In your Oct. 11 edition, Joanne Sales implies that BC Hydro is planning to secretly manipulate our energy use once so-called smart meters are installed.
In quoting snippets from an article in an MIT publication, an impression is left that Hydro will surreptitiously manage the electricity we buy from the utility.
A reading of the article leaves me with the impression that it is Ms. Sales who is in error.
The article does make it clear that an appliance with a smart chip in a home to which a smart meter is attached can be managed by the utility company.
What was not included in the letter is the explanation for doing so; to have a fridge defrosted or a dryer turned on during times of lower overall energy consumption and only when a customer has signed up for a demand response program.
Further, a GE spokesperson is also quoted as saying that meters “tend to lower electricity consumption overall, because they empower consumers to understand when and how they are using energy.”
The full article is available at http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/27216/
Mike Ketteringham
Qualicum Beach