Re: "Electrician upset about meters," letter to the editor, Wednesday, Feb. 27.

I would like to respond to a recent letter that appeared in your paper about the safety of BC Hydro's smart meters.

We are responsible for safely keeping the lights on and this is something we take very seriously. From our customers to our crews restoring outages after storms, safety is our number one priority.

All of BC Hydro's electricity grid equipment, including meters, meets rigorous safety standards.

Our meters are regulated by Measurement Canada, and are compliant with the American National Standards Institute, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Electrotechnical Commission.

Our meter installer Corix delivers a rigorous training and quality assurance program for their employees, consistent with industry best practices. Corix has successfully and safely installed over 10 million meters throughout North America.

Further, our meter collectors are never mounted on customers' homes. Our collectors are mounted on existing utility poles 18 to 24 feet off the ground. In rare situations where no utility poles are available, BC Hydro will use other infrastructure available in the region, including our own buildings and telecommunication towers. Like our new meters, collectors use low power, infrequent short signals and are inactive 99 per cent of the time.

We have been exchanging meters for over 50 years and are committed to delivering power safely to our customers, now and in the future.

Gary Murphy Chief Project Officer Smart Metering and Infrastructure BC Hydro