Media Information – Updated 30 Sept 2022 – by Giles Bryant LL.B
Family in Norfolk with disabled child have electricity cut off for refusing a smart meter – but win in the end!
In a story that beggars’ belief in so-called ‘Great’ Britain, a mother with a disabled child and elderly parents had her electricity cut off for over 7 weeks, for replacing a smart meter with a digital meter in her home.
The story starts in 2020 when Stephanie Lund, who cares for her disabled daughter and elderly parents, started to develop headaches. She then discovered a smart meter had been fitted in her home without her knowledge. Researching electro-sensitivity, she found information about the potential harmful effects of smart meters. Ms Lund doesn’t have a mobile phone or any wifi internet in her home for these reasons.
She contacted her electricity supplier Utility Warehouse (UW) in May 2020 and told them that the smart meter wasn’t safe and she wanted it removed. She asked if it could be put on a ‘dumb’ mode, with no active wi-fi but was refused. UW refused to replace the meter or come to test the radiation levels, saying it was safe by ‘EU’ standards.
Fast forward to April 2022, and frustrated with her headaches worsening due to the smart meter, and with the failure in the duty of care of UW for her and her family’s health, she contacted a qualified electrician and had the smart meter replaced with an industry approved digital meter.
In June 2022 she had an un-announced visit from Revenue Protection Services, saying they were there on behalf of UW, and there had been a problem with the connection to the smart meter. The electricity bill had been paid throughout this time. Ms Lund refused him entry into the home as it was an un-announced visit and she wasn’t able to identify him. He left her with a letter, saying they may return with a warrant to access the property to check on their property (ie the smart meter). She handed him the smart meter back.
Without any further correspondence on 27th July 2022 at 2.14pm a man from Revenue Protection Services returned to her property with another man. He wouldn’t give his name or identify himself, so he was refused access. The men claimed they had a digital warrant, which Ms Lund thought ‘had been made up on a computer’. She asked if it had been signed by a judge, in requirement of a warrant, and the men refused to answer.
The man then gave an ultimatum that they can fit another meter, cut the electricity off or call the police. Ms Lund, alarmed by this bizarre turn of events called the police herself.
Shortly after, the man and a crew of about 5 people from UK Power Network – started digging up the road opposite Ms Lund’s house. The police claimed that the process was fine, and although they said Ms Lund had committed no crime, they allowed the men to dig up and disconnect Ms Lund’s electricity supply. At 6.38pm the power was cut off. Ms Lund and her family, including a disabled child, and elderly parents had to manage in the dark.
Because of her special needs, Ms Lind’s disabled daughter has to have certain food prepared in batches, which necessitates 3 large fridge-freezers, which are registered as medical aids. For this reason, she is registered as a ‘priority customer’ with UW. And they had just cut her electricity off by digging up her road. As Ms Lund says: ‘I am not going to let my child go hungry, I’ll find a way to make sure she can eat her special food, but the electricity company didn’t care, they would let her starve.’
The following day (July 28th) Ms Lund contacted Ashley Harris from UW, who admitted they had made a mistake and authorised the power company to re-connect the electricity.
On 29th July the power company cancelled the appointment. Ms Lund’s father (whose name is on the electric bill) received a ‘dead lock’ letter from the energy supplier saying they were not going to re-connect the power.
Ms Lund had contacted the Energy Ombudsman and the Extra Help department – neither of which could help her. She also contacted her MP, Jerome Mayhew. Over many weeks and correspondence, his office tried to help but said, we can only persuade not force them to reconnect the power.
Her father was then sent a letter saying they were going to be charged £2500 for a disconnection fee.
On 9th & 11th August, Ms Lund was contacted by people from UW which did not lead to any movement on the reconnection of the power. On 24th August Ms Lund received a call from UK Power Network, saying she needed to get authorisation from UW to reconnect power. She told them authorisation was given on 28th August and then her father had received a deadlock letter by email, effectively preventing any reconnection on the case.
What struck me so powerfully, was if this can happen to a woman with a disabled child and elderly parents, what is stopping similar things happening to you or I if we refuse a smart meter?
Appalled by this case, and using my legal background and media contacts I contacted several alternative news organisations to put pressure on UW, UK Power Network and her MP to remedy the situation.
When asked for comment on the terrible situation, the media department from UW replied saying, ‘we are aware of the case and are working with Ms Lund to remedy the situation’. Seemingly, nothing was happening – however under the surface, the power of the people, and the true power of the Law was starting to take effect.
The Light Paper agreed to publish an article about this appalling situation, and www.davidicke.com reported on it. I feel this was a turning point; corporate entities have potential customers to lose. If we can effectively communicate what is going on in the world, we realise that those in ‘power’ only have the power we give them.
Having studied Common Law, and with advice from lawyers in the freedom movement, Ms Lund sent a Notice to UW stating of her ‘standing in Law’. The second Notice was delivered on Aug 8th.
A member of UW’s ‘Theft Team’ contacted Ms Lund and said he wanted to put on a digital meter (not a smart meter) and re-install the power. Ms Lund asked them to put it in writing.
After that on 11 Aug Ms Lund sent them a Notice of Conditional Acceptance but would only accept on condition the disconnection charge of £2500 was removed and that the power and the new digital meter were reconnected free of charge.
She then sent them a third notice, called Notice of Default which was delivered on 16 Aug.
She sent a fourth notice, called Notice of Coercion to Aid & Abet High Treason & Misprision of Treason which was delivered on 23 Aug. She then sent them a fifth notice, Notice to Stop on 1st Sept.
She received an email from Sarah Meadows from UW saying they have already responded to her complaint. She replied, saying ‘make sure the people I addressed the Notices to receive them. It is a criminal offence to intercept mail.’
On 9th Sept Ms Lund called UK Power – who said that they could not do anything because the case was in a High Court Writ. UK Power refused to put this information in writing. Ms Lund phoned her MP to tell her about this.
Ms Lund didn’t hear back from UW. She then started putting UK Power Network on Notice. By the third one, the Notice of Default, UK Power contacted her on 12 Sept. They said, we’d like to reconnect the cable on the road that we dug up – free of charge. They would remove the main fuse which is outside of the property. They wanted to make an appointment to do it. They said UW wanted to come and have a look around.
Ms Lund agreed (except for UW coming around, as she said she is no longer contracting with them). She was advised to take out her digital meter.
On 16 Sept UK Power Network came and reconnected the power but took the fuse away.
Through contacts in the freedom movement, Ms Lund had an electrician come and put the meter back on, and put in a fuse. And bingo on Sept 17th after – the electric came back on!
This story has a happy ending. But what a journey this family has been on – standing up for freedom and health. It shows how insistent some companies are to install smart meters, and the possible consequences for those who remove them. But it also shows the power of the people, the power of the Light and the truth of the Law – which ultimately as I have learnt through many years of study – is about fairness.
