British Columbia hydro is anxious to get its customers hooked to smart meters to use the province's electricity more efficiently. But a number of consumers believe the use of smart meters is - not only stupid -- it's hazardous to society with the government attaching a wireless transmitter to your home. The controversy gives broadcasting The Current a whole different meaning.

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Part Three of The Current

Smart Meters

Well, it's only taken a few years for smart phones to go from being an expensive gadget to an indispensable part of life for millions of Canadians. If some hydro utilities have their way, the same will be true of smart meters. Four-point-one million smart meters have been installed in Ontario, part of that province's plan to modernize the electrical grid and make it greener.

But many consumers aren't as enamoured of the hardware on the side of their homes as they are of their iPhones. That's become evident as energy policy emerges as an issue in Ontario's election campaign. And on the West Coast a controversy over smart meters has erupted over BC Hydro's 930 million dollar plan to install the devices across British Columbia by the end of next year.

For more on what smart meters are, and how they're supposed to change the way we consume electricity, we were joined by Jatin Nathwani. He's a Professor in the Sciences Department of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo and he's the Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy for Sustainable Energy Management. Professor Nathwani joined us from Toronto. Sharon Noble is the Director of the Coalition to Stop Smart Meters. She was in Victoria.

We should also mention that while the B.C. Centre for Disease Control says B.C. Hydro smart meters are within Health Canada guidelines for radiation output, provincial radiation specialist Dr. Abderrachid Zitouni told The Current that he is uncomfortable commenting on smart meters while research is ongoing. But Dr. Zitouni said to expect more concrete results on smart meters and other types of wireless radiation later in the fall.

We also submitted requests to BC energy and mines minister Rich Coleman and BC Hydro, but we did not receive a response to either request by our deadline.

Related Links:

• 'Smart' meter debate escalates in B.C. as cities consider call for moratorium By James Keller - The Canadian Press
• No time-of-use billing for B.C., Energy Minister insists By Ian Bailey -
  Globe and Mail
• Ontario hydro's smart meters give dumb results: critics By Karen Howlett - Globe and Mail

Last Word - Profanity

Earlier, we were talking about swearing and whether it's something polite, educated people should do. Actor and comedian Stephen Fry is polite and educated and believes profanity is one of life's great joys.... On today's Last Word, he explained.

Other segments from today's show:

• Insite Supreme Court Ruling (Updated)
• Swearing in the Workplace