[Wuli]

I expect the “smart meters” will communicate both ways, in the new Orwelian U.K., making it possible for the gubernut to know your every minute of energy usage and to remotely control it, eventually.

[sinanju]

Your electricity quota for the month is used up. You’re switched off.

This way there’ll be no mass, “rolling blackouts” with concurrent mass protests.

California’s Greyout Davis would still be in office.

[ex91B10]

“Smart” = “Government Controlled”.

[rhombus]

"The meters most of us have in our homes were designed for a different age, before climate change," said Ed Miliband, the energy and climate change secretary

Before climate change? What an idiot. Was that back when the world was hot and swampy and dinosaurs controlled the meters? Or maybe it was during the time when glaciers covered the world and meters had to be located inside the igloos. What total nonsense. The ONLY reason for the so-called "smart grid" is so someone besides the home owner can control and ration energy usage.

[Nathan Zachary]

Brits will get a warning letter from the Government for anything they do deemed "excessive". turn on the stove or open the refrigerator door too much, and they'll have to report for body fat inspection- diet counseling. Flush the toilet too much, they get a government letter telling the to report to the proctology department to have their arse hole inspected.
Turn on the TV too little, report for government flash advertising exposure sessions.

Well thet may be all well and fine in the UK, as they have always been the governments (kings) subjects, That is NOT ok for the USA. We fought a war for our freedom, to be "we the people", and for government to be the peoples government, not the other way around.
And yet, here we are, walking down the same road as the Brits.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

This coming from a country that at one point in time was the largest empire in world history.

[Cheetahcat]

They used to have the parking meter style meters you had to put coins in them ,Strange place.