Concerns raised by PUD ‘smart meters’

NEWPORT – Can the smart meters being installed by the Pend Oreille Public Utility District catch on fire, subject the PUD to grid failure, be sabotaged by foreign actors or inaccurately read power usage?

These were some of the concerns raised by two men who commented at recent PUD meetings.

Tom Larovere told PUD commissioners at the Feb. 4 meeting that in 2023 the lithium battery in his laptop computer caused a fire that burned down his Pend Oreille County home.

Larovere said he came to the PUD meeting after learning that smart meters were going to be discussed.

“I’m very concerned with the idea that these smart meters have lithium batteries installed in then,” he said. “There’s a history of these batteries exploding.”

Joe Hathaway, PUD public information officer, told The Miner lithium batteries are not used in the smart meters most residential customers get.

“Instead, they use computer chips powered directly through the power line,” he wrote in an email. In the larger three-phase residential, commercial and industrial meters, a battery is installed but only used to keep the clock and memory powered during outages, drawing extremely low current — just enough to maintain the circuit board, he wrote.

At the Feb. 4 PUD commissioner meeting, Laro- vere said he also had questions about whether the meters were accurately measuring the amount of kilowatts used.

Mike Flynn spoke at the Jan. 21 meeting. He had questions and concerns for PUD commissioners and staff about smart meters, meters attached to homes that take electricity readings for billing and other purposes and send the readings through a secure network to the PUD.

He said the smart meters can be hacked, subjecting the PUD and its customers to “digital terrorism,” potentially bringing down the PUD’s power grid.

He asked on Jan. 21 for the PUD to “do a full and thorough investigation” into the smart meters. He wanted the PUD to look into the health effects, the potential for fire damage, inaccurate billing and the country of origin of the smart meters.

At the Feb. 4 meeting he followed up on whether further research had been done by the PUD on what he asked about.

“A quick yes or no, ‘cause we’ve got three minutes,” he said.

“Yes,” PUD commission chair Dave Rick said.

Flynn asked if the PUD or insurers would be willing to accept complete liability for health or property damage for problems caused by smart meters. He did not get an answer.

Rick did say the meters were not made in China. He offered to meet with the men to discuss their concerns.

Flynn said that was good but wondered why there was a need to change meters.

“What’s wrong with the stainless-steel dial?” he asked. For years the dials were used by utilities around the country to read electricity use. People could see the meters moving, reflecting the electricity that was being used.

PUD General Manager John Janney said if commissioners wanted, he would let the commissioners know what staff looked into when they selected the smart meters, check into the validity of what was said and present what he found out at a future board meeting since questions have been raised. The commissioners agreed. Janney is retiring, with his last day Feb. 26.

Later in the meeting, PUD staff said most utilities were using smart meters now.

In response to The Miner’s questions, Hathaway said the PUD has replaced 6,700 of 10,000 meters so far.

“We currently have 18 customers expressing interest in an opt-out program,” he said. At the Feb. 5 meeting, commissioners were told a $90 per month charge was being contemplated if the customer wants the meter read monthly by a meter-reader and $45 if it is read every other month, but no recommendation had been finalized yet. The commissioners would have to approve the charge.

Hathaway said some customers had enclosed meters or meters in locations the contractor could not access because of snow gates. He said PUD policy requires electric and water meters be accessible at all times.

There is no evidence linking properly installed smart meters to increased fire risk, Hathaway said. They include modern safeguards to handle voltage fluctuations.

“I want to emphasize that the new meters are safe, reliable and secure,” Hathaway said. “They meet or exceed stringent safety standards, comply with federal regulations and are installed by trained professionals to ensure proper connections.”

There is no evidence linking properly installed smart meters to increased fire risk, and they include modern safeguards to handle voltage fluctuations.

They comply with FCC regulations and industry- leading cybersecurity standards (NIST, NERC) with strong encryption and continuous monitoring to protect data. The PUD also follows strict privacy laws to ensure customer information remains secure and used responsibly, he said.