Report: BGE Pushes for Smart Meter Opt-Out Fee

By Jenni Pompi

Residents who want to opt out of smart meter installation could be charged a monthly fee for their choice, if BGE and other utilities are able make their case convincingly to state regulators Tuesday.

BGE is proposing both a one-time fee of $100 and a monthly fee ranging from $15 to $87, while Pepco is proposing a one-time fee ranging from $71 to $105 and monthly fees ranging from $30 to $35, according to The Baltimore Sun.

BGE says smart meters save money since they do not need to be read in person. They argue that the proposed fees for customers choosing to opt out are necessary to recoup the cost of sending technicians out to read meters, reports the Sun.

Maryland Smart Meter Awareness told the Sun that these fees are “unreasonably high.”

Smart meters have been the sourcee of much debate in Maryland over the past several months. Opponents cite health, fire hazard, privacy, and other concerns about the technology. The Maryland Public Service Commission has said customers can temporarily opt out of the smart meters as it considers a permanent opt-out. However, the commission has been clear that the opt-outs won't come without fees.

"Whichever option we ultimately choose, we will require those ratepayers that exercise the option to bear appropriate costs," wrote the commission, according to the Sun.

Approximately 18,000 BGE customers have opted out of smart meters thus far.