Dear Editor:
My husband and I have been living in the same house for almost 60 years, and we had an account with B.C. Hydro for all that time. We were both against the smart meters. We believed they are hazardous to our health and will invade our privacy.
Recently my husband passed away, and I thought the right thing to do was to put the account in my name as I would continue to make the payments. Instead of changing the name on the existing account I was given a new account number.
I feel this was done to give Hydro the opportunity to remove any option of retaining the old meter. I find this highly unethical. If I had known this was going to happen, I would have left the account in my husband's name although he was deceased.
When phoning Hydro, after a meter installer came to the house, we were told that they will continue to send meter installers to the house and if we were not home it would be installed without our permission.
Also, if we did not conform our power could be cut off. I feel that this is putting an extra burden on an elderly woman who has just lost her husband. Could this not have been avoided?
F. Gauthier, Burnaby
