5,400 smart meters recalled over safety concerns
Posted January 22, 2015 1:36 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Thousands of smart meters are being recalled across the province because they could overheat, short circuit and cause fires.
The Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) said the move affects about 5,400 smart meters.
Officials told 680News none of the affected meters were installed in areas serviced by Toronto Hydro or Hydro One, but seven are in Oakville.
The ESA said at Queen’s Park on Thursday afternoon that the affected meters have a very specific design not used in the remainder of the 4.8 million meters used in Ontario. The authority will be ordering Ontario utilities to remove and discontinue the use of Sensus 3.2 meters by March 31.
Local utilities will advise homeowners if their meter needs to be replaced.
The ESA said affected meters are susceptible to arcing and possible fire. There have been no reports of faults in Ontario, but there have been cases in Saskatchewan.
Last month, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk criticized the $1.9-billion smart meter program for coming in at twice the original estimated cost, failing to meet targets for reducing electricity demand and failing to reduce hydro bills.
