Smart Meters - What you should know (power lines, home)

[00molavi]

Okay, I have gotten the letter (LA county), but nowhere does it say that I can opt out. Our usage is pretty low as it is, had the solar panel guys all drooling over my bill, so I am not sure if there is any benefit for us having a smarter meter.

[sks447]

I think what everybody is missing is that Smart Meters are bad because the bill YOU pay can fluctuate at the power companies will. I mean it does already, but now when it is 110 outside and your air is on you will pay more.

Your power company will just look at the higher usage in your area and say "well now your bill is doubled for these hours because it is hot outside". You have no choice but to turn the air off, turn it up higher than it already is or just spend more money to line their pockets. I keep my A/C at 84 now and it is still high due to price hikes. Wait til your rates are unknown and change minute to minute.

And who cares if you can see your usage in "real time"? That has been possible since day one of normal meters! See the meter spinning fast? You are using more power! Even if you can view usage on your laptop who cares? What are you going to do about it? Turn off your A/C or your hairdryer since you can calculate the exact amount you just spent? How stupid of a selling point!

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by js1mom

Thanks for the information firsttimehousehunter.

Ignore the negativity, sarcasm, and childishness that is so often displayed on this site by supposed adults.

Some intelligent, rational people do know that you were coming from a good place with your intentions and really appreciate you taking the time to inform people of this data.

I'm one of those people who appreciate the o.p.'s post.
I'm in Santa Cruz county and, true to form, there has been a very strong collective voice against the smart meters and people have been fighting this from the get go and i didn't even know that people have a choice now.
Is that really true?
Hard to believe.
And for all of those who scoff about the dangers, i wouldn't be so flip about it.
Wi-fi, smart meters, cell phones, wireless phones, etc. are, i believe, detrimental to our health and i think that the evidence of this will become more prevalent in time.

[Calix]

Originally Posted by sks447

I think what everybody is missing is that Smart Meters are bad because the bill YOU pay can fluctuate at the power companies will. I mean it does already, but now when it is 110 outside and your air is on you will pay more.

Your power company will just look at the higher usage in your area and say "well now your bill is doubled for these hours because it is hot outside". You have no choice but to turn the air off, turn it up higher than it already is or just spend more money to line their pockets. I keep my A/C at 84 now and it is still high due to price hikes. Wait til your rates are unknown and change minute to minute.

And who cares if you can see your usage in "real time"? That has been possible since day one of normal meters! See the meter spinning fast? You are using more power! Even if you can view usage on your laptop who cares? What are you going to do about it? Turn off your A/C or your hairdryer since you can calculate the exact amount you just spent? How stupid of a selling point!

You are absolutely right, the problem with the thinking behind the SmartMeter is you will be paying more and more for less. On the spot demand pricing is NEVER good for the consumer and allows profiteering. Another poster pointed to "era of limits" thinking and scarcity speeches.

I'm not worried about radiation or the like, I'm worried about the profiteering and exploitation of the consumer by a monopoly entity.

Imagine if you will, you are dying of thirst on a hot day, and a vendor is selling water and sees you suffering and scribbles out his price of $1 and says "For you, the price is $50". That is your future on a hot day in CA.

Rather than investing in new power generation, the only focus is on further dividing the pie into ever smaller slices until we are back lighting our homes with beef tallow.

All in the name of a noble cause, people are being further ripped off and paying more and more for less and less.

[jwblue]

If I ask the power company to to have a Smartmeter removed, will they?

If it is removed, does that mean they have to come to my home every month to get a reading?

I do not remember them doing that before it was installed 2 years ago.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by Donn2390

I've had my smart meter for several months now, and I love it..! I can go on the computer and see exactly how much power I used yesterday, by the hour. You can look at it hour by hour, day by day, week by week, or month by month.
I tell them how much I want to pay every month, and I get a weekly email telling me how much above or below I am compared to the amount I specified, so I can regulate my useage.
My bill has gone down a lot since it was installed, because I have control of my useage...
Always lots of black helicopters flying around whenever something new comes out. Listen to all the fear mongers and we would all be still riding horses.........

Ummm...didn't you have control of your energy usage BEFORE the SmartMeter was installed and you got emails and data telling you how much energy you used? Donn sounds like a SCE board member.

People, YOU are in control of most everything you ever do - ignore these "empowerment" propagandists. You have a brain - use it - and you will be informed and "empowered".

Glad to know their is an opt-out list. Unfortunately, I already have the SmartMeter - i am going to try to get it replaced with the analog meter.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Ummm...didn't you have control of your energy usage BEFORE the SmartMeter was installed and you got emails and data telling you how much energy you used? Donn sounds like a SCE board member.

People, YOU are in control of most everything you ever do - ignore these "empowerment" propagandists. You have a brain - use it - and you will be informed and "empowered".

Glad to know their is an opt-out list. Unfortunately, I already have the SmartMeter - i am going to try to get it replaced with the analog meter.

Unless you monitored your kWh manually, you were not able to get any data in the current period, and you could not get as detailed of data as you can now(SCE bills are broken down by peak/non-peak times, not down to the hour or minute).

[Harrier]

Good point, but I mean that a person can reduce their power bill by budgeting it like they do with money. Determine what they absolutely have to use electricity for, and adjust their usage accordingly. The SmartMeter may be a useful tool for some people - but it should be optional. SCE in Southern california and PG&E in Northern california have near monopolies on electricty distribution in their respective regions. If their was a competitive market then this wouldn't be so important - people would choose the provider who did not mandate SmartMeters if they chose to not use them. This not being the case - I am promoting common sense and letting people know that they don't need some new-fangled device to keep their bills low - they have absoloite control over how much they pay. Turn off a motor, a light, or an appliance and save some cash.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by Harrier

Good point, but I mean that a person can reduce their power bill by budgeting it like they do with money. Determine what they absolutely have to use electricity for, and adjust their usage accordingly. The SmartMeter may be a useful tool for some people - but it should be optional. SCE in Southern california and PG&E in Northern california have near monopolies on electricty distribution in their respective regions. If their was a competitive market then this wouldn't be so important - people would choose the provider who did not mandate SmartMeters if they chose to not use them. This not being the case - I am promoting common sense and letting people know that they don't need some new-fangled device to keep their bills low - they have absoloite control over how much they pay. Turn off a motor, a light, or an appliance and save some cash.

I can tell you this.. I wish I had a Smart Meter and some type of notification capability in my apartment when my electric waterheater went bad and I didn't find out until I got hit with a $500 power bill the next cycle(and it was already a week or two into my next cycle).

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

I can tell you this.. I wish I had a Smart Meter and some type of notification capability in my apartment when my electric waterheater went bad and I didn't find out until I got hit with a $500 power bill the next cycle(and it was already a week or two into my next cycle).

Electric water heaters are evil. The apartment I'm in now has one at it easily accounts for $50/mo of my bill and I have the thermostat set pretty low.