Dear Editor,

BC Hydro is responsible for safely keeping the lights on, and this is a responsibility we take very seriously. From our customers to our crews restoring power outages after storms, safety is our number one priority.

Smart Meters are safe, and communicate using radio frequency signals that are similar to what have been used for decades in televisions, radios, and other common household devices. B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer, Health Canada, and the World Health Organization all confirm the wireless meters pose no known health risks.

Planetworks Consulting, a certified engineering firm located in North Vancouver, has conducted independent testing on the meters that isolated the smart meter from other sources of radio frequency common to our everyday lives.

The testing confirmed that a BC Hydro smart meter communicates for about 1.4 seconds per day, and has a power density of two microwatts per square centimetre.

These results have been signed, sealed, and certified by a professional engineer.

These signals are far below Canadian guidelines, and are even below the strictest precautionary limits in the world, set out by Switzerland.

As the project nears completion, customers will start to benefit from a modern grid. For example, many customers now have access to new conservation tools through their secure on-line BC Hydro account, helping them to save energy and money.

Later this year, customers will benefit from automatic outage detection that will help our crews restore power faster and safer.

Smart meters are now standard equipment, just like utility poles and power lines, and are required to modernize the system and ensure the safe, efficient delivery of electricity to British Columbians.

We thank customers for their support and patience as we work to modernize our electricity system so we can continue to safely provide the electricity needed to power homes and business around the province every day.

Gary Murphy, BC Hydro