Smart Meters?

[avarkh]

I'm updating this thread to let you all know how it's all played out.

So it turned out that CenterPoint did indeed install a smart meter (not just digital) back in Nov of 10. They somehow 'lost' this bit of information and were insisting that the meter I had was a round dial meter, until I read the numbers right off the unit. They were getting normal readings from it until the melting episode.

We called them to let them know it was melting and they came and took the old meter, and it took them and Reliant 8 hours to finally get another tech out here with a new meter. The guy came at 11:45 at night. Installs it and we finally have power back on. Thankfully our food didn't spoil, but it was a miserable eight hours.

We think all is well until we get our first bill. It shows 6600kwh of usage for the month (old usage averaged 1500-1900), plus a $45 dollar service call fee for them to come and take out and replace their faulty meter. Grand total of $745!! In the ten days since the reading that yielded this information, the stupid 'smart' meter has registered another 3000kwh used as of today. We are not a commercial operation, and our usage has not changed in the past few months. The only real variables has been the record heat. Has this heat registered as a two to three-fold usage of kwh for everyone in Houston, or is the meter messed up?

Considering CenterPoint's company stance on smart meters and their horrific customer service, I don't trust them farther than I can spit. And my dh will tell you that's not far. CenterPoint has not done a single thing to engender trust between itself and the people it supposedly serves, so I am more apt to blame the meter and CenterPoint's shady practices (chalking everything up to 'truing up') before believing that the old meter was that far off, or that the weather makes up all the difference.

I've posted another thread asking for opinions about this, so moderators, please feel free to move it to this thread if this is the appropriate place for it.

Steve, can you comment on the practice of charging a customer a call service fee when the reason for said call is a melted meter that is a hazard to persons and property, especially when smart meters are being installed without a service fee all over the city? How is that the fault or responsibility of the home owner? If you can, I would appreciate your help in getting that charge removed from my bill.

Thanks for all responses.

[SmartMeterOvercharge]

You are not alone. These meter has problems for overbill many customer. Usually you will be charged a couple of months after you complained, I think electricity deliver company know what's wrong and corrected it, but insist nothing wrong with their meter. You better hire electricians to record your real usage and then fight with it.

When inside meter get overheated, it will overbill you, see this;
Overheated PG&E SmartMeters Overcharging Customers « CBS San Francisco
or google, overheat overcharge smart meter

I gave you some other similar cases in texas:
go to Texas PUC web, search interchange, or this link:
PUC Interchange

search case number: 39401, 39403, 39625, 39651. these are all overbilled customer, you are not the worst case.

You have hope to win your case if you work on it, please see this case happened in california:

PG&E admits billing errors, offers scanty refund | EMF Safety Network

and California PUC official decision for this case: [SIZE=2]Decision 11-05-025 May 26, 2011
Ryerson Agenda Dec On Expedited Complaint Procedure Complaint

case is filed on [/SIZE][SIZE=2]October 27, 2010, and decision is on [/SIZE][SIZE=2] May 26, 2011. Be prepared for long fight.

You may need to file lawsuit in houston local court first, after they dismiss your case for giving up authority to Texas PUC, then you only can get final judgement at PUC. However, you can start to call them and working on it.

I refused to pay what they charged me based on faulty meters for the first two months.
and I am still fighting it.
Good luck
[/SIZE][SIZE=2]
[/SIZE]

Originally Posted by avarkh

I'm updating this thread to let you all know how it's all played out.

So it turned out that CenterPoint did indeed install a smart meter (not just digital) back in Nov of 10. They somehow 'lost' this bit of information and were insisting that the meter I had was a round dial meter, until I read the numbers right off the unit. They were getting normal readings from it until the melting episode.

We called them to let them know it was melting and they came and took the old meter, and it took them and Reliant 8 hours to finally get another tech out here with a new meter. The guy came at 11:45 at night. Installs it and we finally have power back on. Thankfully our food didn't spoil, but it was a miserable eight hours.

We think all is well until we get our first bill. It shows 6600kwh of usage for the month (old usage averaged 1500-1900), plus a $45 dollar service call fee for them to come and take out and replace their faulty meter. Grand total of $745!! In the ten days since the reading that yielded this information, the stupid 'smart' meter has registered another 3000kwh used as of today. We are not a commercial operation, and our usage has not changed in the past few months. The only real variables has been the record heat. Has this heat registered as a two to three-fold usage of kwh for everyone in Houston, or is the meter messed up?

Considering CenterPoint's company stance on smart meters and their horrific customer service, I don't trust them farther than I can spit. And my dh will tell you that's not far. CenterPoint has not done a single thing to engender trust between itself and the people it supposedly serves, so I am more apt to blame the meter and CenterPoint's shady practices (chalking everything up to 'truing up') before believing that the old meter was that far off, or that the weather makes up all the difference.

I've posted another thread asking for opinions about this, so moderators, please feel free to move it to this thread if this is the appropriate place for it.

Steve, can you comment on the practice of charging a customer a call service fee when the reason for said call is a melted meter that is a hazard to persons and property, especially when smart meters are being installed without a service fee all over the city? How is that the fault or responsibility of the home owner? If you can, I would appreciate your help in getting that charge removed from my bill.

Thanks for all responses.