>>  I also went to their web page to find answers to a few questions which occurred to me after reading this letter, but it didn't help much.   <<

Google is your friend.

A couple of sites that you might not have browsed should be brought up by

PG&E SmartMeter   and PG&E SmartRate

>>    1. What will happen to all of the meter readers who will lose their jobs because meter reading is no longer required.  <<

Since this meter refitting will take place over several years, it appears, normal attrition may accomplish all of most of the RIF. For the remainder, if any, other non-meter positions may be available.

>>    2. Since PG&E will save money by use of these new meters (at least after they're paid for), can we expect them to lower our bills? (I think I already know the answer to this).  <<

If you see the discussion of the (optional) summer SmartRate plan, the new SmartMeters will generate detailed information that will be shared with participants [such as yourself, if you so choose] to enable them to conserve energy during certain pre-announced expected peak demand period and reap savings on their bills. IOW, they will provide tools to enable you to reduce your own bill.

>>  the new meters will obviously be controlled by the PG&E office, and gas/electricity can be shut off in the event of a heat wave or a brownout. Are there any provisions for notification of consumers so that they can take appropriate steps (i.e., resetting clocks on DVR's/VCRs.computers)?  <<

As I read things, the meters will have a remote reporting function, but NOT a remote controlling function. For those participating in the SmartRate program, they will receive day before notification on days designated as "Smart Days"...and may choose to reduce (on their own) electric consumption during the critical hours and thereby minimize their exposure to surcharge during those periods. Overall rates, outside of the critical hours on Smart Days, would be reduced so that by minimizing surcharge, a net savings would be achieved. So, since there is "day before" notification and the power reductions are made by the consumer, you should be able to mitigate the effect on computers, clocks, etc.

AND, BTW, advance notice is to be given WRT the SmartMeter installation so that computers and other sensitive electronics can be disconnected during the procedure.

Best regards,  4merCL

Frank -

I've been through this with Arizona Public Service, at least for electrical service.

1. I don't know what happened to the meter readers.

2. Your bill will not go down unless you switch to a new service plan; we already had several alternate service plans available with the old meters, so it didn't matter here. Amusingly (sort of), one of the (twenty) itemized charges on our bills is "Meter reading $1.76". It still gets charged every month.

3. Yes, they have the ability to turn power off and on remotely. That allows them to turn on power to a new customer immediately - without sending somebody out two days after the request. They have always had the ability to turn off power to neighborhoods remotely - remember the "rolling blackouts"? Now they could do it on an individual basis. But they're not going to do it without warning any more than they implemented the rolling blackouts without warning. And if they're doing it due to a power supply issue, they'll do it on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis, just as they did before.

The only real change is that one doesn't have to lock up their pit bulls on days when when the meter reader was coming.[g]

Kurt

> some of the early users of these feel they've been overbilled.

Most likely the bills are more accurate and less bad manual reading by the meter readers.    This is similar to the electronic scales in the supermarket where the weight is measured to the 1/100th of an ounce.  The extra pennys from the few hundreths of an ounce of whatever is bought add up quickly as opposed to the old scales where the clerk saw the weight and manually figured the price - most likely rounding down the weight to the nearest tenth or quarter ounce for easier computation.  

There's now a class action lawsuit starting up over these meters. Here's the story:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/09/BU851AHKGA.DTL