People have asked us what they can do if they have an unwanted "smart" meter. We don't suggest any particular action, especially not changing out your "smart" meter, but we can share what others have done. Some have visited www.freedomtaker.com or www.refusesmartmeters.com, where there are several suggestions. One item I like at the latter is some of the routes you can follow if you are thinking of taking legal action - that can be found HERE.
 

We don't advise people to change out their analog meters, and definitely not by themselves. We have heard that some folks have seen a video by Jerry Day, where he describes how to have your meter changed out by a certified electrician (link here, Video is above, on this page). He, too, says that he's not claiming it's safe or practical or lawful to do. He also points out that an electrical mishap can be fatal.
 

Jerry says that the electric company does not have an easement to put a "smart" meter on your house. He mentions that the term "criminal liability" may apply to what they are doing, perhaps because there is no law that says you have to have a "smart" meter (the Federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 merely says that you can have one if you ask for one). He specifically mentions that they may be committing criminal acts with these meters because they emit dangerous radiation, and they can apparently give a picture of sorts of the electronic use in your home. He feels this is a type of surveillance, and you probably didn't give your consent for that.
 

I'm not an electrician, a doctor, or a lawyer, so I'm not giving advice, just reporting what I have seen. Jerry states that there is a form you need to send via certified mail to the power company, before you take any action at all. He also strongly advises talking to an lawyer and a certified electrician before you do anything.
 

Jerry does suggest giving your power company three or four weeks to "do the right thing," after sending them the forms that come with the "smart" meter kit. I do not know anything about any of the companies that are selling them, so, again, I'm not advising you to buy them, or saying that they are trustworthy or make a quality product. If you were to deal with them, that would be your responsibility to check them out thoroughly beforehand.
 

If anyone was to not listen to me and they went ahead and changed out their "smart" meter to an analog (spinning silver wheels) meter, I would suggest then putting up a sign underneath the analog that says "DO NOT REPLACE METER. We refuse the "smart" meter due to health, safety, and privacy issues." Put it in a gallon ziplock and tape it underneath your meter, making sure the face of the meter is easy to see.
 

Jerry also says that you need to be assertive, if the electric company tries to bully you. He advises keeping good records of what you've done, and getting proof of all you've done by using certified mail. You can also show them the article in the Savannah Morning News where Georgia Power states that you can keep your safe, analog meter if you want to. Make sure you print out a copy of the article, and keep it to show the Georgia Power representative (link here).
 

Here's a link to an article where they say, in essence, that they won't turn off the power of anyone who refuses a "smart" meter (link here). Now, Georgia Power states that they don't TELL people they'll turn their electricity off, so please print out both articles, so you have them saying both "You can keep your analog if you desire," and "We don't tell anyone we'll turn their power off." I still can't guarantee what they'll do or not do, but, from what I've seen, having the sign up is extremely important. So far, they've been respecting that.
 

Hope that helps! Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
 

P. S. You can also file a complaint with the Georgia Public Service Commission. The link is HERE. If you want, you can share the fact that you filed with us, and we'll compile a list of how many people have done that. It will help with any future lawsuits.