First Nation blocks smart meter installation

The Lower Nicola Indian Band, near Merritt, B.C., wants tostopBC Hydro from installing smart meters on buildings on its reserve.

Many of its members are concerned the smart meters will make them sick.

BC Hydro is in the process of replacing more than 1.8 million analog meters throughout the province with smart meters, which are capable of providing hourly information about electricity consumption.

The band's public works manager Hyrum Peterson sayshis home was one of the first on the reserve to get a smart meter, and his family started getting headaches right around the same time.

"It seems fairly obvious to myself and my family that we have been subjected to the smart meter on our house and I believe strongly that our health has been affected," said Peterson.

"Cold flu-like symptoms that just don't seem to abate. Severe migraine headaches when they wake up in the morning."

Band padlocks analog meters

Now he and other band members want to make sure no more smart meters are installed.

The band has put padlocks on all the analog meters on public buildings, and provided its members with a sign they can post telling installers not to change their meter, said the band's executive director Arnie Narcisse.

"It's up to the individual home owners to post those notices, and for the most part, the majority of them have."

Customers can move smart meters, says BC Hydro

BC Hydro expects the changeover from analog to digital smart meters will be complete by the end of this year.

But the company has met withfierce opposition from thousands of customerswho worry the newdevices are a health hazard, and are aninvasion of privacy.

The company insistssmart meters are safe,as does B.C.'s provincial health officer.

BCHydro saysit won't force the technology on customers if they oppose at least for nowand will work with concerned customers.

"We will hold off installing their meter while we work with them to address whatever questions they have remaining," said BC Hydro spokeswoman Cindy Verschoor.

"They also have the opportunity to have their meter moved to another location on their property, the meter box is the property of the customer, so they can locate thatwherever they like, and that would obviously be at their expense."

The utility estimates the meters will save consumers $1.6 billion over the next 20 years by preventing the loss and theft of power.