When it comes to wireless meters on your buildings or Wi-Fi in schools, governments and school boards are installing wireless thinking it is more cost effective. It costs significantly more to hard wire 30 computer stations than it does to plug in a Wi-Fi Router that provides wireless coverage throughout the classroom.
It costs less to radiate 5 sq. miles with a smart meter router than it does to wire all the smart devices in the coverage area. One of Texas Oncor’s collectors radiates 125 sq. miles and it seems cheaper than wiring all the smart meters in the coverage areas.
These frequencies as applied are dangerous across the board and the liabilities will far exceed any benefit. Topping that off is the energy savings associated with the frequencies is really non existent. Here is our submission to a Public Utilities Commission supporting the suspension of a utility application for wireless or a denial of the application. The images show the massive energy waste reacting to symptoms when the energy could be saved through real solutions.
There are wired alternatives to wireless and here is an example. This customer in Texas was concerned whether they had a wireless smart meter and asked how their analog electrical meter was read from a central location. Here is the response from the Texas utility and they read the meter without compromising your privacy or radiating the building, people, pregnant women, fetus, vulnerable patients, pets, pollinators, infrastructure, ecosystems, wildlife, pacemaker recipients, etc.
There are real reasons we confine electrical signals in wires. Radiating large areas with wireless puts everything in the circuit and we aren’t insulated for it. Here is the response from the Texas utility:
Dear Ms. Gorelick:
Thank you for contacting us through our website. The automated meter at your location transmits readings over the same electric distribution lines that deliver your electricity. A device in the meter records the revolutions of the disk that measures the amount of electricity used. This data is electronically delivered to our billing system, where it is stored and used to calculate your bill each month. This information is also used to generate your My Use Energy Analyzer reports allowing you to monitor your electric usage on a daily basis via our Member Portal.
Our bill format is designed to communicate clearly all relevant information about your electricity use and costs. View the sample bill for more detail.
Service Dates define the period of electric use your bill is based upon. The Beginning Reading and Ending Reading show meter-reading information for this billing period. Meters are read automatically on a daily basis. Monthly Service Availability Charge is a fixed minimum charge for being connected to the electric distribution system. Delivery Charge ($ per kWh use) accounts for that portion of the costs for delivering electric service recovered through kilowatt hours (kWh) consumed and billed.
Total Power Cost reflects the costs of PEC’s power suppliers and consists of:
Base Power Cost ($ per kWh use): This is the power supply cost at the time the rate was determined by the cost-of-service study. Power Cost Adjustment ($ per kWh use): This represents fluctuations (+/-) to the actual cost of power determined by the power suppliers on a monthly basis.
Power cost adjustments are automatically reflected in member bills on a monthly basis, requiring no additional Board action.
We hope this information satisfies your request, however; if you would like additional information or need further assistance please feel free to contact us again.
Sincerely,
Pedernales Electric Cooperative
201 South Avenue F
P. O. Box 1
Johnson City, TX 78636-0001
1-888-554-4732