City council to review MLGW smart meter resolution

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Some city council members want transparency when it comes to MLGW smart meters.

In Tuesday morning's public safety committee meeting, smart meters were a hot topic.

"You know I'm just going to put it to you on the table: A lot of people feel that what you are doing is basically taking advantage of them," councilman Joe Brown said.

Council members told MLGW president Jerry Collins that a number of utility company customers have contacted them, concerned that once they get in the smart meter program, they will not be able to get out of it.

"I've been getting an abundance of e-mails from constituents and rate payers of MLGW saying that they feel that the smart meter contract is forcing something down their throats," councilman Berlin Boyd said.

At Tuesday's meeting, committee members discussed a resolution proposed by Boyd that would guarantee MLGW customers could opt out of the smart meter program before or after they sign up.

Jerry Collins said this has always been available and is something a number of customers have already done.

"Out of the first 24 homes where we installed meters, 3.6 percent of the customers opted out," Collins said.

As for Boyd's resolution, committee members instructed city attorney Alan Wade to review the language and work with MLGW to develop a resolution that will make customers feel that they can say yes or no to smart meters without paying any extra fees or any other penalty.

Council members plan to review the updated resolution in two weeks.

MLGW said smart meters are not invasive and cannot determine your personal activities. Plus, the company says all the data is received securely at MLGW.

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