To the editor:
Some misinformation was recently published in your paper about a fire that occurred last week in Langford on Vancouver Island. (Smart Meters May Be Cause of Some House Fires, Sept. 2 Capital News.)
The Langford Fire Department investigated the incident and confirmed publicly that the cause was not electrical or related to BC Hydro’s meter.
BC Hydro has installed 1.9 million new meters over the last three years and they have a proven safety record. BC Hydro’s new meters have undergone thorough quality assurance testing by both the meter manufacturer and BC Hydro to ensure they are safe, accurate and reliable.
There is no evidence a BC Hydro smart meter has ever been the cause of a fire in British Columbia.
In fact, research by the University of the Fraser Valley shows that there have been fewer residential structure fires associated with electricity in British Columbia since BC Hydro started installing smart meters in 2011.
This is because BC Hydro has repaired more than 3,000 pre-existing unsafe meter socket conditions on customers’ homes at no cost to the home owner during our installations. All of these repairs were done by certified electricians.
Ted Olynyk,
Vancouver Island community relations manager,
BC Hydro
