Some DTE Energy customers say the utility is bullying them for refusing smart meters, and they want the state Legislature to do something about it.
A state House committee heard testimony Tuesday about complaints that DTE wrongly shut off their power. Most of them say it’s because they didn’t want to use a smart meter.
Jamie Chimner of Cheboygan said her power was cut off by Consumers Energy in 2015. She said it was because she didn’t want a smart meter on her house.
“What gives them the right to do that?” she said. “Why do we live in a world where…this smart meter program was supposed to be voluntary.”
Katelyn Carey, a spokesperson for Consumers, said to date Chimner has been the only customer whose utility was shut off for not allowing a different meter be installed. She said they made 12 attempts to work with Chimner on a solution.
“We have always tried to work with our customers as we updated our meter technology to improve efficiency and benefit our customers,” she said.
Representative Gary Glenn (R-Midland) is chair of the House Energy Policy committee. He said he hopes legislation and awareness will make DTE change its shut off practices.
“I’m trying my best to focus the white hot spotlight on these practices in hopes that they’ll change and we won’t hear anymore testimony like we heard today,” he said.
Glenn said he will likely amend a bill he’s been waiting to put up for a vote in the committee. HB 4220 has already had several committee hearings. It would give utility customers advance notice before switching to a smart meter, require utilities to explain the process and how to opt out, and generally make it easier for people to opt out of a smart meter. That bill hasn’t been reported yet, but Glenn said he hopes a new amendment – one that would get rid of the financial cost of opting out if the person self-reports their meter usage – will get him enough votes to pass the bill out of committee.
DTE did not testify at the committee hearing Tuesday. It’s scheduled to testify in front of the committee on January 30th, Glenn said. DTE plans to present a report on their shutoff policies.
DTE said it doesn’t discontinue service without a reason. They say if people tamper with the equipment, refuse to let employees access the meter, or lock their meter to prevent upgrades, then they’ll shut off
power.