[BobL]

...but don’t get me wrong - others (law enforcement, bad guys, employers who want to know if their employee is really home sick, etc.) are very interested in that information, but they are not the ones that NEED the smart meters.

[Windflier]

- others (law enforcement, bad guys, employers who want to know if their employee is really home sick, etc.) are very interested in that information, but they are not the ones that NEED the smart meters.

You're right. It's Big Brother who wants theses 'smart meters', because they not only gather intel on how you use power (which can be used as an additional metric on your personal behavior), but they also have the capacity to be used as power control devices.