(Memphis) Memphis City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove is going around town fiercely arguing against the city`s plan to give MLGW $10 million for smart meters.
She said her anger is based around her experience with a smart meter claiming it made her bill spike more than a hundred dollars every month.
“I wanted to see what it was like because I didn’t want to make a determination without actually experiencing exactly what the smart meter was all about,” said Fullilove about the smart meter she had installed at her home.
A smart meter is a special box that measures how much power you use and it sends the information back to MLGW so an electric worker doesn’t have to come and read it.
This saves the utility company money, but Fullilove say it costs her more money.
“About a hundred and something dollars, and I have a little match box house I don`t have a big humongous house,” said Fullilove.
So News Channel 3 pulled her bills from MLGW to see if that`s true or if she was exaggerating to make a political point.
“I say come on baby, come out to the forefront! Let`s do it!” said Fullilove.
MLGW installed Fullilove’s smart meter in December of 2010.
Take a look at her electric bills for the three months before and after: September 2010 was $231.28, October 2010 was $214.88, and November was $119. That’s a total of $565.16.
After the meter was installed January was $179, February was $185.35, and March was $207.01. That totals $571.36.
That’s a $6.20 difference over three months.
When News Channel 3 confronted her with copies of the bills, she claimed they may not even be hers.
“I don’t know where they got this from. If I had a thousand dollar bill I would be up in arms,” said Fullilove.
But that is in fact her $1067.40 bill from March 2011.
It also includes gas, and water along with late fees and previous unpaid balances.
Fullilove says MLGW and its President Jerry Collins aren’t telling the truth.
“Well they can say whatever they want to say. You know Jerry Collins knows I have an issue with him and I take umbrage with what he says,” said Fullilove.
MLGW refused to talk about Fullilove`s bill or her claims about the smart meter saying it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Fullilove is in charge of the city’s MLGW Committee and says she plans on doing whatever it takes to stop the city from giving MLGW $10 Million to install smart meters at your home.
“You heard that!” proclaimed Fullilove.
MLGW’s goal is to install 60,000 smart meters in Shelby County over the next two years.
