PG&E reaffirmed their reckless “Corporate Greed Monster” reputation(1) with their Plan to financially gouge people who don’t want ‘Smart’meters.
They outraged smartmeter opponents Today by proposing to charge those who prefer not to have the controversial meters $135 to refuse meter installation and $20 a month for ever. The second “choice” would cost $270 upfront and $14 each month.
The $20 or $14 per month is to send a meter reader out to your home. Compare that to just a few months ago when PG&E admitted it only costs them 50 cents a month to check an individual meter.
While there is a better alternative called a SmartER-meter, it seems that PG&E is so irascibly hostile, and so demonstrably harmful to the people of California it is way past time to start DeChartering proceedings for PG&E.
When successful this would replace PG&E’s managers with with experts appointed by California regulators.
Of course with the PUC Commission’s own track record of allowing and “rubber stamping” PG&E’s outrages – the Division of Ratepayer Advocates should make the appointments.
References:
1) PG&E’s horrible reputation was earned with:
* Diablo Canyon’s nuclear Power Plan located near a two serious Earthquake Faults,
* the San Bruno Pipeline Explosion where they killed at least 8 people and destroyed 37 homes,
* “Erin Brockovich” deadly Chromium 6 groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California (settled in 1996 for $333 million),
* their role in the Energy Trading Fraud that cost California $20 Billion (with a “B”) a year from 2000 – 2003; which caused continuing higher prices,
* Plans to build the first commercial nuclear power plant at Bodega Bay – also on an Earthquake Fault (the San Andreas).
