If you live in the Invercargill area and don’t want a smart meter, there is good news in a new document* on the website of the Electricity Authority.
According to the document:
“As of 21 May 2015, in total 26,000 category 1 metering installations (Electricity Invercargill was responsible for 7,546, and TPC [The Power Company] for 18,454) had expired interim certification.”
The Electricity Authority wants customers in these areas to have certified metering and has required Electricity Invercargill and The Power Company to come up with a plan to achieve this.
Part of this plan includes installing non-smart meters for customers who have refused to have a smart meter installed!
Quoting from the document Electricity Invercargill and The Power Company [TPC] agree to:
“(a) take all practicable steps to achieve compliance as fast as possible, preferably by 14 December 2016. To achieve this outcome, Electricity Invercargill and TPC commit to taking the following actions:
(i) certifying all non-compliant ICPs regardless of suitability for an AMI meter, including using alternative certified meters or moving the metering point where customers are refusing permission to install electronic/AMI meters;” [Emphasis added]
So a big thank you is due to everyone in this area who has refused a smart meter so far (and helped on the campaign in other ways, such as by running screenings of Take Back Your Power.)
Your actions have helped to make a difference.
If you are in the Invercargill area and if your electricity retailer informs you that your meter’s certification has lapsed, you can tell the company that you are happy to have your meter changed – as long as it is to a properly certified non-smart meter.
(NB: If your electricity company offers you a smart meter with its transmission capacity disabled, please see this link so you are aware of the pros and cons of this option: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/government-and-electricity-industry-positions/comparing-analogue-ferraris-meters-with-smart-meters-which-have-had-the-modem-removed/)
Meridian and Powershop joined the investigation that preceded this settlement agreement so both these companies will be aware that the agreement directs Electricity Invercargill and The Power Company to install non smart meters for customers who do not want smart meters.
NB If you would like to keep up to date with the smart meter issue in NZ, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you
* SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT
Regulation 24(1) Electricity Industry (Enforcement) Regulations 2010
DATED:
BETWEEN:
(1) The Power Company Limited of 251 Racecourse Road, Invercargill, (TPC);
(2) Electricity Invercargill Limited of 251 Racecourse Road, Invercargill, (Electricity Invercargill);
(3) Electricity Authority in its role of the market administrator under the Electricity Industry Act 2010, of 2 Hunter Street, Wellington, (market administrator);
(4) Meridian Energy Limited of 33 Customhouse Quay, Wellington (Meridian); and
(5) Powershop New Zealand Limited of 43 Hanson Street, Wellington (Powershop)
NB If you would like to keep up to date with the smart meter issue in NZ, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you
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