North Carolina Provides Its Residents With an Opt-out From Smart Meter Installations. Will It Last?

Wise consumers know how smart utility meters operate. Unlike conventional analog meters which must be read manually on-site by a technician from the utility, smart meters perform two-way digital communication with the service provider, have memory to digitally store a year's worth of your usage, and transmit your usage at regular intervals (e.g., every 15 minutes). Plus, consumers have little or no control over smart meters installed on their property.

There is some good news. Residents in North Carolina can say "no" to smart meter installations by their power company. The Charlotte Observer reported:

"Residents who say they suffer from acute sensitivity to radio-frequency waves can say no to Duke's smart meters — as long as they have a notarized doctor's note to attest to their rare condition. The N.C. Utilities Commission, which sets utility rates and rules, created the new standard on Friday, possibly making North Carolina the first state to limit the smart meter technology revolution by means of a medical opinion... Duke Energy's two North Carolina utility subsidiaries are in the midst of switching its 3.4 million North Carolina customers to smart meters..."

While it currently is free to opt out and get an analog meter instead, that could change:

"... Duke had proposed charging customers extra if they refused a smart meter. Duke wanted to charge an initial fee of $150 plus $11.75 a month to cover the expense of sending someone out to that customer's house to take a monthly meter reading. But the Utilities Commission opted to give the benefit of the doubt to customers with smart meter health issues until the Federal Communications Commission determines the health risks of the devices."

The Smart Grid Awareness blog contains more information about activities in North Carolina. There are privacy concerns with smart meters. Smart meters can be used to profile consumers with a high degree of accuracy and details. One can easily deduce the number of persons living in the dwelling, when they are home and the duration, which electric appliances are used when they are home, the presence of security and alarm systems, and any special conditions (e.g., in-home medical equipment, baby appliances, etc.).

Other states are considering similar measures. The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public meeting only July 9th and accept public comments about planned smart meter deployments by Kentucky Utilities Co. (KU) and Louisville Gas & Electric Company (LG&E). Smart meters are being deployed in New Jersey.

When Maryland lawmakers considered legislation to provide law enforcement with access to consumers' smart meters, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) responded with a January 16, 2018 letter outlining the privacy concerns:

"HB 56 is a sensible and effective response to an emerging privacy issue facing Maryland residents. Smart meters collect detailed personal data about the use of utility services. With a smart meter, it is possible to determine when a person is in a residence, and what they are doing. Moreover the routine collection of this data, without adequate privacy safeguards, would enable ongoing surveillance of Maryland residents without regard to any criminal suspicion."

"HB 56 does not prevent law enforcement use of data generated by smart meters; it simply requires that law enforcement follow clear procedures, subject to judicial oversight, to access the data generated by smart meters. HB 56 is an example of a model privacy law that enables innovation while safeguarding personal privacy."

That's a worthy goal of government: balance the competing needs of the business sector to innovate while protecting consumers' privacy. Is a medical opt-out sufficient? Should Fourth Amendment constitutional concerns apply? What are your opinions?