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Couple says smart meter forced them out of their home


A family in the Metro says smart meters forced them to move from their home.. into a trailer. OG&E says its smart meter system has helped each customer save hundreds of dollars. But, Fox 25's Kisha Henry shows us a family who says it makes them feel like they live in a microwave.


OG&E says the smart meters are now mandatory. If one person in the neighborhood doesn't want one, they would have to have dual systems and pay to have a meter reader visit one house monthly-- costing the company and eventually the customers more money.


"It's really a win-win for customers," says Kathleen O'Shea, spokesperson for OG&E.


"It's not benefiting us in any way. First of all, we can't live in our home," counters Billy Smith, of El Reno. He and his wife, Monique, say OG&E's smart meters have forced them to move into a trailer, a quarter of a mile from their home.


"The first day that we got the smart meter, I became really dizzy," says Monique. She says her doctor diagnosed her with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, and in a written request insisted OG&E remove the Smith's smart meter.


"My wife-- her organs are attacked. She has nose bleeds, chronic weakness," says Billy.


"The smart meter itself is just a digital meter. It's not that much different from what customers had on their house before," says O'Shea. She says smart meters contain a little card that transmits data, allowing customers to track their electricity consumption down to 15-minute intervals, helping them save money.


"It puts out frequencies," says Billy.


"The radio frequencies from the meter are well, well below what the FCC has as a limit," says O'Shea. She says cell phones actually emit more of a signal than the smart meters.


But, the Smiths say the smart meters have pushed Monique's hypersensitivity over the edge. They're now building what's called a Faraday Cage for her to sleep in-- to block the signals. "I can tell if a person's on a cell phone because I get a shooting pain through my insides," says Monique.


"We're having to live in a trailer," emphasizes Billy.


The Smiths say they know their story may sound crazy, but they say this is their life, and it's very real. "You may not feel what I feel, but eventually you will feel what I feel because of all of the cell towers and all the electromagnetics just flying around. It's eventually going to hurt everybody," says Monique.


But, health issues aren't the only concerns some customers have with the smart meters. Others are concerned about privacy. They're worried their private information is being transmitted, and could be hacked. The Smiths say their email accounts have been hacked twice since their smart meter was installed. They say the meters have the ability to pick up and transmit data from the home.


But, OG&E says the company takes privacy very seriously, and the only information that's transmitted is killowat hours. "We can't tell if someone's watching five TVs at one time. We have no idea... and we don't really care. That's the person's business," says O'Shea.


Some customers say the meters transmit information about peak usage hours, which could translate to when homeowners are home, and if they have a lot of people in the house. Again, OG&E says that's not the case.


There have also been concerns the data being transmitted could be sold to third parties, allowing them-- for example-- to advertise to customers who do a lot of cooking. OG&E says that is untrue.

Couple says smart meter forced them out of their home

Posted: Friday, February 22 2013, 10:57 AM CST

IN OKLAHOMA NEWS

Okla. Legislature honors Moore schools educators
May 23, 2013 22:06 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma Legislature is honoring two educators from a school district where a massive tornado destroyed one elementary school and heavily damaged another.

Robert Romines, incoming superintendent of Moore Public Schools, and Shelly McMillin, principal of Briarwood Elementary School, appeared before the Oklahoma House and Senate Thursday.

Their visit comes after a monstrous tornado ripped through Moore on Monday and destroyed the Plaza Towers Elementary School, killing seven third-graders. The same tornado heavily damaged Briarwood.

Romines says the area has witnessed a lot of devastation, but that it will rebuild. He asked lawmakers to pray for strength and wisdom and courage for the community.

Superintendent of Schools Janet Barresi says the Board of Education has agreed to suspend the remainder of Moore's school year and has waived some reporting requirements.

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