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Sunday, March 02, 2014

Panel Sets Opt-out Fees For Smart Meters

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The Public Service Commission has set fees for Maryland's utility customers who do not want smart meters installed in their homes or businesses.

The commission announced the fees on Wednesday for Maryland customers of four utilities. They will become effective for the first full billing cycle after July 1.

The fees are a one-time, upfront fee and a monthly fee. The upfront fee will be payable in three monthly installments.

The upfront fees are $75. The monthly fees are $11 for BGE customers; $14 for Pepco customers; and $17 for customers of Delmarva Power and Light Company and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative.
The commission says the fees are substantially lower than those proposed by the utilities.
Source

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

This sis BS! I hope something can be done to stop this.

Anonymous said...

I bet Obamacare has something to do with this....more money to keep your health.

Anonymous said...

I have choptank electric. I currently read my own meter. I certainly done want this damn smart meter!!! This is BS!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

What also needs to be published is how to get them to remove the devices that they use to turn off your AC in the summer.....

Anonymous said...

This must be stopped!NOW!

Anonymous said...

9:12 They cannot turn off you AC unless you sign up for the program that allows them to do it. Your trying to connect two different things.
It is like saying Iraq and 9/11 together and trying to make them connect. Been there done that.

Anonymous said...

9:22 don't waste your time trying to explain this. They really believe this device is so smart it can detect what you have plugged into a wall socket!
Apparently, the smart meter is smarter than alot of people on the blog!

Anonymous said...

9:41 actually, eventually it can tell what appliance is running because they are now making smart appliances to pair up with your smart meter.

Can YOU say DUH?

Anonymous said...

if the state of moneyland is involved you know you're gonna get SCREWED! that's $204 bucks a year (at first) plus 75 bucks up front for a total of $279 dollars stolen from each customer who does this! how much of that goes to those brainless bloodsuckers in annapolis? a significant percentage i'm sure.

Anonymous said...

So just why are we charged a one time fee? So they can cover the cost of someone else getting a smart meter? I can see the monthly fee since they will have to come out and read the meter even though $17 seems to be a bit high. If they don't come out one month and estimate the usage will we still be charged that $17?

Anonymous said...

10:23 You must really like watching doomsday preppers. Now go crawl back into your bunker! I think my coffee maker was watching me this morning.

Anonymous said...

10:27 seems like you forgot to take your meds this morning.

Anonymous said...

10:27 You call me paranoid, I call you uninformed.

Anonymous said...

10:27 what is your problem?-- I guess that you are all for introducing a carcinogenic source on to everyone's property? Typical mindless babble of a Progressive parasite

I am building a 7 ft fence and constructing a chain link cage with a Pit Bull around my meter we'll see how much fun they have with that

Anonymous said...

The meters should be all at the point the power lines access a right of way to your property. I don't care about the measure of data that DPL gets. I don't want a dangerous device in my yard and I think we have reason for a class action lawsuit making them provide answers to questions that DPL evaded --like these fees that they obviously petitioned the Marxist trash in Baltimore to receive

Anonymous said...

I bet it's cheaper to pay $17/mo than accept a smart meter.

Anonymous said...

12:29 so you have no other wireless devices in your home?

Anonymous said...

Extortion. When I get the notice from Delmarva Power I will immediately take Constellation's offer as a power provider alternative. I have not seen any smart meter extortion threats from them.

Anonymous said...

I seem to remember that if you wanted to opt out it was your choice...no strings attached. Then I caught them attempting to change my meter even though I opted out... now I have to pay a one time fee ..and then payments. Maybe the one time fee is so they can pay the guys to go back and take out the meters that people didn't want to begin with and they stuck them up anyway. I agree... extortion~

Anonymous said...

Let me get this straight. They attempt to force us to take the meters, which we have every right to not have to buy, then they cant sell the pos, so they now fine us for not taking the pos they tried to jam down our throats. Isn't this a crime they have committed?

Anonymous said...

BLACKMAIL!

John Palmer said...

Wicomico residents if you think this is not coming to your house then I have a bridge in New York I would like to sell you. Think about it. Power companies have found the perfect product. "NOTHING". They are going to give you the privilege of paying them for NOT installing a product at your home or business,the Smart Meter,then charge you an "UP FRONT" charge and then a monthly fee for not having their meter. What a way to make money. Brilliant idea by the power companies. I'm sure all their stock holders are laughing all the way to the bank on this one. Seriously now, how about our county council passing a resolution keeping these kind of schemes out of our county and have Conway introduce a bill to stop this here on the Shore.

lmclain said...

$75 for doing NOTHING? And a monthly charge for having LESS meters being read?
Your "leaders" have sold you out (and no the first time, either).
Keep cheering.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
I seem to remember that if you wanted to opt out it was your choice...no strings attached. Then I caught them attempting to change my meter even though I opted out... now I have to pay a one time fee ..and then payments. Maybe the one time fee is so they can pay the guys to go back and take out the meters that people didn't want to begin with and they stuck them up anyway. I agree... extortion~

February 27, 2014 at 11:17 PM

Happened to me. I even asked him to replace the meter when I caught him leaving my yard with it. He said his boss told him the old meter had to be rebooted. That was several months ago and no old meter reinstalled.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Let me get this straight. They attempt to force us to take the meters, which we have every right to not have to buy, then they cant sell the pos, so they now fine us for not taking the pos they tried to jam down our throats. Isn't this a crime they have committed?

February 28, 2014 at 7:22 AM

They don't force you to take anything. They come on your property and replace it within seconds. So basically they are trespassing.

Anonymous said...

I am irrate!!!Where are our elected officials when they should be trying to protect the citizens from these crooks. I DO NOT WANT THAT SMART METER! I live on fixed income and don't have extra money to pay for nothing. I will gladly read and report my meter reading to them instead of paying the $17.00

Anonymous said...

I'm not going to allow them to put this on my property and poison my family. The second hand cigarette smoke, radiation for cellphones, toxins in the fish and gamer we kill to eat and carbon monoxide from our space heaters has not killed us.