PG&E contractor threatens to call police, for asking about Smart Meters

RE: PG&E contractor threatens to call police, for asking about Smart MetersMonday, July 26, 2010 6:52 PM

From: "Anthony Ferroir" Add sender to Contacts

To: tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com

Cc: "pgeclaims"


Ms. Carson,


The Regional Project Manager and I have interviewed Mr. Rubio and here is a list of our findings.


· Mr. Rubio denies your claim that he ever threatened to call the police as a result of your questions or actions.

· Prior to arriving at your address Mr. Rubio had noticed that the street sweeper had already passed and asked a street enforcement officer if it was okay to park on the street. The response was " Yes, just mark your vehicle with cones".

· Mr. Rubio claims that he knocked on all the apartment doors prior to starting his work.

· Mr. Rubio acknowledges that he may have put the wrong date on the door hangers.


Wellington's procedures require the meter technicians to knock on all doors prior to performing their work. When a meter technician encounters a customer who is asking questions about the SmartMeter program that PG&E is in the best position to provide the answers to, the technician is instructed to inform the customer that the account will be returned to PG&E for their follow up. The code used in our handheld device to notify PG&E of these types of circumstances is labeled generically as "Denied Access" and includes customers that have concerns or questions like yours that we cannot answer, as well as those customers that deny access to their meters.

Mr. Rubio has been employed by Wellington for more than 14 months and has successfully installed more than 15,000 meters. During this time we have received only one other customer complaint involving minor damage to an old wooden gas meter enclosure.

Wellington takes your allegations very seriously. If you can provide recorded evidence that you claim to have that indicates that Mr. Rubio had threatened retaliatory action from PG&E and/or the police, that would be grounds for serious disciplinary action including potential dismissal. We regret that Mr. Rubio was not able to answer your questions concerning the SmartMeter program and any confusion that may have followed. We trust that any concerns regarding the safety or accuracy of your SmartMeter will be satisfactorily addressed between you and PG&E directly.

Regards,

Anthony Ferroir
Field Project Manager
Wellington Energy Inc.
aferroir [at] wellingtonenergy.net

-----Original Message-----
From: Lynda Carson [mailto:tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, July 23, 2010 3:43 AM
To: kchen [at] turn.org
Cc: info [at] wellingtonpower.com; inquiries
Subject: PG&E contractor threatens to call police, for asking about Smart Meters

Published on Indy Media News Wire...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/07/22/18654556.php


[[[PG & E contractor threatens to call the police, for asking too many questions about Smart Meters, and what our rights are in objecting to their installation!]]]


PG&E contractor threatens to call police, for asking about Smart Meters

By Lynda Carson -- July 22, 2010

Oakland -- A contractor in Oakland installing Smart Meters for PG & E, threatened to call the police on me earlier today when I started asking questions about Smart Meters, and what rights people have to object to them being installed on their electrical meters.

On Thursday July 22, Albert Rubio of Wellington Energy, INC, (California license plate number; 8K99015) illegally parked in front of 829 E. 19th St., before 2:30 p.m., during a period when no vehicles were allowed to be parked on the street because it was street sweeping day in that location.

When advised that he was illegally parked in a no parking zone at that moment, Rubio bluntly stated that he works for PG & E, and had the permission of the parking meter readers to park where ever he pleases. Rubio's truck was a small white Ford pickup truck, identified as Wellington Energy, INC, on the side door, number 174.

Wellington Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of Wellington Power Corporation, is located in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, and was contracted by PG & E as part of the effort to install it's $2.2 billion Smart Meter program.

After announcing that he works for PG & E and can park where ever he pleases, Rubio started to unload a number of boxes from the truck onto the sidewalk. I asked if those were Smart Meters in the boxes, which Rubio identified as being so, and then he stated that he was going to install them in the building at 829 E. 19th St.

I then directly asked PG & E contractor Rubio what people can do to object to the installation of the Smart Meters, before they were installed.

Rubio's first response to my question was to try and intimidate me into silence, as he immediately accused me of being an irate customer for asking questions about the Smart Meter program, and stated that he was going to call the police on me as he pulled a cell phone from his pocket, to show that he means to follow up on his threat.

Ignoring his threat to call the police on me, and being curious about where the PG & E contractor was going with this intimidation tactic, I again directly asked PG & E contractor Albert Rubio what people can do to object to the installation of Smart Meters in the building they reside in.

I asked Rubio what choice I have over this, if I want to object to the Smart Meter being installed.

Rubio replied, "You really don't have any choice over this in the long run. In the end you don't."

What about now I asked, can I object to you putting one on my meter?

Rubio replied, "Your in an apartment building, so your not really denying access to anybody because we have the keys, and we're allowed to get in."

I then stated that you did not answer my question, and again asked if I can object to the installation of the Smart Meter.

PG & E contractor Rubio checked to see if my name appeared on his check list, and then stated; "You don't want the meter right? O'k so it goes down as a denied access," Rubio said.

Denied access? I immediately advised Rubio that I did not deny him access to anything, and stated; "As a tenant I have read and I have heard of many problems with Smart Meters, and that if I have the right to object, I am objecting, but I have not denied you access to anything."

"Thats fine," said Rubio.

Rubio then walked off and left me with the impression that he would inform PG & E that I have denied him access to the meter which was untrue, leaving me with the impression that PG & E would turn off my utilities after he would falsely claim that I denied him access to the utility meter room at 829 E. 19th St., even though he had a key to enter the building, and the meter room.

With no advance warning to the residents of 829 E. 19th St., that their electricity was about to be turned off, PG & E contractor Rubio entered the building, made his way to the meter room in the basement, and immediately started to install the Smart Meters without first informing the tenants in the building that he would be shutting off their electricity. Nor did he call the police on me, as he falsely claimed that he would do in an effort to dodge my questions about the Smart Meter program, and peoples right to object.

Shortly later, after building resident, senior citizen Ms. Penny confronted contractor Rubio while he was momentarily in the building lobby, Ms. Penny complained to Rubio about her utilities being shut off with-out advance notice, and asked why her TV was shut off.

At that point PG & E's contractor Rubio then decided that it was a good idea to inform the residents in the building about his activities to install the Smart Meters, and suddenly took off wandering around pounding on doors throughout the 21 unit building to let people know he was at the building to install PG & E's Smart Meters, and that he would be turning off their electricity while doing so.

For those that were not home or did not answer their doors, PG & E contractor Rubio left a vague pamphlet from PG & E on their door-knobs dated July 21, 2010, even though today is the 22nd of July.

Vague pamphlets, because they failed to mention that the radiation transmitting Wi Fi meters being installed may be dangerous to peoples health nearby and in the building, as some people have been pointing out with some studies, posted on various websites.

Vague, because the pamphlet failed to mention that there has been thousands of complaints about the accuracy of Smart Meters since being installed in California, and that an investigation of the Smart Meter program is underway by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), which has not yet been completed though thousands of people across the state have been asking for a moratorium to stop the installation of the Smart Meters at their properties.

Vague, because there is no mention on the pamphlet as to how people can complain or object to the Smart Meters being installed at their residential properties, despite the vast public perception that customers are being swindled due to the errors of the Smart Meters, after their installation.

I contacted Wellington Energy, INC, in Pennsylvania, and spoke with a man who identified himself as Gus Alonso, a claims complaint manager for the company, and complained about the way the PG & E contractor from Wellington Energy, Inc, threatened to call the police on me for asking about Smart Meters, or how people can object to the installation of Smart Meters.

I also mentioned that Wellington Energy, INC, contractor Albert Rubio falsely accused me of denying him access to the meter room in the building, and complained about the contractor shutting off peoples electricity, before giving them a warning beforehand.

Gus Alonso of Wellington Energy, INC, in Pennsylvania, assured me that contractor Albert Rubio was supposed to have given people notice before shutting off their electricity in the building, and stated that people have the right to inform the contractors that they do not want Smart Meters installed, and that PG & E would get back to them at a later date, to try and work something out.

In addition, Gus Alonso also advised me that Albert Rubio's boss named Justin Browse of Wellington Energy, INC, would contact me this evening or tomorrow sometime, in regards to my complaints.

Deeply concerned about the conflicting information and threats that I received from PG & E's contractor called Wellington Energy, INC, to avoid further confusion or having my utilities shut off, to play it safe I then insisted that they install the Smart Meter on my electricity meter after feeling that I was lied to, bullied and threatened by the contractor hired by PG & E to install Smart Meters in Oakland.

Later, after doing some research on the website for The Utility Reform Network (TURN), I found a section on boycotting Smart Meter installations, including the two following paragraphs below from TURN.

"PG&E has publicly stated that they will not shut off power to customers boycotting the Smart Meter installations. It is more likely that they will begin to estimate your usage, which will be noted on your bill. If they underestimate your bill, be aware that PG&E could charge you for any 'past usage' for an indefinite period of time. You should save up to pay for any underestimates and contact PG&E."
"We cannot assure you that PG&E will not try to shut off your power for boycotting a Smart Meter installation. However, based on our reading of their terms of service, we don't see a specific basis for PG&E cutting off your power."

Lynda Carson may be reached at tenantsrule [at] yahoo.com


For more about the Boycott against the PG & E Smart Meter Program, click below...

Smart Meter Boycotts: Do's and Dont's

http://www.turn.org/article.php?id=1154

Wellington Energy was hired on as scab workers by PG&E. Numerous complaints by customers regarding this contractor are being investigated by several state agencies. Perhaps this is the way business is done in Pennsylvania where this contractor orginates, but tactics used by their employees have caught the attention of state investigators. Use caution when confronting these employees and report misconduct or abuse to police.

After reading of mr. Rubeo's denial of what he had done, i can assure you he undoubtedly did exactly as described. he came to my private home also and i confronted him after he got out of his rruck and he informed me he was installing my Smart meter. I informed him he absolutely was NOT. he then got real confrontational and said he was whether i like it or not. I then told him to get off my property and he told me I couldn't make him and he could stay as long as he wanted. i went in and called police and after advise from them, I came out with something in my hand and told him he'd better jump right thru his truck window cause if not, i was going to put him there. he then hurried away. it/s taken me quite some time to find the name of this company(Wellington Energy) but i can now push for some kind of arrest or complaint. After filing complaint with PG&E, they didn't even have the decency of subjecting their own help to discipline. Courts can do this tho.