Quote:
Originally Posted by njbchbum
rubicon - just had a smart meter put in up at our house in maine. it does enable the power company to control our thermostat besides have the ability to read it from the central office. they let us know that up-front and gave us the option to keep the 'old' meter and meter reader for an additional cost. we took the smart meter because it is a vacation house without central air and will not really impact our usage.
this would prob not be a prob for us in the villages since we are snowbirds - unless the duke threat of turning off our electricity is for real. am not gonna drive to fl just to let some utility worker in the house to change a meter!
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Understood... in your scenario, a Smart Meter makes sense for you and a power company for convenience and economics in taking meter readings.
It's the other element of Smart Meters -- giving control of your personal environment to the company -- I object to. People with no knowledge of your circumstances, your needs, your desires, your financial wherewithal and other elements of your family's life will make decisions on their own to affect your quality and enjoyment of life services you are paying them to provide.
Also, do not discount that some of those decisions to tinker with your comfort will be made by people who got up on the wrong side of the bed that day or who resent your status or condition in the world. In a weather storm, you call the power company and have to wait how long for someone to do something you ask? During an intentional brownout, when demand is excessive and the power company triggers Smart Meters to cut back certain major appliance and HVAC compressor usage, if, for whatever reason you choose at the time, you want your comfort and convenience back -- say, for example, you still have a relationship with most of your family and they are all coming for dinner... all 20 of them -- how responsive do you think the power company will be to making you comfortable and happy?
The point is private people giving up control of their personal home environment is one of the aspects of Soviet and Socialist life that always distinguished the U.S. as the distinguished country in which to live and pursue not just opportunity and wealth, BUT FREEDOM.
That ain't the way it works with -- among other things -- Smart Meters.
(EOM)