Posted on 10/31/2015 11:16:22 AM PDT by Sean_Anthony
Utilities are obligated to offer customers this choice. However, it can be expensive, should one decide to keep traditional meters in order to preserve health, privacy, and the ability to purchase truly cheaper electricity
For those of you who have just heard of smart meters, or have had one placed on your home knowingly or unknowingly, or for those who think that said smart meters are a new development around the world to make it cheaper and easier for you to get electricity, gas and water via the smart grid, think again.
Rationing and control of your usage of electricity, water, and gas, and a constant incursion into your privacy, are better descriptors of what smart meters are intended to do. A good friend sent me this story about her bizarre problem with experimental smart meters of long ago.
At least this article correctly differentiates between AMR (automatic meter reading) meters and “smart meters” which are truly interactive devices that not only record consumption of individual devices but can turn them on and off remotely.
In Texas the only thing smart was how the wires companies conned the three blind mice at the PUCT to have the users pay for the meter and fire the meter readers.
Oh they got some Obama stimulus money too!
tinfoil hat alert
They don’t ask you if you want one. The just show up at your house and replace it. On the plus side, it’s easy to switch providers and you don’t get estimated bills anymore.
Smart Grids - The Promise and the Potential Problems
http://hubpages.com/technology/Smart-Grids-The-Promise-and-the-Potential-Problems
This website discusses the concepts and its current implementations.
It is very well researched with lots of other links.
http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/get-ready-smart-appliances
For example..
From an article in the Wall Street Journal: “Smart appliances can be controlled remotely by a power company to go into energy-saving mode or shut off during times when there is high demand for electricity. Consumers could override the feature but likely will pay more for power during these periods. ...Smart appliances will come equipped with communications modules and software. During grid emergencies or periods of high electricity use, utilities could ping smart meters or other devices, such as home-network controllers, to order appliances to hunker down in energy-saving mode. Whirlpool’s smart dryers, which will account for a quarter of the company’s expected 2011 production, will be able to operate in a variety of modes. In one energy-saving mode that might be used when electricity demand is high, the heat will turn on and off during an extended drying cycle but the spinning will continue to prevent wrinkles.”
True, but let’s differentiate further between smart meters that, for example like the one on my house, monitor energy in hourly increments so I can pay a lower rate by using energy when it’s cheaper in low-demand times, vs. DR or Demand-Response where the utilities can turn off heavy energy demand devices such as A/C compressors for a fraction of every hour in order to reduce overall demand.
The best news is that energy efficiency (yes including curly-q light bulbs, switching power supplies and LED TVs, monitors and lights) have reduced energy usage to the point where DR is not even discussed much anymore.
So in typical FR technophobic response, I’m waiting for the War on SMPs!
:Do you mean 'toxic twisties'?
Tinfoil hat alert? So do you know of any power the government has that they haven’t abused? The solution is not to participate in elections, or make sure the correct people are in charge. The solution is to make sure the power or technology never are able to harm. There is nothing wrong with having meter readers. It provides jobs for people that need them.
If you don’t want a smart meter, you pay extra.
If you get one, you pay for it.
Thank god you might be able to turn yor toaster off.
Bookmark.
Thank you that’s some very interesting information!
Any questions, ask away. Not only did I do design, I was responsible to my company for checking the radio emissions of the meters and making sure they complied with federal and international standards.
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