If you live in Southeast Michigan, you’re probably very familiar with the subject of Smart Meters: devices that report energy usage data from your home to your utilities providers. Questioning the safety and privacy implications of their use, some groups have successfully halted DTE and Consumers Energy from installing around 600,000 meters mostly in Oakland County, Harsens Island and Grosse Ile by the end of the first quarter in 2012, according to the Detroit Free Press.
What is the benefit of such a service? If the idea of your electricity usage being electronically monitored in real time raises a red flag, you’re not alone. DTE maintains that the meters are simply to be used to help improve their services, since they can report events like power outages as they’re happening or alert you about your electricity use during peak hours. The meters could also save power companies money, since they would effectively eliminate the need for a meter reader. Critics of their use, however, are concerned that their activities could be monitored through the devices they’re using electricity for, or that the systems could be hacked. And many of them don’t like that DTE and Detroit Edison don’t allow customers to opt out. As of last week, the Michigan Public Service Commission has opened an official investigation into the use of the meters.
As a homeowner, especially in Michigan where DTE is a major utilities provider, it’s an important issue to keep up on. Early last month, the Rochester city council voted unanimously in support of a resolution requiring further investigation into smart meter installation. What’s next for Rochester? It depends on what the MPSC finds in the course of its investigation. Whether you oppose smart meters or support them, or are simply ambivalent, it’s an important issue that affects all homeowners in the area. If you want to learn more about smart meters, here are a few resources:
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