The NDP is renewing its call for the government to actively address serious concerns with its smart meter program after yet another house fire was sparked.
“Families have questions, and they deserve answers from the government,” said Cathy Sproule, NDP critic for SaskPower.
“The government has been far too quiet. But it was this government that chose to contract out smart meter installation to an American corporation and it signed an exemption to allow that company to use less-trained workers to install the meters. The government can’t be hands-off now that there are problems.”
Sproule said families have been asking the NDP a lot of questions, because they’re not getting answers from the government. Can they ask SaskPower to remove their smart meter? Can they have the meter inspected to see if it’s installed correctly? Is the investigation being led by the government or the private company, and what does it entail?
Sproule said all possible solutions have to be considered. The meters themselves, the adequacy of training for the installers and the procedures of the company running the project should all be investigated, with government providing leadership.
The program to change SaskPower and SaskEnergy meters to smart meters has been fraught with concerns. Most concerning of all for families, more than a half-dozen house fires have been sparked during or after the installation of a smart meter. Several residents have said their power bill after the smart meter change was unusually high, while others have expressed concern over the license plates from Texas on trucks with SaskPower and SaskEnergy logos.