From Del. Glen Glass:
Dear Constituents,
Just to keep everyone updated, the hearings for the Smart Meters went very well on Thursday. We had around 20 people testify on the bills in front of the Economic Matters Committee. After the hearing, we received numerous emails from constituents, as well as personal comments from Committee Members, giving compliments on the hearing.
I believe smart meters only benefit the utility companies and not the citizens of Maryland; we should not have to pay for something we do not want. We also have the right to privacy and my legislation addresses these issues.
Call your delegates and senators, Republicans or Democrats, and let them know your opinions about these intrusive smart meters. The main-line for the Maryland General Assembly is (410) 841-3000. Also take the time to specifically call the Members of the Economic Matters Committee.
Thank you so much for all of your support
Have a great weekend!
Your Delegate and Servant,
Glen Glass
Room 325
Office: (410) 841-3280
“I believe smart meters only benefit the utility companies and not the citizens of Maryland; we should not have to pay for something we do not want”
Why do you believe they only benefit utility companies and if we are going to have to pay for them do you know how much they are going to cost?
I’ve had a smart meter on my house for over 20 years. It breaks down the usage into peak-mid-low periods and I am charged a different rate for each. If I want to save money I do my laundry and ore smelting during night and weekends to take advantage of the lower rate. If I choose to operate my pirate FM radio transmitter during the noon hour I pay more for the electricity required to run it. My health is fine and certainly better than those who live under transmission lines and are exposed to EMF (such as our soon to be former representative in Annapolis).
I’ve never been marketed by anyone who could somehow use my usage data for anything other than trying to sell me their commodity – ELECTRICITY. As their testimonials all say, AC current is indistinguishable of any other so why not buy the cheapest? If its indistinguishable from any other how in the hell can the utility company tell anything about you other than usage? Its the same as water – you can use 1000 gallons in any way you choose and gallon 789 is no different than gallon 321.
This guy is a genuine nut and if re-elected then we are all a bunch of squirrels.
Where do you live? BGE does not currently differentiate billing based on time of use. This is one of the concerns some have about smart meter technology and that power companies will eventually use this data to impose such a billing structure here. Others are also concerned that smart meters will eventually allow power companies to cycle power on and off across the grid as it does now with those that voluntarily signed on to such an agreement with their power provider. I slippery slope is often not noticed until you’re sliding too fast to stop.
The reason for smart meter so people stop doing stupid things like running their clothes dryer on 100 degree days when electricity is needed by business’s. Want to use electricity during peak times???? pay peak prices. Presently there is no way BGE can entice people to put off their electric usage to off peak hours and this is it. As for cycling power on and off across the grid they do that now and you don’t sign up for it…. it’s called brown outs and it’s a result of people wasting energy during peak usage times.
Unless someone has a better idea for more even usage during peak usage times I’m sure BGE would love to hear it but it really looks like smart meters are the smart move.
So are you saying the interests of businesses is more important than that of individuals? If I live in an apartment and do not have a place to line dry my laundry I should have to wait until the utility thinks the outside temperature is low enough to turn on my dryer? I think I hear Big Brother talking.
What you are trying to do is strawman the argument. You are more than welcome to dry your laundry any time you want but if it is a peak times you will also pay the same rate as the big users. Is that not a concept you can grasp?
I live in Havre de Grace and BGE absolutely uses time of use billing, I look at my statement every month. It may not be available under a *new* service installation but I’ve been on it since 1992, as has most of my neighborhood. Time of use is a way to allocate generating capacity during the day to primary needs while those which can be deferred can be used during non peak times.
Unless you want a new generating plant built in our area then you accept the way the product is delivered to the grid and reap the benefit of using at lower cost generating periods. This entire effort is to match capacity with demand while pacifying the NIMBY crowd with respect to new facilities. Until the users agree to bear the burden associated with production they have little stake in how it comes into existence and thus, take it as it comes.
Glen Glass is running on fumes and its our responsibility to snuff out his political career.
Maybe your bill shows a time of day breakdown of power usage but your billing rate is till the same throughout. I think your last sentence says a great deal and undermines the credibility of the rest of you position.
Just a thought-
BGE has “TOU” (time of use) pricing available to all residential customers. My brother in law had it 20 years ago. Educate yourself.
http://imgur.com/rbJ1H4F = BGE Bill Image
Open that link in a new tab and you’ll see the breakdown of the time of use AND the different RATES charged for each. Now stop suggesting that I don’t know how to read a statement or understand the contents of it,
I don’t blame you that Glen Glass got elected although I assume that anyone running is somewhat vetted by their party to meet some baseline competence. I do believe that once the light has been shown on their ability (or lack thereof) its important to not compound an error by re-electing an idiot. This guy has been in Annapolis for four years and his entire legislative effort has been tied to opposing a smart meter which is currently in use in his district and has been for decades. We need a representative that will restore a little bit of intellect to the State House and be a credit to our voting acumen.
Answer to BillH: At the moment, it is not a matter of “if we are going to have to pay for them”. THAT decision has already been forced on Marylanders by the PSC. THEY have declared that anyone who does not WISH to have a smart meter, will pay BOTH a penalty AND a LIFETIME monthly FEE. Namely, starting July 1, you will pay a one-time penalty of $75 (spread across 3 bills, at $25 for 3 billing cylces).
PLUS, also starting with the July 1 bill, you will BEGIN additionally paying an $11 MONTHLY fee, and CONTINUE paying $11 a month FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. The Utilities will collect millions on those fees. In other words, THEY will benefit – and the consumer WILL LOSE. Now – because of that astonishing GREED on the part of Utilities – there is a growing number of people who are trying to get that grossly unfair decision by the PSC reversed. THAT attempt is being taken through the legislative bills that Delegate Glass is trying to get passed. If you would like to JOIN a grass-roots organization that has already formed and been working hard on this for a couple years – please visit a website called: http://www.marylandsmartmeterawareness.org. The other element of unfairness is that the Utilities are HIDING from the public, the fact that they will save MILLIONS by not needing meter readers, vehicles and related costs etc., to read the smart meters that will be in 95% of the homes in Maryland. All they talk about is the shamefully small cost that will continue for keeping a handful of meter readers, to visit the homes of those who CHOOSE not to accept a smart meter ie., who wish to keep their current analog. The reasons vary for people wanting this CHOICE ie., smart meters can have a negative affect on certain people’s health conditions, the smart meters create the mechanism where there can be external control and manipulation, of what you do in the privacy of your home – and – the usage data the Utilities will gather from smart-chipped appliances in your home – can be sold to 3rd parties – resulting in you being inundated with unsolicited marketing schemes. They Utilities will tell you “we have no plans to sell your data”. I doubt you want to trust them on this? This is a second reason why Del. Glass has put forth an effort to pass LAWS that will 1) guarantee that the opt-out the PSC agreed to make the Utilities off, CANNOT be reversed, by an appeal from the Utilities and 2) required the Utilities by LAW (not promise) to NOT sell or share your data. I hope you now have a better understanding of why/how the Utilities will benefit from smart meters? as opposed to consumers? Finally – keep in mind Maryland consumers never ASKED to have smart meters, nor did the Utilities ever even do a public SURVEY, to see if Maryland consumers even had an INTEREST in smart meters. The Utilities just put their combat boots on and started installing smart meters – with NO CARE WHATSOEVER as to what people thought about them. This alone, should tell you who will benefit from smart meters.
First, I’m sorry you do not know what the red word “REPLY” at the end of a post means. For that I’m giving you a red thumbs down located just under the “REPLY” feature.
Second I asked how much the smart meters were going to cost, and not the price of not having a smart meter.
Perhaps the word “smart” is what your real stumbling block is.
R E P L Y to BillH: The price of not having a smart meter is one of the factors going into the OVERALL cost. Since you had difficulty seeing the big picture on ‘what smart meters are going to cost’ – let me put it in terms you may understand. If you had a business making $1,200 a week in sales, for selling a product that COST you $200, your NET profit would be $1,000 correct? If you THEN decided to make TWO changes to your business, one of which would REDUCE your operating costs by $800, thereby initially making your NET profit $1800 – and then ANOTHER change that would INCREASE your operating costs by $200, thereby resulting in your final/revised NET profit of $1600 weekly – you, AS A BUSINESS, will have INCREASED YOUR NET PROFIT FROM $1000 TO $1600, for an increase in PROFIT of $600. How do you think that increased PROFIT of $600 gets in your hands, as a business owner? It comes from the CUSTOMERS WHO PAY YOU !!!! In terms of YOUR relationship with the Utilities – that means YOU….. the CUSTOMER, will be paying MORE. If you can’t understand that, try this one: Right now, there is a $7.50 ‘customer charge’ on your bill every month, for meter reading. Assuming you already have a smart meter, which will NOT need to be read (meaning the Utilities will NO longer SPEND money to roll a vehicle and pay an employee to come to your house) – have the Utilities offered to reduce your bill by $7.50 a month? Answer: NO.. Translation: The Utilities are DOUBLE-DIPPING on you.
Hey Glen AND InGodWeTruust, Take off your tin foil hats and get on board with reality! If BGE wants to do this PURELY to save money, then more “power” to them! (pun intended). Glen, you’re a Republican…..since when is it bad for a company to keep costs down, to maximize their profits, and thereby extend the amount of time before the user’s next rate increase. Damn, this is a win / win! Wake up and smell the coffee conspiracy theory nuts. Let the free market ring into the 21st century! (and I’m a Democrat!)
IGWT- thanks so much for trying to explain this, Could you please explain to me again how you sell something for $1200 and make a NET profit of $1600? I want to be in that business.Do you by chance work for the government?
Also the $7.50 BGE charges is a “customer charge” which does cover reading your meter along with sending you a bill, sending you a cancellation notice when you don’t pay, fixing the meter when it breaks, putting someone on the phone when you have a question and the list goes on and on…
So lets move on to the smart meters, they are designed to motivate people to use energy at off peak hours when there is excess available at a cheaper rate. Remember you want to reduce your bill and are pizzed at that $7.50.It’s to get the stay at home mom with 4 kids to maybe run the dryer at night instead of when it’s 100 degrees outside. Smart meters are an incentive to run the pool pump at off peak hours when demands are lower. I’m sure there is a significant cost in the switch over to the new system that the $7.50 does not begin to touch but the overall reason for their installation is, energy is becoming more expensive and unless you are willing to build a new power plant in your back yard that’s not changing anytime soon.
So the reality here is by switching over to a smart meter you will have the ability to really save money over the present system. Glen’s increases along with your trust in God are nothing more than baseless myths, but if you do obtain new factual information I’m all ears.
Why would anyone pay money to know about my usage of my dishwasher or washing machine? And why would I not want them to have this information? If they send me a check direct I’d be more than happy to tell them all they want to know before they install a smart meter.
So basically, in your complex way of responding, you say the Smart Meter will only cost you if you don’t want one.
I’m all for you paying for not having one.
You may regard it as a tax on being ignorant and fearful.
According to Glen getting a smart meter is going to cost us more for something we don’t want. I just asked how much that cost was going to be. Perhaps you know?
Read the other post. YOUR smart meter will cost YOU $7.50 every month for NOTHING, since the Utilities will NOT be REDUCING your bill in kind, to reflect the fact that THEY will no longer be SPENDING money, to come and read your meter. You are right, unless something is changed, I will pay MORE than you will (I will continue to pay the $7.50 customer charge, PLUS and extra $11 a month) for something I do NOT want, did not ASK for, which has had NO health testing done, for which I have a health concern on…….essentially forcing me to PAY EXTRA for simply saying NO THANKS. Tell me, if you are already paying for basic cable through Comcast, and you decline their PREMIUM channels – do THEY say to you ‘we are still going to CHARGE you for saying no thanks to their extra offering?’ Answer: NO. And if they DID, you would be outraged, wouldn’t you?
It is the same principle. The whole thing comes down to the fact that it simply is not RIGHT, to charge ANY FEE at all, for the individual, human, basic right, to simply say: No thanks, I choose NOT to accept your offer. If you can’t see the WRONG in that, I can’t help you.
Your train of logic is not only derailed….it’s destroyed (if you ever had one!).
Smart Meters Raise 4th Amendment Concerns,
Says Congressional Research Service
http://sunroomdesk.com/2012/03/29/congressional-research-service-smart-meters-4th-amendment/
Why should utility customers refusing smart meters be surcharged?
From the February 2012 Congressional Research Service Report Smart Meter Data: Privacy and Security–
Unforeseen consequences under federal law may result from the installation of smart meters and the communications technologies that accompany them. This report examines federal privacy and cybersecurity laws that may apply to consumer data collected by residential smart meters. It begins with an examination of the constitutional provisions in the Fourth Amendment that may apply to the data. As we progress into the 21st century, access to personal data, including information generated from smart meters, is a new frontier for police investigations. The Fourth Amendment generally requires police to have probable cause to search an area in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, courts have used the third-party doctrine to deny protection to information a customer gives to a business as part of their commercial relationship. This rule is used by police to access bank records, telephone records, and traditional utility records. Nevertheless, there are several core differences between smart meters and the general third-party cases that may cause concerns about its application. These include concerns expressed by the courts and Congress about the ability of technology to potentially erode individuals’ privacy.
Smart phones can track everywhere we go, rewards cards and credit accounts reveal everything we buy, and myriad other data collecting “conveniences” record our actions and communications every day. But consumers citizens can choose whether or not to use a smart phone, whether or not to use cash or credit, whether or not to reveal their opinions on Facebook or Twitter.
– See more at: http://sunroomdesk.com/2012/03/29/congressional-research-service-smart-meters-4th-amendment/#sthash.VigJ51DU.dpuf
Unless BGE is taken over by the government the 4th doesn’t apply. Read the Constitution.
Can’t believe you are actually saying 4th amendment does not apply to BGE ‘unless they are taken over by the government’. Your ignorance is stunning. You are saying that BGE does not have to follow the Constitution. It is frightening ignorance like yours, that has put this country in the shape it is in…..where our liberties are dying a death of a thousand cuts – not only by governmental actions, but by actions taken by companies, such as the utilities.
Saving energy is a GREAT goal – but in the course of doing so, you CANNOT trump an individual’s right to CHOOSE – and THAT is what has occurred with this fiasco. If you already owned the first iphone, but decided NOT to buy the iphone 5S – did Apple send you a $75 penalty and tell you they would be sending you an $11 a month bill for the rest of your life? Don’t answer, you will probably say there is nothing wrong with that.
The 4th only applies to the government. Where you electrocuted as a child? That may explain your clueless hostility.
Just as I thought – you would not man up and answer the iPhone comparison
As with everything else you have put forth it makes no sense.
The only mistake I made is the presumption that you were capable of multi-dimensional thinking. All you have done is confirm you aren’t.
multi-dimensional thinking? We are discussing the increased prices of smart meters , not quantum physics and you still can’t keep up.
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The BGE Gestapo came unannounced to my home the other day and informed me that they (he) would be installing a smart meter. I told him that he he needed to wait! After all, I had my computer and TV on, so I went and shut them down, unplugged them from the wall, and then let the man do his job. End of story.
Two Mothers Arrested for Refusing Smart Meters and Filming Police
http://vimeo.com/59088399
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/01/23/two-naperville-women-arrested-for-trying-to-block-smart-meters/
Maybe Delegate Glass should find a new constituency if he wants to continue with this tinfoiled conspiracy theory?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2576848/I-used-sick-time-Dozens-Americans-claim-allergic-electromagnetic-signals-settle-small-West-Virginia-town-WiFi-banned.html
I’d love to arrange a study with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, agreeing on times I could randomly drive around town with a smart meter in the back of a car and see who calls 911 from the nearest landline.
Actually, Del. Glass is correct. CISPR says currently the Smart Grid is unreliable as is any technology operating on it like Smart Meters, as is any devices working in communication with the SMs. The culpret is electromagnetic interference. It can come from Sun Spots, lightning storms, other wireless devices, appliances with transmitters on them, towers, antennas and others. CISPR is trying to develop standardized measurements on the EM emissions to try to reduce their effect.at least on those things that may be somewhat controllable. Appliances communicating with the SMs can suddenly go on or off, interrupting the collection of data and the usage reading plus a stove that goes on while some is not there, could easily result in a fire. Yep. New technology, not safety tested, no prior history of performance data and with a byproduct of RF and EMF emissions. Not a pretty picture.
Two days after the BGE contractor came out to replace both gas and electric meters at my place, the BGE meter reader came out. He says that the smart meters can’t be read remotely and doesn’t know when the will. The additional fee, however starts immediately. Was Lt. Gov Brown in charge of this too? Just asking caise it seems as though every project that he chaired was a total SNAFU.
Update from Annapolis,
Thank you for your comments about Smart Meters(money meters), and these endless forever fees by BGE.
These things only benefit the utility companies. The cost to opt out now is 75$ upfront, 11 to 17$ a month, there should be no cost for opting out, and my bills work on this. It is an honor to be your Delegate.
Your servant and Delegate, Glen Glass, 443-360-8607
How is that an update?
Why should there be no cost to opt out Glen?
Thanks for the update…so what are you doing about it? Rather than updates, let’s have some results.
He wrote and is pushing a bill. What else is a delegate gonna do?
The bill he’s been slamming the dagger press about has died. For a 4th time dude 4 times insanity.
What do real delegates do see del James brings back millions for projects glen hasn’t brought back anything.
Thank you, Delegate Glass, for leading efforts to protect our rights as Maryland citizens, to allow us the right to choose to opt out of the smart meter installation.
I have health, safety, and privacy concerns regarding smart meters. There are not enough studies to prove that smart meters are safe for our health, especially over the long run. For example, they do not know the effects of EMF from smart meters on pregnant women and their babies. Also, there are enough health complaints from people in California and other areas where smart meters were implemented to warrant concern. The state of Vermont has implemented a law that allows their citizens to opt out at no cost, and many other states are considering similar legislation.
I applaud Delegate Glass for caring about the citizens of Maryland, and not caving in to pressure from the utility companies. I assume that some of the politicians voting against the “no cost opt out” bills may be receiving campaign contributions from BGE.
I am grateful to Delegate Glass for pushing these bills, and increasing awareness of the concerns regarding smart meters. For those who are not concerned, they should at least respect those of us who are, and stop criticizing. I don’t understand how giving citizens the right to decide for themselves, by allowing a “no cost opt out”, hurts anybody.