Just north of Houston, in Arlington, it almost did. Two homes caught fire there last summer during smart meter installations. It's exactly what Dafferner is trying to prevent.

"My concern is being able to fix the situation before someone gets hurt," he said.

So what can you do? CenterPoint said just be aware that you may have some problems. If you live in an older home and you haven't had an electrician inspect the wiring to your meter box, you might do that before your smart meter is installed.

As for Dafferner, he's taking CenterPoint and the subcontractor to small claims court to try and recoup the cost of his repairs. We'll let you know what happens.