• 5G Appeal
  • About C4ST
    • Riding Representatives
    • Mission & Goals
    • Join C4ST
    • Blog
  • Learn More
    • 5G – The Facts
    • How Can You Reduce Your Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields
    • Letter to Minister of Health Patty Hajdu
    • C4ST Submission to the Industry, Science and Economic Development (ISED) public consultation on 5G
    • CBC Investigation
    • Minister of Health Response to HESA Recommendations
    • HESA 2015 Recommendations
    • Safety Code 6
    • Health Canada
    • Wireless Technology Symposium
    • Active WiFi Situations
    • Auditor General Petition
  • Research
    • Medical Research
    • Scientific Research
    • Appeals & Research
  • News
    • Canadian News
    • International News
    • Press Releases
    • Archive
  • Contact Us

Smart Meter Fire Fears Reach Ontario

  • 0 Comments
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn

TORONTO – Some Ontario properties may have been outfitted with the smart meters that are being pulled out of Saskatchewan over fire fears.

Alan Findlay, a spokesperson for the Ontario Energy Board, said an investigation into the use of Sensus smart meters in Ontario is still underway.

“What I can say, however, is that the handful of utilities who have reported having some of the same type of Sensus meter have reported no safety issues with the meter,” Findlay said in an e-mail to Sun Media.

The Ontario NDP is calling on the provincial government to investigate the situation and confirm whether any properties in the province were outfitted with the same model of smart meters that are suspected to have caused eight fires in Saskatchewan.

NDP MPP Lisa Gretzky said the energy ministry has had enough time since learning that Saskatchewan is removing the meters to determine if any Ontario homes are at risk, but there has been no public update.

“I think it’s incumbent on the government to investigate fully whether or not we actually have these questionable smart meters installed in our homes and to act quickly,” Gretzky said. “The people of Ontario deserve to know whether or not their safety is at risk.”

Gretzky said she has sent a letter to Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli to ask that he investigate and act quickly if these meters are found in Ontario.

Saskatchewan opted to remove a particular model of the Sensus smart meter after eight unexplained fires.

Hydro One has confirmed that it did not use the suspect meters.

Gretzky said she has asked the non-partisan Electrical Safety Authority to provide a “clean bill of health” for smart meters in Ontario.

“It’s a great concern that an answer hasn’t been brought forward,” she said.

Beckie Codd-Downey, a spokesperson for Chiarelli, said in a statement that there are no immediate plans to remove smart meters for fire concerns.

“We continue to study the actions of Saskatchewan and determine if we have any cause to consider the same action,” she said. “We note that the investigation into the cause of the incidents is still in progress and that it has not yet been determined whether the issues originated from the meter itself versus an issue with the meter base or as a result of the installation process.”

The OEB does not mandate which models of smart metres should be used by local distribution companies, she said.

Almost 4.8 million residential and small businesses have smart meters, mandated by the provincial government.

Sensus has issued a statement saying that its site inspections point to “external factors,” such as water intrusion due to holes in meter boxes, as a cause for the problems rather than a flaw in the product.

“Safety is our number one priority and all Sensus meters go through rigorous testing and meet or exceed industry safety standards,” Sensus president Randy Bays says. “I have been personally involved with our customers and Sensus quality and engineering teams as we work to collect fact-based and data-driven information on these specific incidents.”

Some U.S. utilities are removing smart meters as well.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
 
Recent Posts
  • We Have No Reason to Believe 5G is Safe
  • Is Wireless Technology an Environmental Health Risk?
  • Final Report on Evolving 5G Technology
  • Ontario Doctors Warn of Rising Health Care Costs after 5G Roll Out
  • EHS in South Africa
Keep your family safe! Click here to see how.

World's First Creche For Technology And Car Keys To Get Families Connecting

Kids Are At Risk Of Biological Damage Results From Microwave Radiation Emitted By Wireless Devices

Scroll
Action Kits
  • Cell Towers
  • Wi-Fi in Schools
  • Smart Meters (coming soon)
  • Electrosensitivity (coming soon)
  • Stay Safe with Wireless Safety Tips
Recent Posts
  • We Have No Reason to Believe 5G is Safe
  • Is Wireless Technology an Environmental Health Risk?
  • Final Report on Evolving 5G Technology
  • Ontario Doctors Warn of Rising Health Care Costs after 5G Roll Out
  • EHS in South Africa
Facebook
Visit Us on Facebook and help us reach 1,000,000 Canadians
@2016 C4ST
  • English