KAPAA, Hawaii >> The Kauai Island Utility Cooperative is considering allowing people to opt out of using “smart meters.”

Cooperative Chief Executive Officer David Bissell told The Garden Island newspaper ) the board will allow members a choice. He says the board won’t force meters to go on any house or business. 

Smart meters send electricity usage data to a utility, allowing the utility to remotely read customers’ meters, connect and disconnect service and know when a customer has experienced a power outage. The information also helps customers understand more about their energy use and can guides them to use energy more efficiently. 

A handful of people held signs protesting smart meters outside a hotel in Kapaa where the board met on Tuesday. The demonstrators cited health fears and privacy concerns.