Smart Meters Can be Deferred, Says Board

Pending a final decision by the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC), customers may opt out of receiving smart meters.

In a small score for those against the installation of smart meters in their homes, the PSC decided Thursday that Marylanders may request utility companies defer the installation of smart meter devices in their homes or businesses.

Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) had previously announced plans to start  in Anne Arundel County, starting in Pasadena.

"The [PSC]’s order is effective immediately and affects customers in the Baltimore Gas and Electric, Potomac Electric Power Company [Pepco] and Delmarva Power service territories," according to a PSC statement.

Customers who already have smart meters installed, but do not wish to have one, can inform their utility in writing. The utility cannot activate those customers’ smart meter transmitters until the PSC issues its final decision on these issues, according to the statement. 

Still, the commission has "not reached any decision as to whether to permit the customers of the utilities in these cases to 'opt-out' of receiving a smart meter permanently, or, if so, what the terms of any possible future opt-out might include," the commission said.

Smart meters are devices that send information about household energy use to a power company via electromagnetic radiation. A smart meter replaces a traditional electricity meter, which a power company representative must visit every month to get a electricity usage reading.

Smart meters can make it easier for power companies to know about power outages, and the smart meters can help customers track how much energy they are using at different times of the day. But, many object to the electromagnetic radiation, and would prefer that such devices stay away from their homes and families, .