Carlucci, left, discusses a singed electric meter with a Rockland
resident
NEW CITY – State Senator David Carlucci (D, Nanuet) Friday said
electric smart meters being installed on homes in Rockland County area
causing some problems.
He said he has received calls from residents who have reported meters
smoking and others who said appliances malfunctioned after those meters
were installed.
“We want to make sure that they have recourse against Orange and
Rockland when an appliance isn’t working or when they do have burn
marks on their house,” he said.
Those meters are a “proven safe, secure and reliable device,”
said O&R spokesman Michel Donovan.
“None of the O&R smart meter installations has resulted in fire.
There have been four instances of flashovers during installation. Two
of those were the result of installer error and two were the result of
faulty equipment,” he said. “No fire resulted from the flashovers
and on one was injured.”
Donovan said the utility received six claims for what customers believe
has been damage to their household appliances as a result of smart meter
installation. Of those claims investigated so far, there has been no correlation
found between the appliance damage and the smart meters operation.
The claims were for two stoves, one light fixture, one power strip, one
computer and one printer, he said.
O&R has installed over 53,000 electric smart meters in Rockland County
since mid-June.
