SMUD smart meter shenanigans

Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is implementing a smart meter opt-out program that’s intentionally designed to intimidate and discourage customers from opting opt.  The audiotape from SMUD is a unique inside look into industry plotting against their customers.

SMUD is charging $127 upfront and $39.40 per month, and they will cut off customer rights to opt out by Dec. 31, 2012.  They plan to only notify those who’ve already complained, which is 2,500 of their 600,000 customers.   SMUD will not notify the rest of their customers, nor post about the smart meter opt out program on their website, because they don’t want them to know about it.  In addition the ‘radio-off’ smart meter is their only opt out option, and if you move, you lose the right to opt-out.

Even though SMUD is very concerned about their ‘reputational risk’ at [01:51:54] the directors make fun of people who don’t want utility smart meters on their property.

One director says, “The $166 upfront will convince them they can really afford a lot of tin foil hats” [laughter]…Another director says, “But they are already wearing them!”

In closing Director Posner says, The less that’s said about this, the better off we are.”  The last thing they want is a social media campaign that exposes them as unfriendly to their customers.

10 thoughts on “SMUD smart meter shenanigans”

  1. Unfortunatly, I live in a mobile home park and because of management rules & regulations, I am not able to opt out. The meter was installed in my home months ago and I just recently learned about these issues. Can’t we all just ban together and do something about it?

  2. This shady company is ripping me off. I used fewer appliances and ran them for less time than last year, and somehow this dumbass “smart” meter says I used 200 kWh more than the same time last year. It is really ****ed up that some sh***y a$$ company is allowed to rip people off like this. SMUD is a bunch of scammers. Tin foil hats my ass, every single person I know says their bills are higher thanks to the smart meters. I hope everyone who is involved in the administration of SMUD gets cancer, just as SMUD is a cancer.

  3. This is not legal advise and I am not an atorney and don’t give legal advise.
    DO NOT Opt In or Opt out, decline the offer and waive benefit. This is a Federally fiunded program defined as a BENFIT (statutory colorable legal fiction law) and requires your voluntary participation. Stop trading rights for benefits.

    The accounting is also FRAUD. Was the subsidy passed on to customers? Will the savings for no meter reading be passed on? Will the increased revennue from the algorithm that increased everyones bill who accepted a smartmeter be passed on? Not on you life and the fraud is much deeper.

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