November 9, 2009

BREAKING NEWS

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) was reportedly sued by a Bakersfield resident for overcharging customers through its smart meter program, according to a news report published online at ConsumerAffairs.com yesterday.  We were unable to confirm the details at our “press” time although the utility issued a statement (more on that later in this story).

          The website reported the suit was brought by Bakersfield, Calif resident Pete Flores who charged San Francisco-based PG&E with fraud, false advertising, unfair competition and negligence.  Flores is represented by Michael Kelly, of Kirtland & Packard, El Segundo, Calif and the suit named as a defendant Wellington Energy -- an installer of the smart meters, said the report.

          “The allegations in the lawsuit are untrue and have no merit,” said PG&E spokesman Jeff Smith yesterday provided in a prepared statement.  “PG&E's and manufacturers' quality assurance processes show the meters are accurate and are performing well.”

          In the statement, the utility said it plans to “bring in an independent party to review meter accuracy.  PG&E is confident that the meters will be shown to be accurate and the program, more broadly, will be recognized as an important customer tool to help them control power usage and costs.”

          Smith could not confirm any details of the suit or provide a copy of the complaint, he said.  Our attempts to contact the California Superior Courts, Michael Kelly, ConsumerAffairs.com, Wellington Energy and several Bakersfield residents named Pete Flores did not uncover any added information.

          PG&E told us last month that it is confident its smart meters are accurate, and that increased consumer bills have been caused by a combination of higher rates and hotter temperatures (SGT, Oct-20).

          PG&E installed 1.7 million smart power meters since October 2008, when it announced plans to convert all of its meters.  That goal will be reached by mid-2012, spokesperson Paul Moreno said last month.