dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
6615
mob (banned)
On the next level..
join:2000-10-07
San Jose, CA

mob (banned) to 19579823

Member

to 19579823

Re:  

No...Users should pay based on the TOU. TOU billing is the only way we can finally make all the energy hogs pay their fair share. Unlike bandwidth, electricity is finite.

cdru
Go Colts
MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN

2 recommendations

cdru to mob

MVM

to mob

Re: Smart meter coming

said by mob:

Because why should the electric company know how much electricity a customer uses, and when they use it?

Really? As to when, you might have a slight argument. But as to how much? The power company doesn't have a right to know how much power you're using?

If I'm missing your advanced sarcasm, my apologies. Otherwise, I'm with everyone in your avatar.
ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym to mob

Premium Member

to mob
said by mob:

said by ke4pym:

Not sure what the big deal is and why people are freaking out.

They put one on the side of my house (cellular based, complete with IP address) for the solar panels and it just sits there and minds its own business.

Because why should the electric company know how much electricity a customer uses, and when they use it? That's an invasion of privacy.

Well, last I checked, they need to know how much you used so you can get a shiny bill each month.

We don't have TOU here, so that's no biggie.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine to mob

Member

to mob
said by mob:

said by ke4pym:

Not sure what the big deal is and why people are freaking out.

They put one on the side of my house (cellular based, complete with IP address) for the solar panels and it just sits there and minds its own business.

Because why should the electric company know how much electricity a customer uses, and when they use it? That's an invasion of privacy.

lmfao. I saw what you did there. Well played sir!
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

19579823 (banned) to ke4pym

Member

to ke4pym

 

Yes and the meters NOW keep track of your usage BELIEVE ME
Speedy Petey
join:2008-01-19

1 recommendation

Speedy Petey to 19579823

Member

to 19579823
said by 19579823:

I agree!!!

People agree to pay them for usage which should be enough!!

Did you happen to notice Mob's avatar?
LOL
mob (banned)
On the next level..
join:2000-10-07
San Jose, CA

1 recommendation

mob (banned) to 19579823

Member

to 19579823
Yeah. I heard the new meters can be shut off remotely too. That way when they come to take you nobody will know.

LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA

LazMan to SparkChaser

Premium Member

to SparkChaser

Re: Smart meter coming

I went to a remote-read smart-meter with time-of-use billing about a year and a half ago or so...

Didn't see any real difference in the bills, one way or the other... Didn't go down, in any meaningful way; but didn't go up, either.

One of my wive's friends had a case where her bill went up dramatically with the new smart meter; but I'm pretty sure the old mechanical one was running slow, so even replacing with a new 'old' meter would likely have had the same result.

My bigger complaint is the ToU rates - I guess people have been too good at switching their usage to off-peak times, so the local utility has jacked the off-peak rate so that it's not much different then the peak one...

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy to SparkChaser

Premium Member

to SparkChaser
Central Maine Power installed a smart meter at my grandma's house last year.

I am hoping Western Mass Electric installs them in the future. Our neighbor in the duplex moved out and shut the power off, leaving the pipes in danger of freezing. The landlord had to wait two days to get the power turned back on so they gave us a $10 rent credit and she ran an extension cord off our power to run a space heater.
Expand your moderator at work

nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft to SparkChaser

Member

to SparkChaser

Re: Smart meter coming

The poor "tinfoil hat" excuse, just doesn't work anymore. When you have all these smart electronics.

»www.wired.com/dangerroom ··· -remote/
»www.dailymail.co.uk/scie ··· nce.html
»rt.com/news/cia-spy-peop ··· eus-795/

Theres a reason behind these besides jacking your rates, and possible power rationing....
Why do the installers of these meters have to hold a person at gun point to force an install of this garbage?
scooper
join:2000-07-11
Kansas City, KS

scooper

Member

Because people are stupid ? uninformed about what they're doing ?

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

3 recommendations

tschmidt to nonamesleft

MVM

to nonamesleft
said by nonamesleft:

The poor "tinfoil hat" excuse, just doesn't work anymore.

None of the links you posted have anything to do with smart meters.

I agree with you the Internet of things poses a number of privacy problems.

Smart meters have a number of advantages in reducing labor costs and timely notification of outages.

Peak generation is very expensive. Commercial customers are already billed that way I see no reason residential customers should be exempt. Knowing peak times coupled with smart appliances let folks decide to consume energy now or delay it in exchange for lower cost.

Smart appliances will also fit in well with emergency generation allowing peak load to be controlled so it does not exceed generating capacity. However that has nothing to do with smart meters.

Lastly there is the exciting possibility of using electric vehicles to pump power back into the grid during peak times - to reduce the need for expensive peaking plants.

/Tom


nonamesleft
join:2011-11-07
Manitowoc, WI

nonamesleft

Member

said by tschmidt:

said by nonamesleft:

The poor "tinfoil hat" excuse, just doesn't work anymore.

None of the links you posted have anything to do with smart meters.

I agree with you the Internet of things poses a number of privacy problems.

Smart meters have a number of advantages in reducing labor costs and timely notification of outages.

Peak generation is very expensive. Commercial customers are already billed that way I see no reason residential customers should be exempt. Knowing peak times coupled with smart appliances let folks decide to consume energy now or delay it in exchange for lower cost.

Smart appliances will also fit in well with emergency generation allowing peak load to be controlled so it does not exceed generating capacity. However that has nothing to do with smart meters.

Lastly there is the exciting possibility of using electric vehicles to pump power back into the grid during peak times - to reduce the need for expensive peaking plants.

/Tom

Those electronics could receive commands sent to the smart meter, so technically yes they do have something to do with smart meters, just not at this very moment.

tschmidt
MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
·Consolidated Com..
·Republic Wireless
·Hollis Hosting

tschmidt

MVM

said by nonamesleft:

Those electronics could receive commands sent to the smart meter

Or they could just be accessed directly over the Internet, no smart meter needed.

I share your concern about loss of privacy to corporations and government. However: smart meters are pretty low on my list of things to worry about.

On balance I think they bring significant benefit with little downside.

/tom
19579823 (banned)
An Awesome Dude
join:2003-08-04

19579823 (banned)

Member

 

I read a thread on davidicke.com/forum recently "Wireless routers make you ill" and i believe they do!!



A smart meter would be sending that WIFI signal 24/7!!!!!

I think its quite benefical to PAY THEM TO KEEP SENDING SOMEONE TO CHECK THE REGULAR METER.. (Its all about $$$$ anyway)

SparkChaser
Premium Member
join:2000-06-06
Downingtown, PA

SparkChaser

Premium Member

said by 19579823:

I read a thread on davidicke.com/forum recently "Wireless routers make you ill" and i believe they do!!

That's in the UK. The signal is on the left hand side of the spectrum, much worse.

Coma
Thanks Steve
Premium Member
join:2001-12-30
NirvanaLand

1 recommendation

Coma to 19579823

Premium Member

to 19579823
said by 19579823:

I read a thread on davidicke.com/forum recently "Wireless routers make you ill" and i believe they do!!

A smart meter would be sending that WIFI signal 24/7!!!!!

I think its quite benefical to PAY THEM TO KEEP SENDING SOMEONE TO CHECK THE REGULAR METER.. (Its all about $$$$ anyway)


You need this tinfoil hat more than I . . .


ke4pym
Premium Member
join:2004-07-24
Charlotte, NC

ke4pym to 19579823

Premium Member

to 19579823
said by 19579823:

I read a thread on davidicke.com/forum recently "Wireless routers make you ill" and i believe they do!!



A smart meter would be sending that WIFI signal 24/7!!!!!

I think its quite benefical to PAY THEM TO KEEP SENDING SOMEONE TO CHECK THE REGULAR METER.. (Its all about $$$$ anyway)

I can't speak to these smart meters, but mine does not use WIFI. It's on Verizon's cellular network.

Make who pay? The power company? Pffbt. You and I pay. Not the power company!
Speedy Petey
join:2008-01-19

1 recommendation

Speedy Petey to 19579823

Member

to 19579823
said by 19579823:

I read a thread on davidicke.com/forum recently "Wireless routers make you ill" and i believe they do!!

WOW!!! What a bunch of fruit loops!!

It's funny, all the folks that have these issues and think like this are a certain type of personality.
How come no normal folks have these issues??

I think the type of person who has these issues is predisposed to have issues with SOMETHING, no matter what it is.
weorthe
join:2003-06-01
Chattanooga, TN

weorthe to 19579823

Member

to 19579823
Smart meters do not transmit continuously. They transmit about 45 seconds a day.

»www.motherjones.com/blue ··· backlash

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine to nonamesleft

Member

to nonamesleft

Re: Smart meter coming

said by nonamesleft:

Theres a reason behind these besides jacking your rates, and possible power rationing....
Why do the installers of these meters have to hold a person at gun point to force an install of this garbage?

The reason is to implement TOU rates and to more efficiently monitor the grid. And they also get the ability to shut you off if you don't pay without HOs coming out and pointing a gun to your face when you come to pull the meter.

Msradell
Premium Member
join:2008-12-25
Louisville, KY

Msradell to SparkChaser

Premium Member

to SparkChaser
TOU rates may be beneficial to people when there is nobody home during the day but that doesn't apply to quite a few households. Families that are retired or have young children constantly occupy the home, thus they need to heat and AC all the time. Time of day metering puts them at a major disadvantage and they in many cases are less able to afford higher rates!

Actually, in most communities is you look at the total electrical usage, well less than 50% of the usage is for residential use. The majority is for commercial and industrial use. That's where the significantly higher rates for peak usage should occur. Yet, especially in the case of commercial facilities, that's normally not the case. In many places they pay a lower rate because of their higher usage.

As far as the ability to turn off AC in the summer, some utilities make it quite beneficial for the consumer with large rebates. However, here in Louisville the rebate is only $5 per unit per month. There is no distinction made for unit size (tonnage). That kind savings is not worth the risk, especially for homes where somebody is home all the time!
valeria1
join:2011-08-17

valeria1 to SparkChaser

Member

to SparkChaser
Oh thats great news.

timeshift
@speakeasy.net

timeshift to Msradell

Anon

to Msradell
I was worried about that when we got smart meters and time of use as I work from home so my setback happens at night. What ended up happening is by shifting some things to off peak like laundry and the dishwasher the discount rate for off peak made up for the higher on peak rate and then some. Overall without any changes besides those I'm saving about $50 a month.
agtle
join:2013-03-09

1 recommendation

agtle to fifty nine

Member

to fifty nine
said by fifty nine:

The reason is to implement TOU rates and to more efficiently monitor the grid. And they also get the ability to shut you off if you don't pay without HOs coming out and pointing a gun to your face when you come to pull the meter.

The ultimate underlying reason for TOU is demand management. Effective demand management means they don't have to build new power plants, especially the dirty, fossil-fuel peaking plants. In the long term it will keep prices down.
zippoboy7
join:2006-06-18
USA

zippoboy7 to Msradell

Member

to Msradell
said by Msradell:

As far as the ability to turn off AC in the summer, some utilities make it quite beneficial for the consumer with large rebates. However, here in Louisville the rebate is only $5 per unit per month. There is no distinction made for unit size (tonnage). That kind savings is not worth the risk, especially for homes where somebody is home all the time!

They have that here, and last summer durring a bad heat wave they turned off peoples AC units for 10 hours at a time with no way to override it. People never read the fine print on the contract for those things.

In my case I made out good with that whole scam, they came out and installed one on my house without my permission and in the process put 2 nice holes in the side of my AC unit, the first to run there wiring into it and the other with a screw right into the coils causing all the freon to run out. For me the savings I received was about $20,000 for a whole new HVAC system that BGE's paid for to replace the 20 year old one that was working fine before they went and destroyed it.

In the case of this smart meter BS, I have already sent my letter to BGE to stop them from putting this crap on my house, I am not one of the nuts who is scared of the RF, I just refuse to be stuck on TOU billing which is the end goal of these "smart" meters, I deal with the TOU billing crap at work having to run generators when the demand is too high in the summers, there is no way I am going to deal with it at home as well even if it means paying $10-20 more a month for the old style meter I have now.