Florez convenes Fresno “Smart” Meter forum
Concerned customers have opportunity to address PG&E on bill spikes following installation

FRESNO – Amid concerns that new electric metering technology has been funded by consumers without delivering promised savings, Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) will convene a hearing Wednesday in Fresno with PG&E and the regulatory body that pushed forward the company’s implementation of “Smart Meters,” as well as concerned utility customers and consumer advocates.

Florez will also hold media availability earlier Wednesday in his Fresno District Office, which is upstairs from the Assembly Room where the hearing will take place.

Smart Meters are ultimately supposed to give consumers real-time information on their energy usage, so they can make adjustments to save on their bills, but the technology to allow the sort of communication needed to achieve that will not be in place for years.  So far, only the utility itself seems to be saving -- eliminating the labor costs of manually reading older meters -- as many consumers say their bills have increased dramatically despite cutting back on energy consumption.
 
An October 5 Bakersfield hearing on this issue heard public comments from dozens of residents who have seen their bills double – even triple, or worse – since the installation of a “Smart” Meter, including anecdotal evidence of people who were forced to move due to the expense.  PG&E has blamed the spike on summer heat, but much of the increase has come from multiple rate hikes approved readily by the Public Utilities Commission, much of that to pay for the new meters.

Despite evidence of billing anomalies, such as peaks in usage for a vacant house, PG&E has only tested 50 of the 250,000 meters installed in Kern County.  Florez wants to give Fresno residents the same opportunity to present their concerns to PG&E and the CPUC, while having those bodies address questions remaining unanswered from the previous hearing.

Based on testimony at the Bakersfield hearing, the CPUC has said it will require PG&E to have Smart Meters tested in homes against historical data by an independent technology expert.  They stopped short of imposing a moratorium on further installations or rate increases pending such testing.

Public comment by concerned consumers is welcomed and encouraged at the October 21 hearing.  

*** MEDIA ADVISORY *** MEDIA ADVISORY *** MEDIA ADVISORY ***
 
WHO:             Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, D-Shafter;
                        Pacific Gas & Electric; California Public Utilities Commission;
                        Concerned consumers and consumer advocates
 
WHAT:           Hearing into Smart Meter implementation and relation to rate hikes
 
WHEN:           Wednesday, October 21, 2009
                        Media Availability – 5:30 p.m. (Room 2016)
                        Hearing – 6:30 (Assembly Room 1036)
 
WHERE:         Hugh Burns State Bldg., 2550 Mariposa Mall, Fresno