Susan Beckman, a children’s TV show producer who lives near Lompoc in Santa Barbara County, has removed a Smart Meter from her home and replaced it with an analog meter to protect her husband. In response to this act Susan stated a PG&E representative has threatened to “bring the police and turn off her power.”
Misled by PG&E into thinking she could refuse the new meter when the installers arrived, a Smart Meter was installed without her knowledge. She started to hear a buzz and a loud hum in the house and noticed feeling extremely fatigued with aching joints, a rash and feeling flu-like. After some investigation she discovered the new meter on her house. She was also very concerned about her husband. She writes, “My 89 year old husband has had cancer removed and the smart meter installed a few feet from where he spends about 80% of his time in his den.”
Susan then called PG&E and spoke to several representatives with whom she said made “demeaning comments” and they refused to remove the meter. Finally, she talked with one who was actually sympathetic who told her she could buy an analog meter and replace it, which she did, with her own hands, with guidance from an electrician. She said she, “wore gloves, turned the main power off, clipped the lock, took the collar off and used a lot pressure to pull it off.” The electrician checked it out and verified it was done correctly.
She then sent registered letters, reviewed by her attorney to PG&E. In an email to the California Public utilities Commission Susan writes that PG&E Smart Meter agent “Dennis Weidman, before losing his patience and hanging up on me, said tomorrow he will bring the police and turn off our electricity.”
To be continued…
9/23/2011 PG&E has not turned off her power and a local newspaper wrote up her story:
