Conversation with Meter Engineer SRP

[Guest guest]

 

Hi Everyone!  FYI

 

As per your request Libby, I spoke to a Meter Engineer, Rob Romak, at SRP. I

initially spoke with him back in October when the Smart Meters were installed.

He said that there is no plan to do away with the M-Power Meter. There is some

talk about replacing it with a modem type meter that runs through your phone

lines. They call it PLC Technology (Power Line r Technology) He wanted to

know if I like the prepay meter or would prefer not to have to do that.

 

Rob said that the M-Power is not wireless. It runs through the house wiring to

the display box.

I don't think I would have been able to tolerate my house if it were wireless.

 

SRP is working on options for people with health issues relating to the RF

frequencies. Rob was empathetic and asked me what symptoms I had. He will make a

report and forward it to his boss. He did say also that we can't get away from

the RF signals. They are everywhere.

 

So it is a good thing that SRP has a level of understanding in regards to this &

is working on options. Now APS on the other hand is another issue. Not sure

about Tucson.

 

Rob also said that doing away with ALL landlines does not make any sense because

if the cell towers were down there would have to be an alternative method of

communication. He was not familiar with FCC's plans.

 

For those of you that want to look at the M-Power Prepay Meter, here is the

link! 

 www.srpnet.com/payment/mpower/

 

 There is a video you can view also. Dawn; you asked me for a picture & there is

some pics on the website.

 

Loni Rosser

 

 

On Sun, 4/17/11, Kelley <lkelley_45@...> wrote:

From: Kelley <lkelley_45@...>

Subject: RE: The emPOWER meter is wireless also (from Steen)

joytotheworld@..., " Loni Rosser " <loni326@...>, "

Malloy " <molloy@...>, " Dawn " <dawnleslie5@...>,

" Melinda Honn " <melhonn@...>

Date: Sunday, April 17, 2011, 11:55 AM

Some time ago, we learned that we had referred to the wrong meters. It s not an

EMPOWER meter but an " M-Power " pay as you go meter. Here are news stories about

it.  http://www.metering.com/node/15542.  Note that SRP is a public utility (not

an investor owned and operated) based in Phoenix. More

articles http://news.consumerreports.org/home/2007/11/smart-meters-prepaid-meter\

s-electricity-use-save-energy-salt-river-project-mpower-plan.html.

http://tdworld.com/mag/power_customers_power_home/.

 

By " paying as you go " the customer gets a fixed amount of electrical energy to

use. they only go to the home to repair the meter upon request. SRP thinks this

is smart and sustainable.  SRP thinks that is smart Loni Rosser in Mesa, who is

EHS, has had one installed in her home for a few moths ago and has not

complained about any related health problems. If this is true, why not look more

closely at that option?  

 

The Salt River Project offers m-power meters as an alternative, for now.

However, SRP just got a smart grid grant though. LEt's hope that they do not

decide to install the communicating ones with antennas.  

 

If anyone has had any direct experiences to report with a utility over smart

meters please send them to Molloy or me. A group of us are meetig on

Wednesday with a commissioner on the AZ Corporation Commission. 

 

Kelley

Arizonans for Safer Utility Infrastructure

 

From: joytotheworld@...

Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2011 09:32:22 -0700

Subject: The emPOWER meter is wireless also (from Steen)

lKelley_45@...; loni326@...; molloy@...;

dawnleslie5@...; melhonn@...

The emPOWER meter constantly transmits wirelessly to a display/control unit

inside the house.  The display shows how much money is left in the meter.

 Turning off or moving the in-house display is unlikely to help, except on the

transmissions FROM the display/control unit.

The good news is that the emPOWER meter will only need to transmit at a lower

power level to reach the in-house unit, as compared to the other types of

wireless meters.  It may be similar to a baby monitor or remote thermometer.

Steen 

(via Joy)

Please address any replies directly to:  steenhviid@...