Linky’s deployment in France is far from a long, quiet river. But the idea is good: The device makes it possible to transmit a home’s electricity consumption in real time. This has two advantages. First, reduce travel by agents of the electricity grid manager Enedis for meter reading (and therefore reduce operating costs). Then create a dashboard that can adjust energy consumption (and electricity fee) for the consumer.
But Linky is at the center of a controversy. Enedis wants to make meter installation mandatory to maximize the savings the company can make. This spurred the emergence of a protest movement among some users, with whom the network administrator disagreed. Fearing that their personal data will be exploited for commercial purposes, these users have always confirmed that the connected meter is not mandatory. Which Enedis confirmed last January, after several years of declaring the opposite.
Justice orders removal of a Linky for the first time
Therefore, consumers have the right to refuse the installation of Linky in their homes. So what about those who already have a connected meter and want to revert to an older model? There has been no response so far. But a decision Valencian court from June 2023 It could set a precedent. The courts even ordered Enedis to remove the Linky from the home of an octogenarian and replace it with an older model.
Why did the courts make this decision? The octogenarian suffers from electrical hypersensitivity. Since Linky’s installation, it has fallen victim three times each night at a certain time. an electric shock severe enough to paralyze him. And he experienced constant headaches and dizziness. After five years of living and suffering with Linky, several doctors confirmed his pathology and linked his symptoms to the presence of the meter. The eighty-year-old man filed a complaint against Enedis and the court ruled in his favor. Linky removed at the beginning of July 2023. Undoubtedly he will have to pay an additional fee of 61 euros per year to his subscription. But improving your daily life comes at a very small cost.
Towards a case law allowing Linky’s removal?
Such a decision would of course have wider consequences. In fact, all users who experience similar symptoms will be able to report this to a doctor and rely on this prescription to force Enedis to remove Linky. Which can lead towards a jurisprudence which would certainly require removal for medical reasons. This decision may also give some additional weight to those who continue to reject Linky for similar reasons and experience permanent power outages.
On the other hand, can consumers who cannot benefit from Linky and are hypersensitive to electricity be charged 61 euros annually? This is a complex ethical question. In fact, refusing installation for medical reasons is not a “choice” of the consumer. Possible case law will also have to decide on this point.
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