Establishes certain consumer rights for the protection of consumer health, safety and/or privacy needs related to utility meters.
This bill would create a new section of the General Business Law establishing consumer rights regarding utility meters for electric, water, and gas service. It defines “analog utility meter” and “digital utility meter,” with digital meters including radiofrequency-transmitting and non-transmitting electronic meters, and gives consumers the right to refuse installation of a digital meter or request replacement of an existing digital meter with an analog meter, at no fee, penalty, or service charge.
The bill also requires utilities to give at least 90 days’ written notice before installing a digital meter, informing consumers of their right to decline installation and later request removal and replacement. For consumers who state in writing that they suffer from electromagnetic sensitivity and that radiofrequency radiation poses a health threat, utilities would have to comply within 10 days; in other cases, compliance would be required within 30 days. In multi-unit buildings, utilities could not install or upgrade digital meters if 50 percent or more of consumers decline permission. Utilities would also have to keep records of consumer responses for at least three years, and the Public Service Commission would be authorized to adopt implementing rules.
The bill would amend the General Business Law by adding a new consumer-protection provision that directly affects electric, water, and gas corporations operating in New York. It would create enforceable rights for customers to opt out of digital utility meters, require utilities to maintain analog meter options, impose notice and recordkeeping obligations, and give the Public Service Commission rulemaking authority to carry out the law. The measure would likely affect utility deployment practices, meter replacement programs, and service operations for landlords, tenants, homeowners, and multi-unit properties.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes, the overall sentiment appears to be supportive of consumer choice, privacy, and health concerns related to utility metering. The bill’s framing emphasizes protection of consumer health, safety, and privacy, suggesting its sponsors view the issue as a consumer-rights matter rather than a technology mandate. No contrary positions are documented in the provided materials, but the proposal itself implies a policy preference for preserving analog meter access over broader digital meter deployment.
The main points of contention are likely to be the bill’s treatment of digital meters, especially its allowance for consumers to refuse them and its requirement that utilities replace them with analog meters on request. Utilities and regulators may object to the operational burden, costs, and potential limits on meter modernization, particularly in multi-unit buildings where a majority opt-out could block installations. Another likely area of dispute is the bill’s reliance on claims of electromagnetic sensitivity and its assumption that radiofrequency radiation from both transmitting and non-transmitting digital meters can pose a health threat, which may be contested by utilities, public health officials, or technology advocates.