There has been much in the news lately about electric bills and the new electric meters -- the so-called “smart meters.” I can commiserate with people whose recent electric bills were much higher, but I can’t help but think that much of it is due to the colder weather, and the Christmas lights most of us put up outside and inside. Still, some of the increases cited in news reports do seem much too high. Preposterous, in fact. But my big problem with these “smart meters” isn’t so much the electric bill; it’s the possibilities their use opens to electric companies.

These things have the potential of monitoring all your lifestyle habits, in one form or another, where electricity is concerned and reporting them to the electric companies. What the electric companies do, or could do, with this information is an open book.

Their primary function is to read your electric meter with accuracy. However, that accuracy isn’t significantly greater than the old-style meters over a month’s time. So why invest all that money in a completely new system?

One reason could be to charge you a few extra pennies by “time-of-day” usage. Taking readings by the minute (or 15 minutes) allows the electric company to charge a higher rate during certain usage times and, presumably, to stay within the PUC’s rate guidelines.

Another reason is that if you don’t pay your electric bill, they can easily cut off your service. So if the computer isn’t told you’ve paid your bill by the due date, it sends a cutoff signal to your meter and Poof! Also, if they wanted to, they could limit the electricity you use at any time, for any length of time, all without notifying you in advance.

Another reason is that they can and most likely will collect data on your use of electricity -- a “usage profile” (by whatever name). What will they do with that information? Let your imagination soar here.

I would like to see some “smart legislation” to accompany these “smart meters.” PUC, are you listening? I’d like to see a requirement that they not be used to circumvent due process. I’d like to see a requirement that all data collected, stored and transmitted by this smart meter system be held confidential and not be released to any third party, regardless of who it is. Furthermore, that it be completely erased from the system no later than 30 days after the billing date. This is for starters.

D.D. Todd

Kempner