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Don’t fear the meter

Change scares far too many people. David “Chicken Little” Glass’ letter about smart meters (“Extorted by Avista,” Dec. 4, 2018) is a perfect example. The fear mongering is nonsense. Modern meters are safe and accurate. They are better for both the homeowner and the utility company because a reader doesn’t have to go trampling through yards to find meters. They’re more accurate for the same reason. The scare tactics I’m seeing over smart meters is the same as that we saw over mobile phones two decades ago. There might be a kernel of truth, but it’s buried under an enormous pile of nonsense.

There is only one real concern, and that is privacy. There needs to be a state law preventing energy companies from selling data about the usage in specific households. Only aggregate information should be available. I’d also like to see customers get a cut from any information sold, since that information is about them and not about the energy company.

David Teich

Spokane Valley

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