I REVISIT THE ISSUE OF PRIVATIZATION OF PUBLIC WATER AND WASTE AND SMART METERS FOR ENERGY WITH BGE ----IT IS CRITICAL THIS NOT HAPPEN AND NO ONE IS SHOUTING!
Across the nation these investment firms that are now rich from the massive corporate frauds of last decade are now being handed all of public assets and services. In Baltimore, it is Johns Hopkins that has stakes in all of what is transpiring with public assets from Port to public water and waste. What we see here today is a partner in this goal......Intron is a global corporation with Smart Meters and tracking resources while VEOLA is a global Water and Waste corporation with the same goals. Baltimore made VEOLA transfer ownership of its Water and Waste to its corporate holdings in HighStar while allowing VEOLA to have all of MD public transportation. IT IS A FEEDING FRENZY FOR PUBLIC ASSETS AND NEO-LIBERALS ARE LEADING IT. NO ONE IS SHOUTING PEOPLE!
We have unions backing these neo-liberals doing this no doubt just for the present job but it will hurt all in the long term!
Regarding the Smart Meter Baltimore Board of Estimates debacle:
Did you know that VEOLA Water and Waste is seeking to privatize our public water and waste systems and Johns Hopkins is a major shareholder in VEOLA water? Did you know that Smart Meters have as their main intent to ration energy and water according to what people can afford to pay as sending BGE to Exelon and now building our public water with national VEOLA WATER will have yet more public commodities tied to Wall Street speculation and manipulation for profits----just like gas at the pump? SEEMS THESE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NO ONE IS HEARING ABOUT FROM MARYLAND/BALTIMORE MEDIA!
We are seeing all over the world where Smart Meters are used to force energy and water conservation and used especially to maximize profit by limiting access to energy and water if you cannot afford to pay the ever increasing rates!
Power rationing ruling alarms consumer groups
Posted on December 8, 2011
by Stop Smart Meters Australia
CONSUMER groups are concerned that a ruling to allow power companies to ration their supply to households could leave some people high and dry.
A final ruling by the Essential Services Commission this week opens the way for power companies to temporarily interrupt the power to households that choose to take part in customer trials using supply control features on smart meters.
The ruling specifies that the supply controls could be used only for ”non-credit management” purposes.
But consumer groups, including the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) and the Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC), say energy retailers have no other reason to ration energy supply than to control the level of debt and ensure struggling households pay their bills.
Under the ruling, power companies could cut off electricity briefly to remind customers paying a lower rate for a capped amount of electricity, that they are using more energy than they had agreed to.
”We do not believe there is any reason for retailers to offer such products except for credit management purposes, whether this is explicit or not,” VCOSS has stated.
Janine Rayner, of CALC, says there are ”fairer and more balanced ways” for consumers to manage their energy use and debt.
These include flexible payment options, bill smoothing, hardship programs and energy efficiency audits, rather than ”taking the onus on themselves to self-manage and self-disconnect”.
This week’s ruling will also allow energy companies to turn off individual appliances
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Below is an article that addresses what we all know will be the result of these Smart Meters-----it moves the cost higher for consumers at the same time the costs of energy and water soar because they are being privatized and made a commodity.
Below you see a series of articles by the Brew. Mark always does a good job collecting the data but will not state future goals.....WE NEED PEOPLE SHOUTING THAT THIS CAPTURE OF ALL PUBLIC COMMODITIES IS VERY, VERY, VERY VERY BAD!!!
'The high-tech, high-cost meters are great for detecting minute flows of water. But other cities have found they are subject to frustrating computer glitches'.
“One of the most outrageous things is that if you wanted to challenge your water bill, you have to pay the city $180 to have your automated meter checked by a human being,” de Blasio said. The high-tech system presented a “classic’Catch-22″ where customers were forced to choose between a high water bill or an equally high price to appeal.
Smart meters will drive up customer bills, but not necessarily cut down on billing errors The high-tech, high-cost meters are great for detecting minute flows of water. But other cities have found they are subject to frustrating computer glitches.
Mark Reutter October 28, 2013 at 7:37 am
The Baltimore Brew
By measuring every last drop of water coming into a household, this smart meter manufacturer promises water utilities with plenty of fresh revenue.
Photo by: Sensus Metering Systems
When Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says smart water meters will yield “more accurate” bills for customers long frustrated by water billing errors, what’s left unsaid is that the new meters will also increase residential water bills.
The new meters will employ technology that better records low-flow water usage by households, a key to charging more per customer. “By measuring every single drip every time” with smart meters, one manufacturer brags, a water utility can increase its revenues even when rates remain the same.
According to Dynis LLC – the front runner of the yet-unannounced meter award despite a bid $100 million more than its competitor – its Sensus iPERL meters are calibrated to measure as little as 1/32 gallon per minute of flow, a rate eight times lower that the typical mechanical water meter.
Dynis says this attribute will allow measurement of low-flow usage to increase “by 10 percent, at a minimum,” adding $22.98 a year to an average user’s bill at the current water rate. Over the 20-year life expectancy of the meters, Dynis promises the city $160 million in added revenues.
The group’s figures are based on the current water rate. Given the sharp rate increases enacted in July by the Board of Estimates, a typical city customer will pay closer to $40 a year when the new meters go into full operation in 2018 – and the city will gain an equivalent jump in revenues.
Sticker Shock
Another factor likely to cause “sticker shock” to homeowners is that when old meters malfunction, they tend to “slow down” – or under record the true flow of water. Very rarely do meters speed up. In cities where smart meters have been installed, consumers often find immediate spikes in their bills.
On the other hand, whether the new technology will produce bills that are less prone to error is open to question.
Currently, meter readers (the city employs 39 of them) go house by house, open the meter lid and read the dial. The readings are then recorded on a hand-held device. When asked about inaccurate water bills, Mayor Rawlings-Blake laid blame on the reading of the old meters.
“Once the meter read gets to the billing department, the process is smooth, so now it is making sure that the meter reading is accurate. That’s why we’re focused on and moving forward with trying to get more accurate meters across the city . . . [because] so many of these meters are so old,” the mayor said at a press availability last Wednesday.
________________________________
FULL COVERAGE IN THE BREW:
Politically-wired firm wants $100 million more for city contract than competitor (10/9/13)
Mayor tightlipped about Dynis contract (10/9/13)
Rejected company had lowest bid for city’s water meters (10/10/13)
Finances of firm seeking $185M water meter contract appear shaky (10/11/13)
Mayor issues statement on water meter contract and Dynis (10/11/13)
Totaling up the costs of “smart” water meters (10/18/13)
Team that got $107 million for Harbor Pt. is now pushing the Dynis water meter bid (10/24/13)
______________________________________
The smart meter will use a radio transmitter attached to the meter to send signals to a collection unit or cell tower, which will transmit the information to a central office. Software will then read the data and store it in a new Meter Data Management System (MDMS).
Glitches Around the Country
The city is calling on hourly meter readings for all meters across the city – or 9.8 million reads per day. These readings will be stored for seven years and made available to city personnel and consumers (who will need to purchase software to fully access the information).
Critically, though, the MDMS data will have to interface with the Finance Department’s billing system in order to generate bills. The merging of the new technology to a “legacy” billing system frequently results in erroneous billings.
Baltimore has 201,000 meter customers, with another 203,000 in the county. City meters are serviced at this shop in West Baltimore. (Photo by Mark Reutter)
The Rawlings-Blake administration says that a new billing system will be installed by the time the smart meters are operating.
But detailed planning has not yet gotten underway and money could run short, leaving the city with a hybrid system subject to computer errors.
Just such glitches plagued the installation of 800,000 smart meters in New York two years ago.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio received hundreds of complaints from consumers. He issued a report that ripped into what he called a too-hasty rollout of the system and the difficulties faced by customers seeking redress to what they considered to be inaccurate bills.
“One of the most outrageous things is that if you wanted to challenge your water bill, you have to pay the city $180 to have your automated meter checked by a human being,” de Blasio said. The high-tech system presented a “classic’Catch-22″ where customers were forced to choose between a high water bill or an equally high price to appeal.
“Proof of Concept” After Contract Award
In the meter contract under review by the Rawlings-Blake administration – there are two bids, by Dynis for $185 million, and by Itron for $84 million – there is little leeway for technical errors. Unlike some major contracts, the city has not run a pilot program to evaluate the feasibility of smart meters.
Instead, the winning bidder is required to undertake a “proof of concept” test as its first order of business. The contract calls for the vendor (either Dynis or Itron) to install 5,000 meters and transmitters in downtown Baltimore, and another 5,000 meters in Bowleys Quarter in Baltimore County.
If 100% of the readings from the new meters are “successfully passed” to the city’s billing system over a 30-day test period, the city will authorize the smart meter project to proceed.
The timeline for the new meters is as follows: completion of the “proof of concept” 12 months after the contract is awarded; “substantial completion” of the city sector of the program by April 1, 2016; “substantial completion” of the county sector by April 1, 2017; and final installation and operation of smart meters by January 1, 2018.
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The reason Itron got the bid is that it is a global corporation working to privatize public water and waste all around the world-----along with VEOLA WATER AND WASTE....they are a team! So, as DYNIS is just as bad as Itron.....local bad lost out to global bad. DYNIS did make two great statements at the Board of Estimates meeting:
Itron has has problems with getting these systems up and running in cities choosing them for awards. Systems failed (think speed ticket cameras in Baltimore). Remember, these corporations CENTERED ON PUBLIC WORKS AS THE NEXT MARKET BUBBLE at the time of economic collapse because starving the government was going to 'force' public assets and services into the hands of these private corporations. THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.....STARVE GOVERNMENT COFFERS WITH MASSIVE CORPORATE FRAUD AND TAX EVASION AND THEN PRETEND EVERYTHING PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE PRIVATIZED!!!
Do we really want a global corporation running Smart Meters and our public water and waste like Exelon and Fracking operates energy? I think we are going back to hiring enough public employees to walk around a read our public water meters thank you very much!!!!
DOES EVERYONE GET THE THEME HERE???? MAXIMIZING CORPORATE PROFITS!
From Itron's webpage:
City of Baltimore Awards Contract to Itron for Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Water Meter System Installation Project
Nov 7, 2013
Itron Announces Third Quarter 2013 Financial Results
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — Oct. 30, 2013 — Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) announced today financial results for its third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2013. Highlights include:
Quarterly and nine month revenues of $495 million and $1.4 billion;
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Texas utilities admit billing errors with SmartMeters
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
michael finney
Two major utilities in Texas have confirmed that some customers received inaccurate and sometimes inflated bills after turning to SmartMeters to measure their energy usage. PG&E is under fire for its program to install SmartMeters in Northern California. 7 On Your Side has been following the debate since last year.
Hundreds of consumers have blamed SmartMeters for overcharges and sudden spikes in their bills. Consumer advocates say the billing problems that occurred in Texas should be a lesson learned in California.
More than five million SmartMeters will be installed in Texas by the year 2012. It is the second-largest rollout in the country -- second only to California's. In both states, hundreds of consumers have filed formal complaints about SmartMeters with their public utilities commissions; at least 600 in California and up to 800 in Texas.
But unlike PG&E, the utilities in Texas have actually admitted to billing errors. "It's a software glitch," says Floyd LeBlanc with Centerpoint. "We found the software glitch and corrected it."
Centerpoint blames a communication error in the software for sending the meter readings for 5,200 customers back to the utility incorrectly; 3,500 of those were overbilled. Another Texas utility has also acknowledged problems. Oncor says it under-billed 2,000 consumers when the communication software it used failed to sync up with the device.
"We're now measuring data every interval, which may be an hour or every 15 minutes. So, there's more data being transferred and there's more opportunities where an error can occur," says Matt Wakefield with the industry funded non-profit The Electric Power Research Institute.
The institute says industry standards call for SmartMeters to have an error rate of one-half of 1 percent and its testing shows that SmartMeters meet that standard. PG&E is just now beginning to acknowledge the possibility of even minor problems in its SmartMeter installation program.
In January 2010, Paul Moreno with PG&E said, "In every situation, the meters have been shown to be accurate."
In March 2010, David Eisenhauer with PG&E said, "With any rollout of this magnitude, you can expect to run into some issues and that's what's going on."
This week, Eisenhauer said, "There were, on a handful of occasions, the meters were not transmitting any information. When that happens, we immediately work to correct it."
PG&E says no bills have been impacted. Both Oncor and Centerpoint use communication software from IBM. PG&E uses a different company called Silver Springs Network of Redwood City.
"There's a number of differences. They're using different equipment, different technology, different communication devices," Eisenhauer explained.
The admission of billing errors in Texas came from monthly reports from the utilities required by the PUC of Texas.
The California PUC has made no such requirement of PG&E, and PG&E has thus far refused to conduct side-by-side testing of SmartMeters with the old meters. That is something Oncor in Texas has voluntarily done.
"We chose people who weren't necessarily happy with us and didn't trust the data they were getting from those new meters," says Chris Schein with Oncor. "So therefore, our biggest skeptics then become our testers."
The PUC in California has now hired the Structure Group to conduct an independent investigation into SmartMeters. The PUC says side-by-side tests will be part of that investigation. The Utility Reform Network (TURN) is now calling for citizen oversight of that investigation.
"TURN is very concerned about the Structure Group because of the fact that they have been a consultant to PG&E from 2002 to 2008," says TURN spokesman Mark Toney. "What that means, is they have a vested interest making sure that the SmartMeters are exonerated."
TURN says the findings of billing errors in Texas are yet another reason why the California PUC should impose a moratorium on SmartMeter installations until an investigation is completed.
______________________________________________
For those in Baltimore dealing with the faulty speed cameras you saw how the city ignored the problem and defended the camera and corporation behind them until it was so pervasive and public they could not do it anymore. It took media declaring a problem and national non-profits coming in to declare a problem to get the city to stop ----because the city is the corporation behind the profits made from this revenue collection. That will happen with these meters.
Baltimore today has estimated water bills that are hundreds and thousands of dollars too high and a citizen has to quit their job and devote all their time to fighting City Hall to get those illegally declared water bills money back. Why do you pay them if they are wrong? BECAUSE THE CITY SENDS YOU A NOTICE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SEIZE YOUR HOUSE IF YOU DO NOT PAY THE BAD WATER BILL!
It will be worse with a private corporation behind these errors and with no way to get satisfaction from a public agency!
Commission to investigate PG&E 'smart meters'
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Tags:PG&E, 7 on your side, michael finney
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An independent investigation will be launched soon into whether new so-called "smart meters" being installed by PG&E are leading to inaccurate higher readings and inflated bills.
By 2012, PG&E expects to have installed smart meters for every one of its 10 million customers. The new meters are just beginning to be put in here in the Bay Area and already complaints are starting to come in
Gary Damiano of Belmont knows one thing. His PG&E bills have been higher since his smart meter was installed in July.
"There was no change in any of our usage at home. We didn't add any major appliances. We didn't have anybody additionally living at home," he explains. "So, the only change that we could see was the installation of the smart meter." Smart meters allow utilities to get an hour-by-hour reading of a customer's energy usage. Under the old meters, PG&E would get one reading for the entire month. The utility says the new smart meters allow them to offer customers both money and energy saving options.
"Consumers can stay on the rates they enjoy now or they can opt for rate programs that encourage them to save energy during peak periods by giving them a reward for their usage during off peak periods," says PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno.
However, at least 450 PG&E customers have filed formal complaints with the State Public Utilities Commission since July. They argue that smart meters have lead to higher bills.
Mark Toney is Executive Director of the Utility Reform Network in San Francisco. He says, "PG&E ought to be ordered to have a moratorium on installing these meters until we get down to figuring out the root of the problem."
The utility has investigated all the complaints and insists the smart meters are accurate. They say there are other reasons for the higher bills.
"There's no link between the smart meter performance and higher bills. What customers have experienced is the rate increases that occurred since they received their smart meter," Moreno says.
A 7 on Your Side analysis found that Damiano's energy usage went up 30 percent since his smart meter was installed in late July. PG&E points out Damiano's energy usage also went up significantly during the same months the year before his smart meter was installed. The utility found in 100 percent of cases it investigated, its smart meters were accurate.
"My goodness. 100 percent? 100 percent?" Toney asks. "People are, customers are 100 percent wrong and PG&E is 100 percent correct?"
Both Toney and Damiano support a third-party investigation of smart meters, and that is what is going to happen. The California Public Utilities Commission will soon announce the hiring of an independent investigator to review the matter.
"We need to make sure that what the utilities are using to base their bills on are accurate," says CPUC Chief of Staff Carol Brown.
The investigator will look at everything from the smart meter to the module that enables PG&E to read the meters remotely. The communication module is made by Silver Spring Networks, a company based in Redwood City that specializes in energy efficiency. The module shoots the information from smart meters to access points throughout PG&E's service area, and then back to PG&E. Silver Spring says the system is 100 percent accurate.
"We've checked in every way that we know how, with every device being monitored constantly over the network, to make sure it's working accurately," says Silver Spring Vice President Eric Dresselhuys.
Damiano continues to search for ways to reduce his energy costs. He agreed to an energy audit from PG&E. They looked at everything from his entertainment center, to heating and air conditioning, to his kitchen appliances.
"It will help him reduce his energy consumption, but what it will also do is identify where the energy that is consumed is going," says Jeff Smith with PG&E.
The information gathered by walking around the house is used to fill out an on line form. The audit identified areas where Damiano could save energy including reducing his thermostat to 55 degrees when asleep, replacing his old refrigerator, and controlling air leakage.
Damiano is glad he did it.
"It still doesn't explain why our energy bill spiked in September. At least we have a better way of dealing with it right now," he says.
ABC7 will continue to follow the investigation into the smart meters.
__________________________________________
Think your city is the only one that dismissed most of public works employees and then just haphazardly used estimated figures for billing? It happened all over as they prepared for privatization. They think we will be thankful just to have a correct bill. WE WERE HAPPY WHEN WE HAD METER-READERS FULLY STAFFED AND PAID A DECENT WAGE WITH BENEFITS. We do not need this automation and it will lead to rationing as rates climb and subsidies disappear!
Smart Meters Mean an End to Estimated Bills British Gas customers can now look forward to more accurate bills as energy consumption is measured in real time with smart meters
Press Release: British Gas – Mon, Jun 18, 2012 4:00 AM EDT
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire -06/18/12)-
The provision of energy through smart meters will put customers in control of their energy consumption, and allow them to monitor their usage throughout the day. The smart meter accurately records consumption in real time, and sends this information to the company for billing, meaning that customers will only ever pay for the energy they have actually used. Customers will no longer have to submit a reading or arrange for the meter to be read by a company representative, and there will no longer be such a thing as an estimated bill.
A British Gas smart meter can also help customers to reduce their utility bills by showing them how much energy they are using on a daily basis. As patterns of usage are identified, and it becomes clear which appliances or habits are responsible for the highest levels of energy consumption, customers will be able to make the adjustments necessary to reduce their usage.
For example, an energy smart meter will clearly show how much energy consumption is reduced by taking a shower, rather than a bath, or by turning down the thermostat on the central heating by a couple of degrees. Making the switch to energy efficient lighting will also have a big impact on bills and consumption, and this is something that will be very obvious once a smart meter has been installed.
The introduction of smart meters by British Gas is part of the company's drive to promote smarter living, and help customers understand how even the smallest changes can add up to a big difference in their energy usage. It's estimated that once a smart meter has been installed, customers could save around 10% on their bills over the course of a year.
Across the nation these investment firms that are now rich from the massive corporate frauds of last decade are now being handed all of public assets and services. In Baltimore, it is Johns Hopkins that has stakes in all of what is transpiring with public assets from Port to public water and waste. What we see here today is a partner in this goal......Intron is a global corporation with Smart Meters and tracking resources while VEOLA is a global Water and Waste corporation with the same goals. Baltimore made VEOLA transfer ownership of its Water and Waste to its corporate holdings in HighStar while allowing VEOLA to have all of MD public transportation. IT IS A FEEDING FRENZY FOR PUBLIC ASSETS AND NEO-LIBERALS ARE LEADING IT. NO ONE IS SHOUTING PEOPLE!
We have unions backing these neo-liberals doing this no doubt just for the present job but it will hurt all in the long term!
Regarding the Smart Meter Baltimore Board of Estimates debacle:
Did you know that VEOLA Water and Waste is seeking to privatize our public water and waste systems and Johns Hopkins is a major shareholder in VEOLA water? Did you know that Smart Meters have as their main intent to ration energy and water according to what people can afford to pay as sending BGE to Exelon and now building our public water with national VEOLA WATER will have yet more public commodities tied to Wall Street speculation and manipulation for profits----just like gas at the pump? SEEMS THESE ARE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT NO ONE IS HEARING ABOUT FROM MARYLAND/BALTIMORE MEDIA!
We are seeing all over the world where Smart Meters are used to force energy and water conservation and used especially to maximize profit by limiting access to energy and water if you cannot afford to pay the ever increasing rates!
Power rationing ruling alarms consumer groups
Posted on December 8, 2011
by Stop Smart Meters Australia
CONSUMER groups are concerned that a ruling to allow power companies to ration their supply to households could leave some people high and dry.
A final ruling by the Essential Services Commission this week opens the way for power companies to temporarily interrupt the power to households that choose to take part in customer trials using supply control features on smart meters.
The ruling specifies that the supply controls could be used only for ”non-credit management” purposes.
But consumer groups, including the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) and the Consumer Action Law Centre (CALC), say energy retailers have no other reason to ration energy supply than to control the level of debt and ensure struggling households pay their bills.
Under the ruling, power companies could cut off electricity briefly to remind customers paying a lower rate for a capped amount of electricity, that they are using more energy than they had agreed to.
”We do not believe there is any reason for retailers to offer such products except for credit management purposes, whether this is explicit or not,” VCOSS has stated.
Janine Rayner, of CALC, says there are ”fairer and more balanced ways” for consumers to manage their energy use and debt.
These include flexible payment options, bill smoothing, hardship programs and energy efficiency audits, rather than ”taking the onus on themselves to self-manage and self-disconnect”.
This week’s ruling will also allow energy companies to turn off individual appliances
________________________________________________
Below is an article that addresses what we all know will be the result of these Smart Meters-----it moves the cost higher for consumers at the same time the costs of energy and water soar because they are being privatized and made a commodity.
Below you see a series of articles by the Brew. Mark always does a good job collecting the data but will not state future goals.....WE NEED PEOPLE SHOUTING THAT THIS CAPTURE OF ALL PUBLIC COMMODITIES IS VERY, VERY, VERY VERY BAD!!!
'The high-tech, high-cost meters are great for detecting minute flows of water. But other cities have found they are subject to frustrating computer glitches'.
“One of the most outrageous things is that if you wanted to challenge your water bill, you have to pay the city $180 to have your automated meter checked by a human being,” de Blasio said. The high-tech system presented a “classic’Catch-22″ where customers were forced to choose between a high water bill or an equally high price to appeal.
Smart meters will drive up customer bills, but not necessarily cut down on billing errors The high-tech, high-cost meters are great for detecting minute flows of water. But other cities have found they are subject to frustrating computer glitches.
Mark Reutter October 28, 2013 at 7:37 am
The Baltimore Brew
By measuring every last drop of water coming into a household, this smart meter manufacturer promises water utilities with plenty of fresh revenue.
Photo by: Sensus Metering Systems
When Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says smart water meters will yield “more accurate” bills for customers long frustrated by water billing errors, what’s left unsaid is that the new meters will also increase residential water bills.
The new meters will employ technology that better records low-flow water usage by households, a key to charging more per customer. “By measuring every single drip every time” with smart meters, one manufacturer brags, a water utility can increase its revenues even when rates remain the same.
According to Dynis LLC – the front runner of the yet-unannounced meter award despite a bid $100 million more than its competitor – its Sensus iPERL meters are calibrated to measure as little as 1/32 gallon per minute of flow, a rate eight times lower that the typical mechanical water meter.
Dynis says this attribute will allow measurement of low-flow usage to increase “by 10 percent, at a minimum,” adding $22.98 a year to an average user’s bill at the current water rate. Over the 20-year life expectancy of the meters, Dynis promises the city $160 million in added revenues.
The group’s figures are based on the current water rate. Given the sharp rate increases enacted in July by the Board of Estimates, a typical city customer will pay closer to $40 a year when the new meters go into full operation in 2018 – and the city will gain an equivalent jump in revenues.
Sticker Shock
Another factor likely to cause “sticker shock” to homeowners is that when old meters malfunction, they tend to “slow down” – or under record the true flow of water. Very rarely do meters speed up. In cities where smart meters have been installed, consumers often find immediate spikes in their bills.
On the other hand, whether the new technology will produce bills that are less prone to error is open to question.
Currently, meter readers (the city employs 39 of them) go house by house, open the meter lid and read the dial. The readings are then recorded on a hand-held device. When asked about inaccurate water bills, Mayor Rawlings-Blake laid blame on the reading of the old meters.
“Once the meter read gets to the billing department, the process is smooth, so now it is making sure that the meter reading is accurate. That’s why we’re focused on and moving forward with trying to get more accurate meters across the city . . . [because] so many of these meters are so old,” the mayor said at a press availability last Wednesday.
________________________________
FULL COVERAGE IN THE BREW:
Politically-wired firm wants $100 million more for city contract than competitor (10/9/13)
Mayor tightlipped about Dynis contract (10/9/13)
Rejected company had lowest bid for city’s water meters (10/10/13)
Finances of firm seeking $185M water meter contract appear shaky (10/11/13)
Mayor issues statement on water meter contract and Dynis (10/11/13)
Totaling up the costs of “smart” water meters (10/18/13)
Team that got $107 million for Harbor Pt. is now pushing the Dynis water meter bid (10/24/13)
______________________________________
The smart meter will use a radio transmitter attached to the meter to send signals to a collection unit or cell tower, which will transmit the information to a central office. Software will then read the data and store it in a new Meter Data Management System (MDMS).
Glitches Around the Country
The city is calling on hourly meter readings for all meters across the city – or 9.8 million reads per day. These readings will be stored for seven years and made available to city personnel and consumers (who will need to purchase software to fully access the information).
Critically, though, the MDMS data will have to interface with the Finance Department’s billing system in order to generate bills. The merging of the new technology to a “legacy” billing system frequently results in erroneous billings.
Baltimore has 201,000 meter customers, with another 203,000 in the county. City meters are serviced at this shop in West Baltimore. (Photo by Mark Reutter)
The Rawlings-Blake administration says that a new billing system will be installed by the time the smart meters are operating.
But detailed planning has not yet gotten underway and money could run short, leaving the city with a hybrid system subject to computer errors.
Just such glitches plagued the installation of 800,000 smart meters in New York two years ago.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio received hundreds of complaints from consumers. He issued a report that ripped into what he called a too-hasty rollout of the system and the difficulties faced by customers seeking redress to what they considered to be inaccurate bills.
“One of the most outrageous things is that if you wanted to challenge your water bill, you have to pay the city $180 to have your automated meter checked by a human being,” de Blasio said. The high-tech system presented a “classic’Catch-22″ where customers were forced to choose between a high water bill or an equally high price to appeal.
“Proof of Concept” After Contract Award
In the meter contract under review by the Rawlings-Blake administration – there are two bids, by Dynis for $185 million, and by Itron for $84 million – there is little leeway for technical errors. Unlike some major contracts, the city has not run a pilot program to evaluate the feasibility of smart meters.
Instead, the winning bidder is required to undertake a “proof of concept” test as its first order of business. The contract calls for the vendor (either Dynis or Itron) to install 5,000 meters and transmitters in downtown Baltimore, and another 5,000 meters in Bowleys Quarter in Baltimore County.
If 100% of the readings from the new meters are “successfully passed” to the city’s billing system over a 30-day test period, the city will authorize the smart meter project to proceed.
The timeline for the new meters is as follows: completion of the “proof of concept” 12 months after the contract is awarded; “substantial completion” of the city sector of the program by April 1, 2016; “substantial completion” of the county sector by April 1, 2017; and final installation and operation of smart meters by January 1, 2018.
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The reason Itron got the bid is that it is a global corporation working to privatize public water and waste all around the world-----along with VEOLA WATER AND WASTE....they are a team! So, as DYNIS is just as bad as Itron.....local bad lost out to global bad. DYNIS did make two great statements at the Board of Estimates meeting:
Itron has has problems with getting these systems up and running in cities choosing them for awards. Systems failed (think speed ticket cameras in Baltimore). Remember, these corporations CENTERED ON PUBLIC WORKS AS THE NEXT MARKET BUBBLE at the time of economic collapse because starving the government was going to 'force' public assets and services into the hands of these private corporations. THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.....STARVE GOVERNMENT COFFERS WITH MASSIVE CORPORATE FRAUD AND TAX EVASION AND THEN PRETEND EVERYTHING PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE PRIVATIZED!!!
Do we really want a global corporation running Smart Meters and our public water and waste like Exelon and Fracking operates energy? I think we are going back to hiring enough public employees to walk around a read our public water meters thank you very much!!!!
DOES EVERYONE GET THE THEME HERE???? MAXIMIZING CORPORATE PROFITS!
From Itron's webpage:
City of Baltimore Awards Contract to Itron for Advanced Metering Infrastructure and Water Meter System Installation Project
Nov 7, 2013
Itron Announces Third Quarter 2013 Financial Results
LIBERTY LAKE, Wash. — Oct. 30, 2013 — Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ:ITRI) announced today financial results for its third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2013. Highlights include:
Quarterly and nine month revenues of $495 million and $1.4 billion;
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Texas utilities admit billing errors with SmartMeters
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
michael finney
Two major utilities in Texas have confirmed that some customers received inaccurate and sometimes inflated bills after turning to SmartMeters to measure their energy usage. PG&E is under fire for its program to install SmartMeters in Northern California. 7 On Your Side has been following the debate since last year.
Hundreds of consumers have blamed SmartMeters for overcharges and sudden spikes in their bills. Consumer advocates say the billing problems that occurred in Texas should be a lesson learned in California.
More than five million SmartMeters will be installed in Texas by the year 2012. It is the second-largest rollout in the country -- second only to California's. In both states, hundreds of consumers have filed formal complaints about SmartMeters with their public utilities commissions; at least 600 in California and up to 800 in Texas.
But unlike PG&E, the utilities in Texas have actually admitted to billing errors. "It's a software glitch," says Floyd LeBlanc with Centerpoint. "We found the software glitch and corrected it."
Centerpoint blames a communication error in the software for sending the meter readings for 5,200 customers back to the utility incorrectly; 3,500 of those were overbilled. Another Texas utility has also acknowledged problems. Oncor says it under-billed 2,000 consumers when the communication software it used failed to sync up with the device.
"We're now measuring data every interval, which may be an hour or every 15 minutes. So, there's more data being transferred and there's more opportunities where an error can occur," says Matt Wakefield with the industry funded non-profit The Electric Power Research Institute.
The institute says industry standards call for SmartMeters to have an error rate of one-half of 1 percent and its testing shows that SmartMeters meet that standard. PG&E is just now beginning to acknowledge the possibility of even minor problems in its SmartMeter installation program.
In January 2010, Paul Moreno with PG&E said, "In every situation, the meters have been shown to be accurate."
In March 2010, David Eisenhauer with PG&E said, "With any rollout of this magnitude, you can expect to run into some issues and that's what's going on."
This week, Eisenhauer said, "There were, on a handful of occasions, the meters were not transmitting any information. When that happens, we immediately work to correct it."
PG&E says no bills have been impacted. Both Oncor and Centerpoint use communication software from IBM. PG&E uses a different company called Silver Springs Network of Redwood City.
"There's a number of differences. They're using different equipment, different technology, different communication devices," Eisenhauer explained.
The admission of billing errors in Texas came from monthly reports from the utilities required by the PUC of Texas.
The California PUC has made no such requirement of PG&E, and PG&E has thus far refused to conduct side-by-side testing of SmartMeters with the old meters. That is something Oncor in Texas has voluntarily done.
"We chose people who weren't necessarily happy with us and didn't trust the data they were getting from those new meters," says Chris Schein with Oncor. "So therefore, our biggest skeptics then become our testers."
The PUC in California has now hired the Structure Group to conduct an independent investigation into SmartMeters. The PUC says side-by-side tests will be part of that investigation. The Utility Reform Network (TURN) is now calling for citizen oversight of that investigation.
"TURN is very concerned about the Structure Group because of the fact that they have been a consultant to PG&E from 2002 to 2008," says TURN spokesman Mark Toney. "What that means, is they have a vested interest making sure that the SmartMeters are exonerated."
TURN says the findings of billing errors in Texas are yet another reason why the California PUC should impose a moratorium on SmartMeter installations until an investigation is completed.
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For those in Baltimore dealing with the faulty speed cameras you saw how the city ignored the problem and defended the camera and corporation behind them until it was so pervasive and public they could not do it anymore. It took media declaring a problem and national non-profits coming in to declare a problem to get the city to stop ----because the city is the corporation behind the profits made from this revenue collection. That will happen with these meters.
Baltimore today has estimated water bills that are hundreds and thousands of dollars too high and a citizen has to quit their job and devote all their time to fighting City Hall to get those illegally declared water bills money back. Why do you pay them if they are wrong? BECAUSE THE CITY SENDS YOU A NOTICE THAT THEY ARE GOING TO SEIZE YOUR HOUSE IF YOU DO NOT PAY THE BAD WATER BILL!
It will be worse with a private corporation behind these errors and with no way to get satisfaction from a public agency!
Commission to investigate PG&E 'smart meters'
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Tags:PG&E, 7 on your side, michael finney
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- An independent investigation will be launched soon into whether new so-called "smart meters" being installed by PG&E are leading to inaccurate higher readings and inflated bills.
By 2012, PG&E expects to have installed smart meters for every one of its 10 million customers. The new meters are just beginning to be put in here in the Bay Area and already complaints are starting to come in
Gary Damiano of Belmont knows one thing. His PG&E bills have been higher since his smart meter was installed in July.
"There was no change in any of our usage at home. We didn't add any major appliances. We didn't have anybody additionally living at home," he explains. "So, the only change that we could see was the installation of the smart meter." Smart meters allow utilities to get an hour-by-hour reading of a customer's energy usage. Under the old meters, PG&E would get one reading for the entire month. The utility says the new smart meters allow them to offer customers both money and energy saving options.
"Consumers can stay on the rates they enjoy now or they can opt for rate programs that encourage them to save energy during peak periods by giving them a reward for their usage during off peak periods," says PG&E spokesman Paul Moreno.
However, at least 450 PG&E customers have filed formal complaints with the State Public Utilities Commission since July. They argue that smart meters have lead to higher bills.
Mark Toney is Executive Director of the Utility Reform Network in San Francisco. He says, "PG&E ought to be ordered to have a moratorium on installing these meters until we get down to figuring out the root of the problem."
The utility has investigated all the complaints and insists the smart meters are accurate. They say there are other reasons for the higher bills.
"There's no link between the smart meter performance and higher bills. What customers have experienced is the rate increases that occurred since they received their smart meter," Moreno says.
A 7 on Your Side analysis found that Damiano's energy usage went up 30 percent since his smart meter was installed in late July. PG&E points out Damiano's energy usage also went up significantly during the same months the year before his smart meter was installed. The utility found in 100 percent of cases it investigated, its smart meters were accurate.
"My goodness. 100 percent? 100 percent?" Toney asks. "People are, customers are 100 percent wrong and PG&E is 100 percent correct?"
Both Toney and Damiano support a third-party investigation of smart meters, and that is what is going to happen. The California Public Utilities Commission will soon announce the hiring of an independent investigator to review the matter.
"We need to make sure that what the utilities are using to base their bills on are accurate," says CPUC Chief of Staff Carol Brown.
The investigator will look at everything from the smart meter to the module that enables PG&E to read the meters remotely. The communication module is made by Silver Spring Networks, a company based in Redwood City that specializes in energy efficiency. The module shoots the information from smart meters to access points throughout PG&E's service area, and then back to PG&E. Silver Spring says the system is 100 percent accurate.
"We've checked in every way that we know how, with every device being monitored constantly over the network, to make sure it's working accurately," says Silver Spring Vice President Eric Dresselhuys.
Damiano continues to search for ways to reduce his energy costs. He agreed to an energy audit from PG&E. They looked at everything from his entertainment center, to heating and air conditioning, to his kitchen appliances.
"It will help him reduce his energy consumption, but what it will also do is identify where the energy that is consumed is going," says Jeff Smith with PG&E.
The information gathered by walking around the house is used to fill out an on line form. The audit identified areas where Damiano could save energy including reducing his thermostat to 55 degrees when asleep, replacing his old refrigerator, and controlling air leakage.
Damiano is glad he did it.
"It still doesn't explain why our energy bill spiked in September. At least we have a better way of dealing with it right now," he says.
ABC7 will continue to follow the investigation into the smart meters.
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Think your city is the only one that dismissed most of public works employees and then just haphazardly used estimated figures for billing? It happened all over as they prepared for privatization. They think we will be thankful just to have a correct bill. WE WERE HAPPY WHEN WE HAD METER-READERS FULLY STAFFED AND PAID A DECENT WAGE WITH BENEFITS. We do not need this automation and it will lead to rationing as rates climb and subsidies disappear!
Smart Meters Mean an End to Estimated Bills British Gas customers can now look forward to more accurate bills as energy consumption is measured in real time with smart meters
Press Release: British Gas – Mon, Jun 18, 2012 4:00 AM EDT
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire -06/18/12)-
The provision of energy through smart meters will put customers in control of their energy consumption, and allow them to monitor their usage throughout the day. The smart meter accurately records consumption in real time, and sends this information to the company for billing, meaning that customers will only ever pay for the energy they have actually used. Customers will no longer have to submit a reading or arrange for the meter to be read by a company representative, and there will no longer be such a thing as an estimated bill.
A British Gas smart meter can also help customers to reduce their utility bills by showing them how much energy they are using on a daily basis. As patterns of usage are identified, and it becomes clear which appliances or habits are responsible for the highest levels of energy consumption, customers will be able to make the adjustments necessary to reduce their usage.
For example, an energy smart meter will clearly show how much energy consumption is reduced by taking a shower, rather than a bath, or by turning down the thermostat on the central heating by a couple of degrees. Making the switch to energy efficient lighting will also have a big impact on bills and consumption, and this is something that will be very obvious once a smart meter has been installed.
The introduction of smart meters by British Gas is part of the company's drive to promote smarter living, and help customers understand how even the smallest changes can add up to a big difference in their energy usage. It's estimated that once a smart meter has been installed, customers could save around 10% on their bills over the course of a year.
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