7-12-13 fdl lawmaker proposes smart-meter opt out bill

A Republican lawmaker from Fond du lac says Wisconsin residents shouldn’t be forced to have so-called smart meter’s installed on their property by public and or private utilities.   State representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt has introduced a bill that would allow any Wisconsin resident to opt out of mandated smart meter installation.  A smart meter is a device located on the customer’s premises that can in real time wirelessly record and report utility consumption information.  But Thiesfeldt says the smart meters are being installed over the objections of some customers concerned about a variety of issues mostly centering on health and privacy.   Thiesfeldt says the concern is that smart meters can have the ability to collect more than just utility data.  He says all of this information could be potentially sold to companies desiring such consumer data and could end up in the hands of law enforcement.  Thiesfeldt says people should maintain the right to control the distribution of personal information outside their home.