Posted on 07/07/2012 1:12:52 PM PDT by Windflier
“I find that statement incredible. No one can force you at gunpoint to accept the installation of a smart meter, or any other private company’s device.”
It’s called an EASEMENT. You can try to fight it, and more power to you, but I have a good job and don’t have a few hundred K for legal bills - so I have to bend over and take it.
Believe me, I’m not too impressed by Perry and his ‘Republican’ bitches in our state government.
“At best, all they can do is refuse to provide service to your property if you refuse. If I’m wrong on this, then we’re in deeper trouble than I ever imagined. “
I didn’t get to this part. Yep, we can disconnect from the grid. But, unfortunately, where I live, I don’t have a place for solar panels (and windmills are a joke). Believe me, I have tried to figure out something - but no hope. It’s either BIG POWER or no power, where I live.
Now they can tax you for not using utility sourced electricity.
“Lately I’ve been hearing local chatter suggesting that my electric company has switched from 60Hz to 40Hz and that its causing problems.”
No, that didn’t happen. Maybe they’re messing around a bit with frequency, or voltage, but nothing like dropping to 40 Hz.
But then again, I live in Texas, so I certainly wouldn’t rule out anything from this bunch in Austin.
There are plenty of bad things they can do without cutting off your service.
They are already comparing customer’s energy use with their neighbors to try and shame them into using less. There will soon be financial penalties for using too much power or just using it at the wrong time of day.
Smart meters are here to stay but the use and distribution of the information gathered must be strictly controlled.
People should be concerned about this.
For the most part, there’s nothing wrong with smart meters as far as their function is concerned, but there were some that were manufactured with defects.
There are possible security concerns for this type of equipment that could be hacked, and also more concerns for government control. Right now, the power company charges you a flat rate, but in the future could charge you different rates at different times of the day.
My biggest objection is that billions of dollars in stimulus money were used to purchase and install these smart meters, and in addition to that, I believe the electric company is also allowed to charge the customer to install something they may not want or need.
“Most smart meters do only one thing: send a meter reading to the utility every 15 minutes. The rest of what the letter claims is imaginary.”
There actually is a bit more to it. For example, the next generation of appliances will have the ability to be commanded off by your ‘Smart Meter’, for cases like when the wind stops blowing in West Texas - and there are now patents on lockable (by the utility) receptacles that do the same. So it’s best to be your own electrician (like some of us here) so that you can defeat these lifestyle-changing features that our brave new world is bringing us.
The 15 minute reporting is also nothing to play down, being that resolution before the ‘Smart Meters’ was 30 days, or roughly 3000 times as long. What 15 minutes means is that anyone that can access your meter’s data will likley know the following:
a) When people go to bed at night
b) When people wake up in the morning
c) When people go to work in the morning
d) When people come home from work in the evening
e) When people leave to go on vacation
f) When people return from vacation
In Texas, as far as I can tell, there is ZERO PROTECTION of that information (unless someone knows otherwise). This information can legally be taken by a person that works for a utility, or is contracted to a utility, or to a policeman, to a university doing a study, or to anyone else that is interested in your ‘habits’, as the left calls them.
And also don’t think that what you will pay for electrical power won’t be based on when you use that power - its GUARANTEED, for sure. And guess what: Those high-cost times will be when it’s 100F outside.
BTW, I did have an actively controllable device on my electric water heater in the San Diego area back in 1982. The utility could cut power to my water heater to shed load at will.
“I get jealous of California.”
The grass is always greener. California has the highest taxes and most business unfriendly regulatory environment in the United States. It is run by the leftiest of the left, starring Governor Moonbeam 2.0.
We CA FReepers are jealous of Texas.
So there!
Ok, here’s the deal.
Some years back, a relative of mine got an electric bill with a surcharge of 300% for one month...owing to having been charged for electricity generated for his house by a generator after a storm. HIS house. In particular. That’s granularity.
Now, in that general area, people have died from a lack of electricity, because of this past set of storms. Ball park: restored. People: dead. How easy is that? After all, it takes either physically restoring lines and poles or resetting motherboards, right? Oh. Did I mention the people were older? Tsk. What a shame, right?
Net meterers of the world, untie! Untie from the Grid!
bookmark
Here in Maryland, where our provider is PEPCO deservedly the most reviled corporation in America, we were given two choices. 1) get a Smart Meter, 2) disconnect from the grid. There was no appeal, and this was done with the enthusiastic endorsement of our state gubmint and our Goobernor Martin O’Money, who sees himself as the next President.
We are already st up with a solar/hydro alternative system in our mountain retreat. When a coworker was describing our system to a visiting friend, who gushed about our “environmental sensitivity”, I replied, “Green is globaloney for the gullible. I’m doing this because I don’t trust liberals.” You coulda heard a pin drop in the lunch room.
The grid is at risk because of its fragile complexity and the Watermelon’s war on civilization.
(1) It would involve reworking huge chunks of the infrastructure - not possible. (2) You’d notice because most of your stuff like TVs and computers would not work.
Didn’t have a choice. Our meters are outside of the house.
“The grass is always greener. California has the highest taxes and most business unfriendly regulatory environment in the United States. It is run by the leftiest of the left, starring Governor Moonbeam 2.0.”
Of course, I’m not an idiot. My point only is that Texas could be a MUCH BETTER state when it comes to freedom and keeping illegals from setting up a forward base. But we have Perry and his bitches in the legislature - and it is SICKENING to have to deal with that.
“Here in Maryland, where our provider is PEPCO deservedly the most reviled corporation in America, we were given two choices. 1) get a Smart Meter, 2) disconnect from the grid. There was no appeal, and this was done with the enthusiastic endorsement of our state gubmint and our Goobernor...”
Just like Texas, with our so-called conservative governor. No worse there - if you don’t want a smart meter, then disconnect - it’s the ONLY option offered here.
But in California, there’s a third option...
I hope folks aren’t confusing the “smart meter” with the “remote read” meter, which just allows the meter reader to conveniently read the electricity usage from the street remotely.
Both gas and electric companies said I had no choice and one of them cost me a 1,000 bucks after the electricity was shut down in my house a couple of days later after they installed.
>> Ok, here’s the deal.
What electric company?
What zip code?
What date(s)?
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