Force of Fortis

Last Friday we received a ” Final Notice” from Fortis BC to have our locked analog meter replaced with a ” smart meter” with either the radio signal on or off , or they will disconnect our power immediately. We wanted to keep our analog meter because of all the negative effects of the “smart meters”.
“Smart meters” are known to cause fires, wrong measuring (too much), shorter service life than analog meters, vulnerability by hackers and being associated with negative health effects including cancer.

We always paid our bills on time. The price went up from an average of -.0803 cents/kwh in 2008 to -.1314 cents until Sept. 2015, an increase of 63,62 % and equals about 8 % per year.Who gets a wage raise like that every year?

We immigrated from Germany 22 years ago thinking we move from one democratic country to another one. In Germany customers have a choice between different power suppliers and the meter is read once a year by the owner of the residence. Canada has changed to become a dictatorship of the corporations. The BC utilities commission (BCUC) is supposed to independently control/regulate the activities of Fortis, BC Hydro and ICBC. How can they allow price increases like that? They are rather a puppet than a control organization of our elected politicians and the corporations.

Utility services must be put under communities control. A locally controlled energy system would be concerned with public interest not profits and money earned in the sale of energy should be returned to the communities rather than lost to shareholders.

Fortis is using its monopoly to force us to accept everything as they please and our politicians do nothing about it. On Oct. 19th we have a federal election and we urge every voter to ask their candidate whether he/she supports big business ( oligarchy) or will bring back the power to us the citizens ( democracy ). Our troops don’t need to fight terrorists abroad. They are right here in Canada and wear white collars and ties.

Hansjoerg & Erika Hoeger
714 Newton Drive Penticton