National

Saskatchewan smart meter fires: Report says customer safety wasn't priority

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Oct, 2014 11:13 AM

REGINA - An investigation into a smart-meter program linked to at least eight fires in Saskatchewan says customer safety wasn't enough of a priority for SaskPower.

The government's power company was ordered to remove more than 100,000 of the utility meters installed in homes after the devices caught fire in June and July.

Saskatchewan's Crown Investment Corp. was directed to do a review.

The review says that rain water and contaminants getting into the meters appears to have contributed to them failing.

It also says that the failures were not related to "hot sockets" or installation issues.

The report says SaskPower failed to look at the possibility that the meters could short out and catch fire.

A smart meter records consumption of energy in small intervals and can relay the information electronically to a utilities company. It eliminates the need to estimate bills when a meter reader can't do an on-site check.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Douglas Garland In Court: Family 'Shattered' By Disappearance Of Grandparents And Boy

CALGARY - A friend says relatives of a missing five-year-old boy and his grandparents are "shattered" weeks after the three disappeared and are presumed to have been murdered.

Douglas Garland In Court: Family 'Shattered' By Disappearance Of Grandparents And Boy

Fires Heat Up In Parts Of B.C. As Fire Costs Near Triple What Was Forecast

VANCOUVER - A fast-moving forest fire near Houston, B.C., that forced residents in 19 homes to evacuate had almost doubled in size within 24 hours.

Fires Heat Up In Parts Of B.C. As Fire Costs Near Triple What Was Forecast

Medical Marijuana Spread On Toast, Inside Cookies And Teas Backed By B.C. Court

VANCOUVER - The B.C. Appeal Court has ruled the federal government's restriction on allowing only dried marijuana to be used under its medical access regulations is unconstitutional.

Medical Marijuana Spread On Toast, Inside Cookies And Teas Backed By B.C. Court

Alberta gov't not doing enough about high oilsands emissions: Critics

EDMONTON - Critics aren't happy with the Alberta government's response to monitoring data that shows two air pollutants have exceeded trigger levels in the oilsands area.

Alberta gov't not doing enough about high oilsands emissions: Critics

Confusing Sanctions Regime Irks Canadian Industry, Prompting Plan For Single List

OTTAWA - Industry players say the tangle of lists that Canadian financial institutions rely on to sanction terrorists, tyrants and other troublemakers are confusing and often out of date.

Confusing Sanctions Regime Irks Canadian Industry, Prompting Plan For Single List

Advocates call for systemic review of convictions obtained in 'Mr. Big' stings

TORONTO - Advocates for the wrongly convicted people are urging the federal government to set up a systemic review of convictions secured through the use of the so-called Mr. Big police sting operations.