Fergie's Tech Blog

SCADA Watch: PG&E Sued Over New SmartMeters, Soaring Bills

David R. Baker writes in The San Francisco Chronicle:

SmartMeters, which Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have been installing throughout its territory, are the subject of a lawsuit by a Bakersfield man who blames them for his soaring electric bills.

Pete Flores has sued PG&E over the meters, claiming they caused his monthly bill to jump from less than $200 to more than $500. The class-action suit, filed on Oct. 16 in Kern County Superior Court, alleges that the meters aren't accurate and lead to overcharges that PG&E should be forced to refund.

"Whatever the problem is needs to be sorted out and fixed now," said attorney Michael Louis Kelly, representing Flores.

Residents of Bakersfield, Fresno and the surrounding area have been complaining for months about the SmartMeters.

The devices are designed to track electricity and gas usage with precision and transmit their data to the utility via wireless.

posted by Fergie @ 11/10/2009 01:24:00 PM