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Smart Meter, Dumb Idea?
Wall Street Journal ^ | April 27, 2009 | Rebecca Smith

Posted on 04/28/2009 7:22:22 AM PDT by reaganaut1

Not everyone thinks smart meters are such a smart use of money.

Utilities are spending billions of dollars outfitting homes and businesses with the devices, which wirelessly send information about electricity use to utility billing departments and could help consumers control energy use.

Proponents of smart meters say that when these meters are teamed up with an in-home display that shows current energy usage, as well as a communicating thermostat and software that harvest and analyze that information, consumers can see how much consumption drives cost -- and will consume less as a result.

Such knowledge, however, doesn't come cheap. Meters are expensive, often costing $250 to $500 each when all the bells and whistles are included, such as the expense of installing new utility billing systems. And utilities typically pass these costs directly on to consumers. CenterPoint Energy Inc. in Houston, for instance, recently began charging its customers an extra $3.24 a month for smart meters, sparking howls of protest since the charges will continue for a decade and eventually approach $1 billion.

Consumer advocates fear the costs could be greater than the savings for many households. They also worry that the meters will make it easier for utilities to terminate service -- so easy that they will disconnect power for small arrearages that wouldn't have caused a termination in the past.

What's more, the cost to consumers could go beyond the extra charges imposed by utilities. That's because consumers usually are left to their own devices (literally) when it comes to adding the in-home displays and home-area networks that use data from the meters to control appliances and other pieces of equipment.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: electricity; energy; smartmeter
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1 posted on 04/28/2009 7:22:22 AM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

Anybody who thinks this has anything to do with economy should invest in my perpetual motion machine.

It’s about control. Just like medical care, electricity in Obama’s Brave New America will be tightly rationed.


2 posted on 04/28/2009 7:27:38 AM PDT by sinanju
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To: reaganaut1
"There's no mystery about how you save energy," says the 71-year-old retired furniture salesman. "You turn down the air conditioner and shut off some lights. I don't need an expensive meter to do that."

Or as my grandmother used to say: "When not in use, turn off the juice."

3 posted on 04/28/2009 7:28:34 AM PDT by ex91B10
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To: reaganaut1

Smart meters would allow buying and selling electricity on a spot market. It would be possible for appliances to automatically turn on at times of day when electricity prices are lower. Businesses like grocery stores that run lots of refrigeration and air conditioning could run their cooling systems more heavily at non-peak times.


4 posted on 04/28/2009 7:32:53 AM PDT by Paleo Conservative
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To: reaganaut1

I have no doubt these will decrease energy consumption. It was interesting in that I got a Prius for a rental on a recent trip driving from Tennessee to Wisconsin. The energy meter on that thing absolutely made you aware how much gas you were using, and while I went along, I would play little games to see how I could maximize things.

The control issues with these meters make me skeptical. And frankly, it annoyed me to no end to hear mom always telling me to turn off the light when I’d walk from the study to the kitchen and then back. Not sure if I’d be a fan of these.


5 posted on 04/28/2009 7:33:51 AM PDT by CaspersGh0sts
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To: reaganaut1
They also worry that the meters will make it easier for utilities to terminate service -- so easy that they will disconnect power for small arrearages that wouldn't have caused a termination in the past.

Considering that the bills of paying customers go up to cover losses incurred by deadbeats who do not pay, I don't see this as a bad thing.

6 posted on 04/28/2009 7:39:46 AM PDT by pnh102 (Save America - Ban Ethanol Now!)
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To: sinanju

You are 100% correct. I know a guy who is in the business. Under development are systems that will allow remote control of your electrical devices. This would include TVs, A/C units, freezers . . . down to the light switch level.

Such remote control is currently available, but not to the level where other people can control the devices in your home.


7 posted on 04/28/2009 7:41:13 AM PDT by Andyman (The truth shall make you FReep.)
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To: reaganaut1

I have my own ‘smart meter.’ Whole house is computerized, and I control it. I log and regulate every heavy power load in the house and on the property. I have found ways to trim costs. Watering to cool the roof and power ventilating the attic space, all timed to temperatures and computer decisions.

The problem with the proposal(s) in this thread is the lack of the user control.


8 posted on 04/28/2009 7:43:54 AM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT 2006; now living north of Tampa Bay)
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To: reaganaut1

could help consumers control energy use.

Not hardly...could help GOVERNMENT control energy use.


9 posted on 04/28/2009 7:48:24 AM PDT by Adder (Proudly ignoring Zero's political stylings since 1-20-09!)
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To: reaganaut1

If a wireless smart meter is cost effective for the utility to cut costs or reading meters. Then, fine, it’s their cost and their savings and their meter, so they should not be passing anything costs along to us because it is an investment which gives them a return.

If the meter is suppose to be for me, I don’t want it and don’t see why I should be forced to buy something that is not cost effective for me.

I do think there is clearly an element of control, however, that I find particularly offensive. I buy the service, I pay for the service, I use the service whenever, however and how much I elect to. If the utility has to raise rates, because their costs go up, those costs are passed along to us and we can elect to change our usage or not.

It is not the utility or government’s right or authority to turn on/off my power because they think I should be controlled and forced to use less, because some idiot in government thinks it is a good idea from their perspective.


10 posted on 04/28/2009 7:48:37 AM PDT by rigelkentaurus
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To: sinanju
Exactamundo! I already have a smart meter. It's called my brain. I know from the amount of my bill and the breakdown in usage whether and where I need to make changes for the following month.

This is just more of the wet dreams of the central planners coming to fruition.

11 posted on 04/28/2009 7:51:15 AM PDT by Dahoser (The missus and I joined the NRA. Who says Obama can't inspire conservatives?)
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To: Paleo Conservative

Smart meters would allow the government to shut off the utilities when your Carbon Credits expire.


12 posted on 04/28/2009 7:51:43 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: sinanju
It’s about control.

Exactly. Get a consumer used to it, trying to figure out how best to save money then later they say 'nevermind' we'll do it for you" - they take complete control and then you're freezing in the winter and sweating in the summer and nothing you can do about it. [Except there will be a black market hacker business that builds up around the smart meter market ;-)....]

13 posted on 04/28/2009 7:57:33 AM PDT by Kent C
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To: Andyman
You are 100% correct. I know a guy who is in the business. Under development are systems that will allow remote control of your electrical devices. This would include TVs, A/C units, freezers . . . down to the light switch level. Such remote control is currently available, but not to the level where other people can control the devices in your home.

If they spent half as much time and money INCREASING THE SUPPLY of power, we wouldn't need all this crap.
14 posted on 04/28/2009 7:59:21 AM PDT by BikerJoe
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To: BikerJoe

It will probably work like the local water system here. They put water restrictions on everyone around here for the past 2 years. So, lo and behold water usage is down 30 percent. Well, now they are complaining that because usage is down, their revenue is down and now we must raise rates by 9% now and 9% in December. Bend over and grab the ankles!


15 posted on 04/28/2009 8:06:11 AM PDT by BallparkBoys (Republicans spend $100,000 getting women into clothes while Democrats spend $100,000 getting women o)
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To: BallparkBoys
It will probably work like the local water system here. They put water restrictions on everyone around here for the past 2 years. So, lo and behold water usage is down 30 percent. Well, now they are complaining that because usage is down, their revenue is down and now we must raise rates by 9% now and 9% in December. Bend over and grab the ankles!

It's almost time now, isn't it?
16 posted on 04/28/2009 8:09:04 AM PDT by BikerJoe
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To: reaganaut1

We have had these so-called “smart meters” here that our Public owned elecrtic utility started switching to a couple of years ago. Not one of the dire predictions that this article makes have come true. Not one.

The real result of our smart meters?? The Utility saves a fortune in payroll expenses by eliminating the need for a number of on-foot meter readers.

The meter reader simply drives past the house, and the meters transmit the current readings.

That’s it. We are saving money, ergo keeping electric rates lower than they otherwise would be, by using smart technology to read the meters more accurately than before. If a meter doesn’t read correctly, the reader can tell that from the street and call in for a replacement.

That’s why they call this “smart” technology...


17 posted on 04/28/2009 8:11:07 AM PDT by Bean Counter (Stout Hearts....)
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To: reaganaut1
I like some of the smart metering options. For example, being able to read the total power usage over the power line instead of requiring someone to go door to door is a great idea. My gas meter has a radio transmitter and now I don't have to take time off work to let someone into my garage to do a physical reading twice a year. I don't like remote shut off of appliances or tracking my thermostat. I don't even like different rates based on time of day primarily because I expect that will be used to slip in a stealth price increase.

One interesting bit I have not seen elsewhere is what my father has. His electric meter tracks what the maximum instantaneous power during the month was in addition to the total energy used and he is given a discount or penalty based on that. The big trick is to turn off the air conditioner when he is drying a load of clothes so he doesn't have his two big 240v power hogs running at once.

18 posted on 04/28/2009 8:11:08 AM PDT by KarlInOhio (No free man bows to a foreign king.)
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To: reaganaut1

I trust the government. I really do. They do such a great job with the DMV, vet hospitals, road repair, etc.


19 posted on 04/28/2009 8:17:49 AM PDT by Aquinasfan (When you find "Sola Scriptura" in the Bible, let me know)
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To: BikerJoe
If they spent half as much time and money INCREASING THE SUPPLY of power, we wouldn't need all this crap.
That doesn't fit the utility company's business model. The business model is to produce less, charge more.

Name ONE other industry that openly advertises for you to buy/use less of their product/service.

20 posted on 04/28/2009 8:19:33 AM PDT by lewislynn (What does the global warming movement and the Fairtax movement have in common? Disinformation)
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