Editor:
BC Hydro's new mantra is "Power's special, let's be smart with it."
They obviously think they are pretty smart.
I've been reading the various articles from customersaround the province,reporting thedrastic increases in their bills after the smart meter install. Of course BC Hydro justifies all them with the typical corporate mumbo jumbo saying that the customer'susage must have increasedby up to 300 per cent - maybe the customer had a grow-op or other such business in the month after the meter was installed. BC Hydrotakes no responsibility. Big surprise. How many monopolies have to?
It so happens that we were away three weeks of the month of February. No one was living in our small cottage by the sea and all the proper adjustments to our thermostats were made and double-checked before we left.
When we received ourFebruary statement we were surprised that the billhad risen 200 per cent from the previous month.
We thought we would wait until the next billing period to compare the charges. Lo and behold if the March bill wasn't a hundred dollars lower than the bill in question. Now, I know I could call BC Hydro and waste a good couple of hours waiting to air my concerns or put myself on a list of complainants with a provincial body and wait three months to be heard. We will probably suck it up like thousand of others in the province who are resigned to being overtaxed and overchargedin every way on every day. And that is how the BC Hydro will pay for the smart meters and use the power of a monopoly to outsmart the consumer. Class action anyone?
Lynn Grossutti
Sechelt
