Meter holdouts wooed

Photo: Contributed

Fortis BC is hoping smart meter holdouts might change their minds.

The utility company is continuing to install the controversial meters across the region, with more than 60,000 already in place in the Kelowna area.

The advanced metering infrastructure – as it is officially called – has generated plenty of controversy, with opponents claiming it allows the government to spy on people and that it produces pulses of radiation that can cause health problems.

The company says the science is on its side and the meters are harmless.

“At this time, we’re reaching out to Kelowna-based customers who initially refused an AMI meter when we began installations last fall. There are a few who continue to refuse the meter exchange, and I wanted to share with readers the importance of why these upgrades need to take place,” said Michael Allison, corporate communications advisor with Fortis BC.

“Right now, we’ve installed more than 100,000 meters total, with nearly 60,000 already installed in the Kelowna region. There are 24,000 more meters to go in the Southern Interior.

We’re aiming to have the meter deployment phase of the project wrapped up by early October, after which customers will begin to realize benefits of fewer bill estimates, billing date choice, and better response to outages."

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