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8 Responses to “Smart Meters – You don’t have to get one!”

  1. gail says:

    I think they should implement HIPPA rules for the billing department of Utilitiy Companies. It should be sacrosanct like doctor/patient, Lawyer/client privileges. If the utility company can guarantee that, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll have one installed. Otherwise, I’d much rather have someone keep their job, I live in a rural area. There is nothing wrong with my meter. It has worked great for decades. I would love to go off grid and tell the utilities monops to take a flying flip!

  2. Lisa says:

    Rick said ” used to work for a large power utiilty, and we were putting them in to save money. To reduce having to pay someone to go to each home and read a meter”

    The BIOTECH companies have said that now a farmer will have less time in the field and require less laborers and more time for his family.

    actually it all boils down to one thing… LESS JOBS.. and a LAZY society.

    The more technology you use, the more industrialized and consolidated everything becomes the worse of it will be for the majority.. ONLY a few will prosper.

  3. moochoo says:

    1 watt is 1000 milliwatts. Normal wireless routers only put out about 100-200 milliwatts of power, likewise with most client adapters.

    Assume this thing is transmitting at 1000mw 24/7: a packet window once a day, would not give positive feedback to the electric co system on the moment of a service failure.

    Think the answer that makes the most sense is not being on any grid.

  4. Rick says:

    Well, I donmt necessarily agree with the premise that a smart meter was designed and implemented to provide covert surveillance, I do agree the end result is the same.

    I used to work for a large power utiilty, and we were putting them in to save money. To reduce having to pay someone to go to each home and read a meter. That takes a lot of time, and thereby money in resources. It’s a particularly high cost in rural areas where the meter reader has greater distances to travel. The meters provide a low cost alternative to determine your usage. In addition, the meters can determine outages and help identify the cause to help them get the power back on quicker.

    I see the problem is not the meters, but the failure of power companies to only use the information as it was intended. The use as a surveillance tool is an unintended consequence. Once they have the data, they realize it has value, and so they start selling it off. Then it can be used by authorities and criminals alike for all sorts of purposes – rarely good for the user. Believe me, if law enforcement agencies can use the data to pinpoint patterns, so can criminal organizations. It is getting more and more common.

    The answer is not to block all technological developments, but to require the appropriate behavior of those involved. For example, the only organization that should be able to connect the usage information with a customer is the billing department of the utility, No government, no outside organizations, nobobdy. The only organization that should see usage information, is the operations group in the utility for managing the power generation and distribution. Again, no one else. The utility marketing department should not be reviewing your usage to identify potential plans without your permission.

    The challenge is that you can’t shop your utilities. Utilities are regulated monopolies. If a store I went to sold my info, I’d stop going there and go somewhere else. I can’t do that with my electric – at least not until we have more effective personal generation solutions. I’m not a fan of regulation, but the very regulations that allow these monopolies to exist should include controls on the info.

    More importantly, we need to block government agencies from essentially stealing all the info they want whenever they want. If I park my car next to someone with an open wireless router, I can be charged with stealinig services – how can government agencies hijack any electronic signal they want (cameras, etc) withut warrant?

  5. Mary says:

    Is this why I haven’t been sleeping well (since they installed the smart meter below my bedroom window.)?????

  6. Jules says:

    So what is the problem?
    Seems the benefits out weight the disadvantages. Even if only one drug producer is bustered I am all for it.

  7. Brian Richardson says:

    I use IE and when I click on Printer Friendly so I can copy and past this, it tells me it is having a problem with IE but Firefox, etc will work…………problem is that I DON’T have anything but I.E.!!!!! Any suggestions on how I can copy his letter?? Thanks.,.
    BRichardson

  8. Melissa says:

    I feel violated.