General Program Frequently Asked Questions

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1. What is a smart meter?
2. What makes a smart meter smart?
3. Why do we need smart meters?
4. When will I get my smart meter?
5. Will my rates go up because of smart meters?
6. Will BC Hydro be introducing time-of-use rates?
7. Why is my bill higher than average?
8. Are smart meters safe?
9. If the World Health Organization (WHO) says cell phones are "possibly carcinogenic", are smart meters still safe?
10. I live in a condo – should I be concerned about the meter bank?
11. How is BC Hydro ensuring my usage information is protected?
12. What data will BC Hydro see?
13. Is the Smart Metering Program compliant with B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act?
14. How will I be able to track my energy consumption?
15. Will the program create new jobs?
16. You say the program will create jobs – what about all of the meter readers who will be out of work?
17. Why is a meter reader still coming to my property to read my meter if I have a smart meter?
18. Which technologies will be used?
19. How is electricity theft a public safety problem?
20. Will I need new appliances for my smart meter to work?
21. Will smart meters cause my appliances to malfunction?
22. Can I refuse to have a smart meter installed on my house?

1. What is a smart meter?
Smart meters, like power lines and poles, deliver power to your home or business. They are a necessary part of our electricity system.

Smart meters look similar to the old BC Hydro meters, but offer better service. The old meters can only measure electricity consumption. Smart meters are part of a system that:

• measures the flow of electricity through the entire provincial electricity system;
• measures the voltage being delivered to your home or business as an indicator of power quality;
• records your consumption data on an hourly basis; and,
• automatically detects power outages.

2. What makes a smart meter smart?
 The new meters include measurement technology, a computer, two radios and an energy storage device.

• The measurement technology determines how much power is being consumed and produced, as well as the voltage – a power quality indicator.
• The computer stores the data collected by the measurement technology on an hourly basis.
• The main radio sends the hourly consumption data three times a day to a collector mounted on an existing power pole. The collector relays encrypted data back to BC Hydro safely and securely through the available communications infrastructure in the area.
• The second radio enables customers to use optional in-home conservation tools. It is disabled by default and is turned on when customers call BC Hydro to request pairing it with their own in-home conservation devices.
• The energy storage device (capacitor) enables the meter to send a signal to BC Hydro when the power goes out.

3. Why do we need smart meters?
B.C.'s electricity system supports our economy and our quality of life. We are using more technology in our homes and businesses today than ever before. However, the electricity system that powers our province has not changed significantly in 50 years, and has not kept pace with the rapid growth of technology and other demands on the system. Updating BC Hydro's meters is a key step in modernizing our entire electricity system, keeping our rates low and ensuring BC Hydro can continue to deliver safe, reliable power.

Combined with additional system meters throughout the grid, the new meters will help to manage the flow of electricity and track it like a store's inventory system. More information about the status of the electricity grid will ensure BC Hydro can continue to deliver safe, reliable, low-cost electricity to homes and businesses across the province when it is needed.

4. When will I get my smart meter?
Meter exchanges are underway throughout the province. Customers in individual communities will be made aware of their installations dates well in advance. All customers will receive a letter from BC Hydro a few weeks prior to their installation date notifying them of the exchange and what they can expect.

See your smart meter installation for more information.

5. Will my rates go up because of smart meters?
No. Smart meters will help to make our electricity system more efficient and cost-effective by reducing power loss and operating costs. These savings will benefit you by helping to keep your rates among the lowest in North America. In fact, over the next three years there will be approximately $70 million in rate savings.

To learn more, see how the program will help to keep rates low.

To learn more about how the smart metering system will pay for itself see the business case [PDF, 473 KB].

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6. Will BC Hydro be introducing time-of-use rates?
BC Hydro will not be implementing time-of-use rates because we don't need them.

Time-of-use rates are used in jurisdictions with peak demand that exceeds the utility's ability to supply electricity to its customers. They have to buy expensive electricity in order to meet that peak demand. This is very important in jurisdictions that rely on coal or fossil fuels to generate electricity.

In British Columbia, we are fortunate to have a flexible electricity system that is 94 per cent hydro generation, where water flow can be adjusted to match supply and demand as needed. We are also addressing future capacity constraints through expansions to existing infrastructure, such as Mica 5 and 6 and our Integrated Resources Plan.

7. Why is my bill higher than average?
Smart meters will help make our electricity system more efficient and cost-effective by reducing power loss and operating costs. The new meters are accurate and will not increase your rates or your bill. A higher than normal bill can result from a number of reasons – click here for more information.

If you have additional questions about your bill, please contact us at 1 800 BC HYDRO or 604 224 9376.

8. Are smart meters safe?
Smart meters are safe, as confirmed by health and science authorities including B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer, Health Canada and the World Health Organization.

Smart meters communicate for a total average of one minute a day. In fact, exposure to radio frequency during a 20-year life span of a smart meter is equivalent to the exposure during a single 30-minute cell phone call.

BC Hydro's smart meters are well below Health Canada's exposure limits and the precautionary limits set by Switzerland, the country with the most rigorous standards in the world.

For more information, please see Radio Frequency and BC Hydro's Smart Meters and our meter vendor's factsheet on radio frequency [PDF, 171 KB].

9. If the World Health Organization (WHO) says cell phones are "possibly carcinogenic", are smart meters still safe?
The WHO has not drawn any definitive conclusions about cell phones, but has called for further investigation.

The WHO stated: "In the area of biological effects and medical applications of non-ionizing radiation, approximately 25,000 articles have been published over the past 30 years. Despite the feeling of some people that more research needs to be done, scientific knowledge in this area is now more extensive than for most chemicals. Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low level electromagnetic fields. However, some gaps in knowledge about biological effects exist and need further research."

While smart meters and cell phones both communicate wirelessly, they have different parameters. Smart meters are located outside of the home and transmit less than one minute a day at one hundredth the power of a cell phone. The exposure to radio frequency from a smart meter – over its entire 20-year lifespan – is the equivalent to a 30-minute cell phone conversation.

For more information on the WHO's recent announcement, please refer to Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall's statement.

10. I live in a condo – should I be concerned about the meter bank?
In high-density residential complexes, like apartment buildings, the meters communicate with each other using collaborative network technology. The meters work together so no matter how many meters are in a meter bank the maximum strength is the equivalent of two meters and still below the strictest standards for radio frequency in the world.

Further, Planetworks Consulting, a North Vancouver-based telecommunications engineering firm, has conducted an independent engineering study and verified that in a meter bank of 10 meters, the signal strength was only 1.2 times of a single meter and the transmission time of all 10 meters combined was only 10 seconds a day. See the report [PDF, 10.6 MB] for details.

11. How is BC Hydro ensuring my usage information is protected?
Protecting your privacy is a top priority for BC Hydro. As we do now, we will continue to protect your privacy by:

• designing a system with multiple layers of security starting with data encryption similar to online banking systems;
• working closely with the Privacy Commissioner's Office; and,
• managing customer information according to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

For more information, please visit Smart Meters and Your Privacy.

12. What data will BC Hydro see?
Smart meters do not capture real-time usage for BC Hydro – they record total energy consumption on an hourly basis and cannot identify the specific appliance or activity that used the energy. This is the same type of information that the old meters have always collected.

For example, here is what the meter would provide to BC Hydro:

*An example of the type of hourly consumption information BC Hydro is collecting.

This increased information enables BC Hydro to plan better, understand where and when the demands are greatest on the system, and ensure we can deliver the right amount of electricity to the right place at the right time – reducing waste, saving on costs and helping to keep our rates among the lowest in North America.

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13. Is the Smart Metering Program compliant with B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act?
B.C.'s Information and Privacy Commissioner released a report into the Smart Metering Program's compliance with B.C.'s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. We are pleased with the B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner's report that confirms we have taken the right steps to protect our customers' information throughout the planning and implementation of the Smart Metering Program.

The report states that our customers' information is secure and that "people from one household cannot decrypt or read data from another household's meter", debunking opposition claims that the meters reveal private, detailed consumption information.

The Privacy Commissioner included 14 recommendations to BC Hydro in her report. Many of the recommendations build on BC Hydro's existing practices and processes. For example, three of the key recommendations included in the report are:

1. As BC Hydro introduces new elements to the smart grid, or increases the functionality of existing elements of the grid, it should continue to complete privacy impact assessments in each instance and provide it to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for review and comment before implementation.
2. BC Hydro should develop more comprehensive web pages and paper notices for customers regarding the purpose of collecting hourly consumption data, the legal authority for collection, and the contact information for the person within BC Hydro who can answer questions regarding the collection.
3. BC Hydro should make annual privacy and information security training mandatory for all employees and contractors.

BC Hydro will put in place action plans to address the recommendations and will continue to work with the Privacy Commissioner's office as we implement the Smart Metering Program.

14. How will I be able to track my energy consumption?
Smart meters will provide you with access to new tools to manage your energy use, including a free and secure online account, helping you save money and conserve electricity. Conservation tools can help you reduce your energy use by up to 15 per cent.

For details on these new tools, please visit the Smart Meters, Smart Choices.

15. Will the program create new jobs?
The introduction of smart meters will result in a transition in the types of jobs required. The program has already created approximately 700 jobs both within and outside of BC Hydro. Once the program is complete, BC Hydro will have installed approximately 2 million new pieces of technology on the grid that will need to be managed and maintained – those technology-based jobs do not exist today. In addition, the smart metering infrastructure provides opportunities for broader economic development such as micro-grids, electric vehicles/transportation, customer generation and distributed generation.

16. You say the program will create jobs – what about all of the meter readers who will be out of work?
BC Hydro must invest in our infrastructure, mitigate rate increase and reduce costs for all our customers while being mindful of job impacts on Accenture employees. BC Hydro is uncertain how many of the approximately 300 meter reading jobs will be impacted because the meter readers also service other utilities.

17. Why is a meter reader still coming to my property to read my meter if I have a smart meter?
Manual meter readings will be slowly phased out over the next year. At present, all meters are still being read by a meter reader.

18. Which technologies will be used?
BC Hydro has selected Itron Inc. as our metering system provider to supply over 1.8 million new electric meters. Itron will provide its OpenWay® smart meters, run over a multi-application communication network powered by Cisco.

Please visit Smart Meter Technology for details on how the technology works.

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19. How is electricity theft a public safety problem?
Electricity theft is occurring in increasingly dangerous ways, posing major safety risks to you and your community, first responders and BC Hydro employees. Theft can lead to fires in our homes from live wires, high-intensity light bulbs and overheated electrical ballasts in fluorescent lamps. In addition, the high current draw can overload transformers, increasing electricity costs and outages. In fact, when a transformer explodes and the lid comes off, the oil inside can cause a fireball. This can result in even larger fires and serious injuries.

Overloaded transformers look the same on the outside and can blow up at any time.

Daylight	Infrared

For more information on electricity theft, see the electricity theft backgrounder [PDF, 55 KB] or BC Hydro's electricity theft page.

20. Will I need new appliances for my smart meter to work?
No. Smart meters measure the total amount of electricity consumed by your household – they do not measure the amount of electricity consumed by individual appliances or devices. Customers who choose to take advantage of energy saving appliances can reduce their electricity consumption and save money. The information provided to customers who use these devices will not be available to BC Hydro.

21. Will smart meters cause my appliances to malfunction?
Installation of a smart meter at a residence generally results in a one-minute power outage. Household appliances are designed to withstand simple power interruptions, such as those caused by storms. Smart meters do not carry a charge. Replacing an old mechanical meter with a new meter is has the same effect as unplugging and then plugging your appliance.

22. Can I refuse to have a smart meter installed on my house?
Smart meters, like power lines, are a basic piece of equipment needed to deliver power to your home. They are now standard equipment. All of the old meters will be replaced with new smart meters by the end of 2012.

If you have questions about the program please contact us directly at 1 800 224 9376. We will temporarily delay the installation of your meter while we work with you to answer your questions. The new meters are a necessary upgrade to our electricity grid and at a certain point the old meters won't work anymore.

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