Smart meters: a dilemma. Could do with some advice.
by hazel from LinuxQuestions.org on (#6QM3T)
As many of you know, I am suspicious of so-called smart meters. Their claim to be energy-saving is dubious to say the least. There are only two ways to actually save energy: to turn appliances down or to switch them off altogether, and you can do both those things without a smart meter. But there are two reasons why I am actively opposed to having one of these devices in my house.
1) They spy on you all the time. They register when every device in your house is switched on or off and pass the information to the company through secret wifi channels. Why do electricity companies want this information? It surely can't be for any good purpose.
2) Smart meters can be and eventually will be used for "surge pricing". In other words, your electricity will fluctuate from moment to moment in price and become more expensive precisely at those times when you most need it. The temperature outside drops and suddenly it's the highwayman's bargain, your money or your life: pay twice as much per hour to heat your home as you did yesterday or freeze.
When smart meters were first touted, we were reassured that surge pricing would never happen, but already some companies are charging customers on certain tariffs more for using their equipment during periods of high general use.
I had a 5-year fixed-price contract with my supplier, which comes to an end on the first of October. I know perfectly well that any replacement contract has to be much more expensive because wholesale energy prices have gone up a lot in those five years. But when I looked at their site today, I saw that all the contracts now require you to accept a smart meter. The only deal for which a smart meter is voluntary (though you are strongly advised to have one) is the standard variable rate, which is of course the most expensive one.
I can afford it at a pinch, even though Kier Starmer and his merry men have just added insult to injury by stealing my winter fuel allowance. But I am angry that I now have to live in a country where this sort of duress is exercised against citizens.
1) They spy on you all the time. They register when every device in your house is switched on or off and pass the information to the company through secret wifi channels. Why do electricity companies want this information? It surely can't be for any good purpose.
2) Smart meters can be and eventually will be used for "surge pricing". In other words, your electricity will fluctuate from moment to moment in price and become more expensive precisely at those times when you most need it. The temperature outside drops and suddenly it's the highwayman's bargain, your money or your life: pay twice as much per hour to heat your home as you did yesterday or freeze.
When smart meters were first touted, we were reassured that surge pricing would never happen, but already some companies are charging customers on certain tariffs more for using their equipment during periods of high general use.
I had a 5-year fixed-price contract with my supplier, which comes to an end on the first of October. I know perfectly well that any replacement contract has to be much more expensive because wholesale energy prices have gone up a lot in those five years. But when I looked at their site today, I saw that all the contracts now require you to accept a smart meter. The only deal for which a smart meter is voluntary (though you are strongly advised to have one) is the standard variable rate, which is of course the most expensive one.
I can afford it at a pinch, even though Kier Starmer and his merry men have just added insult to injury by stealing my winter fuel allowance. But I am angry that I now have to live in a country where this sort of duress is exercised against citizens.