Not Much Choice

On June 9 I received a letter from Southern California Edison informing me that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) had “issued a Final Decision” (capitals theirs) approving an opt-out program for SCE, which is offering its residential customers a choice of participating in the Edison SmartConnect (TM) smart-metering program or opting out of it.

Reading further, I felt like this could be a letter from a communist country, as my “options” were, if I choose to opt-out (refuse their smart meter) then a $75 initial Opt-Out fee, and a $10 a month Opt-Out charge, would apply to my bill.

Wait a minute. They are telling me that if I don’t want their meter, it will cost me $75, plus $10 more each month on my electric bill! These fees, I feel, are unjustified.

My being unemployed, I can not only feel the burden of extra money being paid out by me, but also all the others that are as poor, or poorer than I.

What can be done? I don’t want their cancer-causing, big-brother meter, so I will bite the bullet and pay the extra money.

Sorry, I cannot believe this country would do something like this.