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["Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

After the recent posts about PPL cutting off service I found the following
at http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122567355463991711.html

"In Pennsylvania, PPL Corp. increased shutoffs by 78% in the first three
quarters of the year compared with the same period a year earlier. Shutoffs
at electric utilities throughout the state increased by 20% in that period.
George Lewis, a spokesman for PPL, based in Allentown, Pa., said the utility
had been somewhat lax in the past but decided this year to "reverse the
trend and prevent people from getting further in debt" by cutting them off
sooner. About 3% of the company's residential accounts have been
disconnected for delinquency."

"Digital meters allow power companies to do things remotely that previously
required sending out work crews. For example, utilities can take meter
readings wirelessly and switch a customer's power off or on without having
to send a crew to a house. They also can use a "service limiter" feature to
cut power flows to a trickle until customers pay up. Utilities are
installing millions of these meters across the U.S."


Don Bowen  KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html