The Editor,
BC Hydro plans to replace the existing meters with smart meters in homes and businesses in British Columbia this year.
These smart meters transmit information about energy use several times a day and will improve reliability and efficiency greatly.
These smart meters can detect and report power outages, which shortens power restoration time.
With the smart meters, the meter readings are more accurate and estimated billing is eliminated. Also, these smart meters will help to identify electricity theft and tampering of the meters.
There are some concerns about health issues, but BC Hydro is confident that the level of radio frequency transmission is safe and that exposure to these frequency from a smart meter over 20 years is the equivalent of a 30-minute cell phone call.
I believe that the idea of smart meters replacing the old meters is fantastic and should be encouraged not only in B.C. but worldwide.
Alex Huang Richmond
