Judge Orders SDG&E to Prepare Opt-Out Plan for Wireless Smart Meters

SDG&E customers who have lobbied against wireless smart meters for nearly two years appeared to win a major victory Thursday when an administrative law judge that would force the Sempra-owned utility to let customers get their old analog electric meters back.

Sue Brinchman, who claims a “living nightmare” of health damage from wireless smart meters, has led the charge against state utilities as founder and director of the Center for Electrosmog Prevention.

In the latest of her blog posts on the issue, she wrote Thursday:

The opt-out will be provided at a cost. SDG&E will charge customers extra fees for changeout of the smart meters ($75) and a monthly fee of $10 for the privilege of not being irradiated or intruded upon by SDG&E. CARE customers (low-income) would be charged $10 for the switchout and $5 a month extra. Opponents of the fees point out that these charges appear tantamount to extortion—“pay or we will irradiate you.”

Brinchman noted that Yip-Kikugawa’s proposed decision has several more steps before being voted on and taking effect.

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“It could reasonably be expected to provide SDG&E's customers the opt-out sometime in May or before," said Brinchman, a San Diego County resident.  It appears to be identical, in substance, to the order approved on Feb. 1 for Pacific Gas & Electric’s (PG&E's) customers.”

Brinchman said 10,000 PG&E customers in Northern California have received an analog meter as an opt-out since that date, according to the utility.