When BC Hydro began changing analogue meters to smart meters in 2010, an estimated 60,000 residents decided the change was not for them. In a bold move they stepped against the flow and requested their meter not be changed.
In Powell River, Wendy Pelton and the Analogue Meter Lovers Network, a local email support group, are sponsoring the screening of Take Back Your Power, a new full-length documentary film by Josh del Sol, Saturday, November 23.
It is a powerful film, said Pelton, who has worked hard to bring the screening to the Patricia Theatre. Pelton has long been the voice of opposition to smart meters and the support network is a forum for sharing articles, personal experiences and problems related to BC Hydro’s change.
In the summer, the provincial government ruled that people could hold onto their analogue meters, at a price. However, BC Hydro maintains that there are no legitimate issues with implementing the smart meters or its smart grid.
Del Sol, born and raised in Vancouver, is an advocate for transparency and social awakening. He has dug into the reasons for the creation of the smart meter, its effectiveness, whether it is an environmentally friendly solution to meter reading, and whether there are consequences related to property owners’ privacy and rights. It took two years of interviews to deliver a documentary film that “will surprise you, unsettle you, and inspire you to challenge the status quo,” according to the film’s website. During that time, del Sol witnessed a discrepancy between what utility companies state and what the general public express about the use of the smart grid and meters.
The film gives people a chance to make their own decisions about the use of smart meters. Are there health issues related to the devices? Can privacy of the property owner be compromised? Is this the correct solution to easy meter reading, or is there another way?
Take Back Your Power will be shown at 1:30 pm on Saturday, November 23 at the Patricia. Admission is by donation.
