoulis stressed that all local authorities and all medical associations are obliged to adopt and apply the best possible practices available in today’s world, aiming primarily at the protection of our fellow citizens.
In the general scope of the discussion under the title “Non-Ionizing Radiation and Its Effects on Human Health”, Professor Margaritis presented his recent proposal to the Ministry of Digital Affairs, a document that highlights health issues associated with wireless communication and the elevated levels of radiation in our modern society.
Dr. Stella Canna-Michaelidou presented the steps adopted by the Cyprus Government for children’s protection. She stressed the strong scientific evidence, special vulnerability and exposure of children and the risks from wireless communications and radio frequencies in all devices used by them. She called for awareness and education among health professionals, teachers and parents, and for new legislation or biological criteria to evaluate at least children’s exposure. Avoidance of mobile phone and WiFi in homes, schools, pediatric clinics, nurseries and playgrounds by children under 14 is necessary.
Dr. Metsis, among other health issues of wireless communication presented, emphasized the constantly increasing levels of radiation recorded today in many built up areas and cities—levels at which many doctors and scientists repeatedly raise alarms—the rising issue of electromagnetic hypersensitivity in a large number of citizens in most western countries, the setbacks of smart meter installation in private homes already exposed and the dangers of the completely unknown elements in the terahertz frequencies used in the new 5G technology.
In concluding this discussion, the Athens Medical Association agreed to issue and endorse a 16-clause recommendation, leading to safer use of the wireless communication in our everyday life. 

This press release is adapted from the Athens Medical Association press release. 
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Meter Replacement To Cost Utility $50,000

This is one of Lakeland Electric's Sensus remote-disconnect smart meters. The meters are being replaced because of the chance they may overheat.

MICHAEL WILSON | THE LEDGER
By John Chambliss
THE LEDGER
Published: Friday, August 29, 2014 at 11:07 p.m.Last Modified: Friday, August 29, 2014 at 11:07 p.m.
LAKELAND | It will cost Lakeland Electric about $50,000 in labor costs to replace 10,657 residential smart meters over concerns they might overheat.

Sensus, the manufacturer of the meters, is providing new meters at no cost to the utility. However, the North Carolina company will not pay for any of the labor cost for putting them in. Lakeland Electric has paid $8.5 million to Sensus since the devices were installed in 2011 and 2012. Overall, the utility has spent about $25.5 million on the smart meter project. In 2009, the utility received a $15 million grant for the project, and $20 million came from utility bonds for the project.

The decision to replace the meters comes after months of discussions between Lakeland Electric General Manager Joel Ivy and Sensus officials. Six of the meters have caught fire during the past year.

The 10,657 devices, called remote-disconnect meters, make up about 9 percent of the utility's 121,000 meters. Sensus spokeswoman Linda Palmer declined comment and directed inquiries to Lakeland Electric.

CRITICISM OF METERS

Smart meters faced criticism before they were installed.

About 100 households pay a monthly $16.25 fee to use their old analog meters. The residents who chose not to use smart meters are concerned about government intrusion and fears the devices cause health problems.

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Utility-issued 'smart' meters explode on 5,000 homes after truck rams utility pole
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 
by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Thousands of California residents were left without power recently after their so-called "smart" meters exploded due to an unexpected power surge. According to CBS Sacramento, more than 5,000 homes in the Stockton area were left with blackened, charred, and completely destroyed smart meters after a dump truck crashed into a nearby utility pole, pulling the static line down onto the distribution line.

When the two lines intersect, stated PG&E spokeswoman Brandi Ehlers to the media, the resultant surge causes a major overload to the system. And when smart meters are involved, this overload can cause the meters themselves to pop and literally blow up, potentially causing a fire or other property damage not typically caused by traditional analog meters.

"The top lines are considered our freeways," explained Ehlers. "The bottom lines are our distribution lines taking power directly to homes. So when the two collide, they're at different voltages and the higher voltage wins out, causing an overload."

Do you have a smart meter? Report problems with it to the Consumer Products Safety CommissionBut this doesn't explain why the overload caused the meters to explode which, again, doesn't happen with traditional analog meters. All around the world, people with smart meters are reporting fires, explosions, electrical problems, and even burned out appliances as a result of smart meter installations, and yet utilities continue to install them without their customers' consent.

"The neighbor across the street, his meter doesn't look as bad but his receptacles are all blackened," admitted Brad Abernathy, one of the Stockton smart meter victims, about the harrowing experience in California.

The EMF Safety Network is calling on people with smart meters to report their experiences, including any health and safety risks they've observed since smart meter installation, to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. You can submit your smart meter complaint by:

Phone: (800) 638-2772
Online: www.saferproducts.gov

Here's how to get rid of your smart meter, or avoid having one installed if you still have an analog meterOn the EMF Safety Network website, you can peruse story after story of fires, explosions, and deaths associated with the use of smart meters. These apparently untested devices, which we've previously reported pulse electromagnetic radiation into the walls of the homes to which they're attached, are being installed without people's consent, and without any true guarantee of safety.

"One thing that has been revealed by people who've tracked 'smart' meter pulses: They are highly variable," explains the site Stop Smart Meters! "Other descriptors: Unpredictable, random, very erratic, and even bizarre. One EMF consultant has told us that it is impossible to extract meaningful conclusions about the fields created by the pulses."

Among the many health effects documented in conjunction with smart meters are chronic fatigue, difficulty sleeping, leg cramps, headaches, learning problems, and more. A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Neuroscience also explains how the same kind of electromagnetic radiation emitted from smart meters can trigger novel neurological disease.

More on the harmful EMF signals emitted by smart meters is available here:
http://stopsmartmeters.org

Smart meters may also allow your utility company, the local government, and possibly even federal authorities to monitor your utility usage based on the extensive data they collect about electricity usage.

As far as what you can do to avoid having a smart meter installed on your home -- or what to do if one has already been installed without your informed consent -- the EMF Safety Network recommends taking the following steps:

1) Contact your power utility directly and instruct them not to install a smart meter. If one has already been installed, order them to remove it and put back on the analog meter.

2) Contrary to popular belief, smart meters aren't mandated by the federal government, and federal law requires that power utilities provide customers with "a time-based meter" that supports "a time-based rate," upon request.

3) Attach a signed refusal notice to your analog meter saying you don't consent to having a smart meter installed.

4) If you already have a smart meter, complain to your Public Utilities Commission or utility oversight board.

These and other tips and instructions are available at the EMF Safety Network:
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/action-now/

Sources:

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com

http://emfsafetynetwork.org

www.saferproducts.gov

http://stopsmartmeters.org

http://emfsafetynetwork.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 

http://news.discovery.com 

http://emfsafetynetwork.org





Learn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/049518_smart_meters_EMF_pollution_utilities.html#ixzz3YfsLaI35

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Livonia fire officials, DTE investigate home blaze

• Shawn D. Lewis
• The Detroit News

Livonia firefighters wrap up after putting out a blaze Friday at a house on Bayberry Park Drive. Battalion chief Jim Pietraz said the two-story home sustained extensive damage. (Photos by Clarence Tabb Jr. / The Detroit News)
Livonia— Livonia fire officials and DTE Energy are investigating a fire that ripped through a home Friday while service technicians were removing an exterior meter.

There were no injuries from the blaze at the house in the 28000 block of Bayberry Park Drive. The homeowner, although upset, expressed gratitude.

“My family is OK and that’s the important thing,” said Kirk Lytwyn, 45. “What they’re telling me is that the meter shorted out and it ran into the ground, igniting some clothing.”

DTE spokesman Scott Simons said service technicians were removing an old meter and installing an advanced meter when they saw signs of fire.

“While taking it out, they noticed there was smoke coming from inside the house,” said Simons. “This would indicate the customer side of the meter, but we’re continuing to investigate.”

The two-story home suffered extensive damage, according to battalion chief Jim Pietraz.

“We got the call at around 12:02 p.m. when somebody called 911 and they exited the building,” he said.

Initial reports said firefighters were bailing out of windows, but Pietraz discounted those accounts.

“They entered through the first floor door but exited through a sliding glass door, also on the first floor,” he said.


[email protected] 
(313) 222-2296

From The Detroit News:  read more 

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Smart Meter Fires and Explosions

The following is a compilation of reports from the US , Australia and Canada about fires, explosions or burned out appliances due to Smart Meter installations.  If you have experienced similar problems, please post your story in the comment section below.

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) is a federal agency that will take complaints on utility smart meters from all US states.  If you have or had smart meter electrical or fire problems CALL: (800) 638-2772  Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET  or submit your complaint by email.

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8/2013 Lakeland fire sparks concerns about ‘smart meters’ (Florida) TV news reported , “A charred electrical box is what’s left of a very scary weekend outside Cherie Oberg’s Carillon Lakes condo in Lakeland.  Oberg says the digital “smart meter” on her home burst into flames damaging two adjoining meters. The flames fizzled out by the time Lakeland firefighters arrived, but the fear sparked by the situation is still smoldering for Oberg and her neighbors.“  The report and video confirm the Consumer Product and Safety Commission is taking complaints on smart meters.

Read more: 
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Sept 2nd
Lakeland fire sparks concerns about 'smart meters'

Aug 28, 2013  By Jennifer Leigh -  LAKELAND, FL -


A charred electrical box is what's left of a very scary weekend outside Cherie Oberg's Carillon Lakes condo in Lakeland.

Oberg says the digital "smart meter" on her home burst into flames damaging two adjoining meters. The flames fizzled out by the time Lakeland firefighters arrived, but the fear sparked by the situation is still smoldering for Oberg and her neighbors. 

"Oh my gosh, somebody could have died. We could have all lost our homes," Oberg said. 
"It was totally scary," explained neighbor Sandy Williams. "We came out. There was still a little bit of smoke smell. We could smell the air way down at the other end of the building."
Oberg and her neighbors are convinced the "smart meter" itself is to blame for the fire, but Lakeland Electric and city officials dispute that.
City spokesman Kevin Cook says a preliminary investigation revealed the problem was not the "smart meter."   "What we found is the can, the apparatus that the meter actually fits onto, that looked like there was an electrical short inside that can," Cook said. 
"We found out it's not the actual meter itself. It's the housing of what the meter plugs into which unfortunately is the homeowners responsibility," he said.
The explanation is very similar to the one given by Florida Power & Light in 2011 when a similar situation unfolded at a South Florida woman's home.
According to our partners at WPTV in West Palm Beach a fire erupted in July 2011 at a home that just had a "smart meter" installed. An FP&L spokeswoman at the time said, that this was not related to either a traditional meter or a smart meter, this was a wiring issue in a customer's home.
Cherie Oberg said she was basically told the same thing by Lakeland Electric about the fire at her home.
"I was told the box, the electric box isn't sufficient for the new meters, and yet Lakeland Electric put in the new meters regardless," she said.
There are consumer complaints all over the country that blame electrical box and house fires on newly installed smart meters, and consistently utility companies deny the meters are the problem.
A spokesman at the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington D.C. says the agency is aware of the growing number of complaints. 
"We're trying to find out what's going on," said CSPC Deputy Director Alex Filip. He says the agency is trying to find a pattern or defect if one exists.
If you have a concern or complaint about a smart meter you can contact the CSPC at 1-800-638-2772 or e-mail the agency at:
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Published on Mar 26, 2016Researcher Brian Thiesen presents shocking and disturbing facts about smart meter fires -- which your utility does not want you to know about.
Presented in association with Take Back Your Power.
Watch the award-winning documentary: http://takebackyourpower.net
See Brian's blog: http://bc-freedom.com

Important Progress in Protecting the Grid!
by KEVIN D. FREEMAN on DECEMBER 2, 2014

In this blog and in our book Game Plan, we have made a strong point that the Electric Grid must be protected from EMP, cyber attacks, physical attacks, or natural disaster.  I’ve worked with Frank Gaffney and others from the Secure the Grid coalition and served on their team of experts to address this serious concern.

The great news is that the United States House of Representatives has finally taken serious action to protect our nation! This is only the first step but is an important one.

This is especially timely as Detroit suffered a major power outage today.

Here are a few things we have written in this Blog regarding threats to the Power Grid:

The EMP Threat is Being Recognized…FinallyQuick Fixes to Counter the Existential EMP Threat by Ambassador Henry F. CooperAmerican Blackout Provides Just a Taste of The EMP ThreatThe EMP Threat is Growing and We Must PrepareHow Could North Korea be an Economic Threat?Iranian Cyber-Economic Threat (Revised)World War Three is Underway and it is Cyber-EconomicWe Survived the last Friday the 13th! But Can We Survive the Next Coronal Mass Ejection?The good news is explained in the following Press Release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2014

For More Information Contact:
Nik Hanlon | (202) 719-2418
[email protected]

Congress Takes Important First Step Towards Securing The Grid(Washington, D.C.): Last night, the House of Representatives approved unanimously H.R. 3410, the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (CIPA). This legislation marks a breakthrough: For the first time in four years, Congress has acted to begin to protect the nation’s most critical of critical infrastructures: the U.S. electrical grid. It now falls to the Senate and to President Obama to ensure that the House-passed bill becomes the law of the land.

CIPA’s lead sponsors were Reps. Trent Franks (R-AZ), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee and co-chairman of the Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Caucus, and Pete Sessions (R-TX), the chairman of the powerful House Rules Committee. The measure enjoyed strong bipartisan support including from the House Homeland Security Committee’s Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX), and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies, Reps. Patrick Meehan (R-PA) and Yvette Clark (D-NY).

The CIPA legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to:
include in national planning scenarios the threat of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) which would entail the education of the owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as well as emergency planners and emergency responders at all levels of government of the threat of EMP events;
engage in research and development aimed at mitigating the consequences of naturally occurring or man-caused EMP events; and
produce a comprehensive plan to protect and prepare the critical infrastructure of the American homeland against EMP events.

Representative Franks observed:

The U.S. electric grid is fundamental to our continued way of life and practical steps must be taken to protect those critical elements that serve the United States from all threats. The negative impacts on U.S. financial, agricultural, medical and other critical societal infrastructure are potentially catastrophic in a severe electromagnetic pulse (EMP) or severe space weather event.

By some estimates, nine out of ten Americans would perish if the power were to go off and remain off for a year’s time.

The Secure the Grid Coalition is committed to ensuring that does not happen. The Coalition is a group of national leaders in matters of defense, homeland security, solar weather, infrastructure protection and other experts who have joined forces for the purpose of achieving urgently the protection of power grid upon which the nation, its people, economy and the Department of Defense depend.

Under the honorary co-chairmanship of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Clinton Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey, the Secure the Grid Coalition has been active in educating lawmakers and their constituents about the nature of the various threats to the nation’s bulk power distribution system, including but not limited to EMP. Among other efforts in that regard was influential testimony provided before the House Homeland Security Committee earlier this year by two members of the Coalition: Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, of the Congressional Task Force on National and Homeland Security, and Dr. Chris Beck, Vice President of the Electric Infrastructure Protection Council.

The Center for Security Policy sponsors the Secure the Grid and its President, Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. applauded the passage of H.R. 3410 last night, saying:

Yesterday, the House of Representatives took an important first step towards protecting America’s electrical grid – and millions of its people whose lives critically depend upon it – from attack or naturally induced destruction. That planning will hopefully make clear the necessity of taking steps to secure the grid before these things happen, rather than try to cope with the consequences afterwards.

Secure the Grid Coalition members are available for comment on the passage of the Critical Infrastructure Protection Act in the House of Representatives and about the considerable work still to be done to harden the electrical grid against all hazards. More information can be found at www.securethegrid.com.

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About The Center for Security Policy

The Center for Security Policy is a non-profit, non-partisan national security organization that specializes in identifying policies, actions, and resource needs that are vital to American security and then ensures that such issues are the subject of both focused, principled examination and effective action by recognized policy experts, appropriate officials, opinion leaders, and the general public. For more information visit www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org.

So, here are our ACTION ITEMS:

1. Educate yourself on this critical topic by reviewing our Blob Posts and the materials at securethegrid.com. 
2. Applaud your representative for supporting this important legislation. It passed unanimously. Please encourage him or her to keep at it until the grid is secure.
3. Encourage your Senator to quickly press for the legislation to be approved by the Senate and to look into ways to counter the threat.
4. Encourage the White House to sign the legislation and support efforts to secure the grid.
5. Ask your utility to support this legislation and other efforts to secure the grid.
6. Encourage your state legislature to review the issue and take action to protect your home, family, and business.

Of course, at this time of Thanksgiving, we should first pray and thank God that we haven’t been hit so far (with either a successful terror attack or natural disaster), asking His mercy to protect us as we take action to secure the grid.
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Breakthrough energy technology: SUPPRESSION EXPOSED 5 months ago
Exclusive new TBYP clip (http://takebackyourpower.net) on energy technology suppression. Are 'smart' meters part of history's largest ever corporate scam and suppression campaign? Josh del Sol, creator of Take Back Your Power , discusses how you can help quicken the breakthrough energy technology movement, by simply declining a 'smart' meter on your home, and helping others become aware. 

LEARN MORE: Watch "Take Back Your Power" (online & DVD) & solutions -http://takebackyourpower.net
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July 18th
Dramatic Increase of Breast Cancer in Troops and Supposedly Smart Meter are safe?

June 10th
Local Activists Block Smart Meters

May 31st. - new video Public Health Physician Warns of Smart Meter Dangers, Stresses Need for A

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May 31st.  - new info
Daniel Hirsch Smart Meters