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I don't have a smart meter and if I did and it gave me usage charts it still wouldn't change my daily usage one iota......
My usage is higher than my neighbors?
So now in America the mantra is no longer keep up with the Joneses but degrade to the Jonses???
^^^
It would do me little to compare with my neighbors--they are a household with three preteens, central air that's always on, a huge backyard pool, the whole nine yards. I am a conservationist who elects not to use a clothes dryer and very little use of appliances. My neighbors are hardly an inspiration.
The chart is set up like this: Efficient Neighbor .....
Average Neighbor .....
You .... You used a total of 267.8 kWh of electricity this week. Your usage was 24% less than your neighborhood average.
Kind of like watching the stock market up and down. I say just live as conservatively as possible unless you want to drive yourself nuts. There is simply no way to compare neighbors' usage of anything, it depends on at least a dozen factors. For example if you lived next door to me you'd be tearing your hair out with that comparison.
newenglandgirl, in your case your comparison chart wouldnt be with those neighbors. The chart tells you that the comparison is with houses the same size as yours and with the same amenities, or lack of -- such as pools. So your comparison would be with neighbors who have no pool and you could see how much less energy you use with your clothesline vs their electric dryers.
Maybe some dont see the value in these charts but I do. If I'm aware that my neighbors, who live in the same kind of house that I do, are using less electricity than I am, I'm encouraged to use less energy too. But, to do that, I have to be aware that such a disparity exists. THAT'S the value of the comparison chart.
It doesn't matter how many times you explain it some people are simply not going to understand. I know exactly what you are doing and why, and it's a good system.
I've had a Smart Meter for about/almost two years now. I download my usage regularly and have created a spreadsheet to track usage daily and in 15 minute increments. I can tell from the spreadsheet when I get up in the morning and go to bed. I can tell when I have turned on the TV and when I run my dryer. In my neighborhood (built in the 50's) there's too many variables to draw any comparisons.
The biggest one time benefit of the Smart Meter was during the 2011 freeze and Texas had rolling blackouts. I woke up that morning at the end of the second blackout, my computer rebooting and printer making noise. It took a while to understand what was going on and then the third blackout came on. With cell phone I contacted TXU to inquire, used the IVRU and chose RESIDENTIAL, and received the announcement about the blackouts.
Bearing in mind, these blackouts were of 15 minute duration, my call to TXU as soon as that 3rd blackout started. Within two minutes my electricity was back on and remained on the rest of the day while my neighbors did not. Also, TimeWarner cable was off until 3 p.m. same day.
That TXU was able to remotely power my electricity back on was due entirely to the Smart Meter.
newenglandgirl, in your case your comparison chart wouldnt be with those neighbors. The chart tells you that the comparison is with houses the same size as yours and with the same amenities, or lack of -- such as pools. So your comparison would be with neighbors who have no pool and you could see how much less energy you use with your clothesline vs their electric dryers.
Maybe some dont see the value in these charts but I do. If I'm aware that my neighbors, who live in the same kind of house that I do, are using less electricity than I am, I'm encouraged to use less energy too. But, to do that, I have to be aware that such a disparity exists. THAT'S the value of the comparison chart.
I understand what you're saying, but in my case I'm already down to such basic usage I couldn't use any less unless I lived in an unheated tipi with a volcano stove. (Not such a bad thought.) I would be wasting my time to compare.
Now, on another note, how would this "central intelligence" compile info on who has pools, freezers, computers, lights for weed growing and any other specific info such as number of household members and their usage habits? (You get the implications.)
It doesn't matter how many times you explain it some people are simply not going to understand. I know exactly what you are doing and why, and it's a good system.
However, various security concerns have been raised regarding the technology. This includes the amount of personal data held on the devices. It also means that it could make clear the exact times householders tend to leave their home, or when they sleep, by looking at their energy usage.
...there should be no requirement for a screen on each smart meter that displays how much energy has been used. He said many people would access this information on their mobiles.
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