In Rochester Hills, Leaders Call on DTE to Further Analyze Smart Meters

After DTE presented its facts on smart readers and a number of upset residents spoke out against the new meters on Monday night, the passed a resolution unanimously requesting the energy company look further into the residents' concerns and that they also offer an option to residents.

Across town in Rochester, that City Council .

DTE is in the process of installing the new smart meters across southeast Michigan. For the past two months, some residents have urged Rochester Hills City Council to look further into the smart meter installation, citing concerns about radio frequency emissions and privacy issues.

DTE is regulated by the Michigan Public Services Commission; the resolution does not mean an automatic end to the installation of the smart meters in the city.

After numerous comments from the public and discussion from Council members, Council member Adam Kochenderfer made a motion to pass the resolution, which calls for a moratorium, requesting that DTE and the MPSC carefully review and analyze residents' concerns and issues that were raised. City Council member Ravi Yalamanchi supported the motion and added an amendment urging DTE to consider giving customers the option to use the smart meters.

"Why not give residents the option to opt out? If they want to have it, they'll have it...why not do the humane thing?" Yalamanchi asked.

DTE's presentation

DTE officials say the technology is efficient in that the company will no longer need to send staff to residents’ homes to read the meters. About twice a day the meters send a wireless signal to DTE’s base, notifying of the energy use.

Bob Sitkauskas, a DTE spokesman who presented at the meeting, said the smart meters will provide the consumer ways to monitor their energy efficiency. Residents will be able to see exactly where their energy is being used, and in some cases the information that is provided has made some residents aware of electricity use they didn’t know about.

“It will provide savings because it will give the actual read all the time," Sitkauskas said. "It's how you use the power that will make a difference...and we will provide you with the tools to save more."

Other facts about smart meters, according to DTE:

• They improve billing accuracy by eliminating manual and estimated reads.
• When a home loses power DTE will be notified by the meter.
• There are about 600,000 smart meters installed at this time in southeast Michigan.
• There is a remote for the meter to be turned on and off.
• There are tamper and theft notifications on the device.
• The devices are made in the United States.
• Radiation emitted is much less than that from a cell phone or microwave.

Residents object to DTE’s lack of options

In spite of the benefits that Sitkauskas cited, about a dozen residents took turns at the podium voicing their concerns about not having a right to opt out of the smart meters.

“I've researched health for 25 years. I am able to make those informed decisions," said Pamela Wallace of Rochester Hills as she explained she makes healthy decisions and does not have a microwave, buys organic and walks to work. "I want the ability to make my choice."

Among the many concerns stated by the residents and the City Council members were the safety of the meters and whether or not DTE would honor its customers' privacy with the device.

City Council members noted that many residents had come to them prior to the meeting asking about whether their private information would be sold to a third party, or if there was any way for other companies to access that information. Sitkauskas said there was no way their private information would be distributed elsewhere, but that there is currently not a contract with customers preventing that.

“This is a crime against humanity. This is unheard of; this is ridiculous," said Anita Christian, a Rochester Hills resident.

Though the majority of the comments were directed at DTE, some residents lashed out at City Council members for not addressing the subject of smart meters sooner; one resident pointed at Mayor Bryan Barnett as a problem and claimed that DTE provided campaign money for his re-election.

"I have received $475 from DTE; in that same statement I have received $74,625 from DTE customers," Barnett said, noting that supporting residents would trump his support for DTE.