PG&E Offers Smart Meter Opt-Out For A Monthly Fee
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is proposing to allow residents to switch off the wireless signals on their utility meters for a fee, but opponents of the devices aren't satisfied.
The Northern California utility company unveiled its proposal Thursday.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that under PG&E's plan, residents could pay $14 to $20 per month plus an upfront fee to have the signal disabled. The company says the fee would pay for sending meter readers to those homes.
Some residents blame the signals -- similar to those from cell phones and laptops -- for health problems from headaches to insomnia. They say the opt-out doesn't address the presence of smart meters at neighbors' homes and elsewhere.
A state study found that scientists have not discovered any evidence that the signals are harmful.
