(1) POPOVIC CASE: From: sasha popovic [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2012 10:29 PM To: MPSCEDOCKETS Case No. U-17000 Sasha Popovic C/o Sagano Motel, 44784 Woodward Ave, Pontiac, MI 48341
(248) 334-2592 (586) 731-3366
(In this story, from Sasha Popovic, a motel operator, there is an extended correspondence, back and forth, between herself and DTE representatives, concerning her electric bills since meter was installed. DTE points out that her bills for two months were lower than the same two months a year earlier. Her complaint, apparently, is not that the electric bills were higher than the same months a year earlier, but rather that they were sharply increased from the month before the new meter was installed and should have been a lot lower because of the mild winter. Also at the end of this correspondence there is quite a list of web links to various news stories touching on the sharp cost increases people are seeing everywhere these meters have been installed.)
Executive Secretary Michigan Public Service Commission P.O. Box 30221 Lansing, Michigan 48909 RE: Smart Meters December 2011, DTE Energy had installed a smart meter at our business. The installer just told us that they were switching out the meter. That was it. We had no idea why? Or anything. Come January 2012, we get our bill and it was almost $1,300. I figured the meter reader made a mistake and would correct the problem at next months reading. Come February 2012, we get our bill and it is almost $1,800. I called DTE and they told me that it was correct. I explained that we have had a mild winter and we only used the heat in extreme cold so our pipes would not freeze and there were only about 2 weeks in the last two months where temperatures were very low. Our heating systems are PTAC, which looks like an air conditioner, and provides heat through electricity. DTE continued to say the readings were accurate, and told me that the smart meter was very sensitive and it would pick up any small usage, i.e. cell phone charging, TV’s that were not turned on and so forth. I was thinking that my 22 TV’s just sitting there turned off cost $1,800 for the month? That is unreal. My bill jumped up about 40% just by adding a new meter and keeping the same usage we have done for about 30 years. The meters are not accurate. I filled a complaint with DTE Energy, as well as the Michigan Public Service Commission, which I am waiting to hear from. Below is the email I have had with DTE dealing with my
complaint.
DTE Energy E-Care Team —–sasha popovic wrote: —– To: MYDTEENERGY Account From: sasha popovic Date: 02/09/2012 01:08PM Subject: Re: File a Complaint Adrienne, Thank you for your response. What I am trying to tell you is we are not using the amount the smart meter is saying. The smart meter is over charging. The weather is not much different from November or December of 2011. Since your company put in this meter, the meter has been over charging us on usage. Was the meter properly calibrated? By whom? Does the person that calibrated it know how to do it? Respectfully, I am telling you the meter is not working correctly. Unless DTE is over charging people on purpose. Our usage has not changed, but according to the meter it has. The meter is wrong.
Sasha Popovic
From: MYDTEENERGY Account To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, February 9, 2012 11:45 AM Subject: Re: File a Complaint Dear Sasha Popovic, Thank you for your email concerning your bill. We will be happy to assist you. When looking at your usage for the same 30 day period last your usage was 20080 khw or 669.33 khw per day with the old meter. This year with the new smart meter your usage was 13160 or 438.67 khw per day which is what would be expected given the milder winter.
We encourage you to click on the “Save Energy” link located on http://www.dteenergy.com for ways to save energy. MyEnergy Analyzer will help provide you with more specifics when identifying the major causes for higher energy usage. Upon completion of MyEnergy Analyzer you will receive a free energy kit.
Within MyEnergy Analyzer, you can review the energy usage recorded by your AMI meters by navigating to the “My Bill” tab and clicking on “Energy Use Analysis”. There are a variety of options you can choose to review the energy usage. Data is available beginning on 08-01-2011. You can export the data into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Thank you for using http://www.dteenergy.com and the opportunity to be your energy provider. We appreciate your business.
Sincerely,
Adrienne
DTE Energy eCare Team To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: 02/08/2012 11:49PM Cc: [email protected] Subject: File a Complaint Back in December 2011, your company had installed a smart meter, and since then, our bill had gone up considerably. We have done nothing differently, and yet, your meter says we have. Our heating system is electric heat, and since we have had a mild winter, I don’t see how the meter can jump up like that. I am aware of several class action law suits in Texas and California relating to smart meter over charging its customers. DTE customers service insists we are using more power, when in fact we are not, and that the meters are working properly, which I don’t believe they are. last month we used electric heat for about a week because of the cold night, and that bill came to about $1,800. Something is very wrong here. I hope to hear from you so we can resolve this matter. Thank you
Sasha Popovic
Submitted: Wed Feb 8 23:49:29 2012 Remote Machine: 192.168.18.36 The matter, as of this writing still remains unresolved.I am very much against these smart meters for the simple fact that DTE Energy can charge whatever they want, do whatever they want and have no one to answer to. As I have done more digging on the internet, I found other states having the same problem. California and Texas for example have filled a class action suit against their utilities provider. I will include the links below. There are also health factors, privacy issues and over billing that DTE seems to be ignoring. I hope this commission has the forthsite to see the legalities and concerns that this smart meter will bring. Once DTE Energy installs these smart meters in your homes, you will be writing a letter much like this one. Thank you
Sasha Popovic
Links – read the comments from people.
http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=500546
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/03/29/dte-to-install-another-350000- smart-meters/
http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/smartmeter-bakersfieldcalifornia-
c240671.html
http://couchlockcafe.com/showthread.php?t=5103
http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/2012/01/16/news/doc4f12e8b 3170d3395564957.txt?viewmode=comments
http://www.ucan.org/energy/electricity/advanced_metering/sdge_sma
rt_meters_huge_headache
http://stopsmartmeters.org/frequently-asked-questions/faq-billingissues/
https://sites.google.com/site/nocelltowerinourneighborhood/home/wir eless-smart-meter-concerns/smart-meter-consumers-anger-growsover- higher-utility-bills
http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/16689913/a-charged-debatecustomers- vs-nv-energy-smart-meters
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/greenhouse/post/2010/07/s
mart-meters-draw-complaints/1
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/business/13meter.html
http://www.news.com.au/billing-errors-a-switch-off/story-fn7x8me2- 1226267157537
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_19869073
http://www.devvy.com/new_site/smart-meter-081511.html