Public Release: 18-Sep-2017
From Eurekalert
University of Sussex
IMAGE: Smart meter campaign poster in London Underground. view more
Credit: Image by Benjamin Sovacool
Lack of consumer engagement, insufficient information, and inadequate attention to vulnerability has slowed down the UK rollout of energy smart meters, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Sussex.
The £11 billion smart meter programme, which is supported by a £100-million marketing campaign, has not met its targets due to consumer apathy and confusion, especially in the case of vulnerable people, say the researchers.
The UK government planned to install smart meters in every home by 2020 to reduce national household energy consumption by 5-15%, and thereby help meet the UK’s climate change targets. Smart meters are digital gas and electricity meters that connect households to suppliers and feature a home display that aims to help people better understand their energy use. The programme, officially called Smart Meter Implementation Programme (SMIP) is the largest government-run information technology project in history. Yet, a year in, energy providers had only managed to install the meters in seven percent of homes. To hit the target by 2020, suppliers would need to install 40,000 smart meters per day for the duration of the programme.
Professor Benjamin Sovacool, lead author of the study and director of the Sussex Energy Group, pointed out:
‘We have recently seen how the government had to backtrack on its ambitions to make installation in every home obligatory; they are basically admitting a degree of failure. Consumer confusion and even resistance to the programme exist, which is a clear sign that they need to improve consumer engagement and the provision of information about the benefits of the technology. This is especially true when it comes to vulnerable classes of people, such as the elderly and those less educated’.
The paper, published in Energy Policy, argues that discussions around technical glitches have partially obscured societal issues that need to be addressed for a more successful campaign. The researchers looked at two primary sources of data, a systemic review of the academic literature on smart meters as well as participant observation of seven major events on the SMIP during 2015-2016.
Dr Kirsten Jenkins, Research Fellow in Energy Justice and Transitions at the University of Sussex, adds that another benefit to the study is that it helps demystify the smart meter programme. As she clarifies:
‘I come at this paper both as a researcher and as a potential user of a smart meter in my own home, and one that despite initially being told I could upgrade now, was later informed there was no availability in my area. For many the SMIP has remained something of a mystery. Our study makes an important step towards revealing its dynamics and highlighting the necessity of not only technological advancement, but thoroughly considered social integration that is conscious of both new and old social vulnerabilities.’
The new technology is not only supposed to increase awareness around household energy needs, but also make households more energy efficient and reduce energy bills. However, the paper argues that rather than engaging consumers about the potential benefits, the technology has only generated ‘confusion and resistance’ in many households. There is little awareness of the benefits or understanding of how the technology works even in those households where the technology has been installed.
Dr Paula Kivimaa, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sussex, emphasizes that the actions of users and consumers could greatly compromise the success of the programme. As she states:
‘Given the removal of several important policy instruments targeting energy efficiency and demand reduction in buildings in 2015, the SMIP has a crucial role in advancing these policy targets. However, the failure to engage consumers effectively puts the success of this programme at risk, and, thus requires speedy and effective action on behalf of those in charge of its implementation.’
Dr Sabine Hielscher, a Research Fellow at Sussex, comments that the ‘high expected benefits associated with the rollout of smart meters have been kept alive and their achievements have stayed optimistic within the UK government over the last decade. Although the SMIP has been increasingly scrutinised and uncertainties surrounding expected benefits persisted, it will be interesting to see how the smart meter rollout will unfold over the next few years.’
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The full study is available for free until the end of September at https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1VWWr14YGgTtDm.
Citation: Sovacool, BK, P Kivimaa, S Hielscher, and K Jenkins. “Vulnerability and resistance in the United Kingdom’s smart meter transition,” Energy Policy 109 (October, 2017), pp. 767-781.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
A complete and utter waste of money. I know several people who have them. Once the novelty wore off, after about a week, they paid no attention to them
Most people I have talked to about these believe they will be used to ration electricity by interrupting supplies to help support intermittent renewables.
Don’t want one, won’t have one, End of.
Of course, if this is all about “climate change” and saving the planet, if you do not agree to go along you must be senile or unintelligent.
I love the patronising and condescending way they talk about objectors being “vulnerable” just before insulting them.
Yup, I’m with you on this one. I refuse to have one installed on my property, and if they try I’ll do them for trespass.
Precisely why I refuse to have one installed no matter how many times they write to me. Not only that the smart meters were only included in the grossly criminal UK Energy Bill as a House of Lords ammendment thanks to the corrupt Labour peer, Lord – consultant for a company manufacturing smart meters – Truscott.
Bollocks to Climate alarmism.
Big hairy bollocks to corruptly incorporated smart meters.
More realistically, they can monitor your energy use in real time. If they can do that, they can charge more for cooking dinner during peak times – ie dinner time.
It is not a belief, it is a certainty. The problem with “renewables” is intermittentcy. Smart meters can prevent grid destabilization caused by intermittent generation by shedding load, i.e., turning off the lights, heat an appliances in your house to protect the grid. Don’t worry a diesel generator and a Tesla “powerwall” can protect you for a mere $30,000.
Good for you Old England, in Australia they have attempted to force these bloody things on us. I refused to let them put one on my house and went so far as to limit access to my power board so that they couldn’t do it without destroying my box altogether…but can still access it enough for their general needs. I suggest you all do the same. Everyone I know who have had one of these bloody thing put on their house have had their bills go through the roof.
Also they are obviously going to attempt to use it as spy device and a control on my usage eventually. We are slated for blackouts this summer so I imagine “They” will begin looking at their smart meter data soon.
I the meantime I have begun looking at how to steal power off the grid, sick, sad world.
I do not trust anything that has the government finger print on it. I do not trust police or government. They both have an ageda, steal and incarcerate as many people as possible.
For years I have been told for safety not to run dishwashers and washing machines while 😴 Now it’s SMART?
#1 I gather that the ‘Smart’ meters installed to date do – more or less – what it says on the box – until you change energy supplier. Then they are an unattractive and utterly ineffective box in a cupboard.
#2 Governments encourage folk to change supplier – always going for a better [or less bad?] deal.
Statements 1 and 2 appear incompatible.
Painfully – not ‘joined-up government’!
Standard bollocks from our increasingly incompetent Civil service and information-poor ministers [and MPs] here in the UK.
And – in case of doubt – no, I am not getting one of these delusion-enhancing bits of control-kit.
Auto
I have used an OWL ENERGY MONITOR for the past five years to tell me all that a smart meter does. It cost about £25 then, and now costs about £34, which is much less than a smart meter costs to install, as well as having the advantage that I am in control of the information.
On a recent edition of Money Box (BBC R4 finance programme) they interviewed an academic expert in this area.
He said that the UK bill was supposed to £11 billion but that savings of £16 billion would result. I think that is over the (25 year?) lifetime of the meters. However that is based on a significant reduction in use, c. 10%. He said that real world experience (in the UK & abroad) shows that savings are actually more like 3% and so that they don’t cost in.
A main reason for this is that they are so broad brush, they just look at total household usage, so it is hard to see which of the, say, eight items currently plugged in is using most electricity. Hence they are a novelty that is used for a few weeks and then ignored.
When asked personally, he said that he would not have one installed.
There is a lot of evidence that these things do not work. I would put them in tomorrow if I thought that they did. Far better than going into the cellar and using a torch to check. I admire the UK government in its attempts to go digital, but everything I hear suggests that we are years behind France and other European neighbours. It so hurts to say that…
They do help though.
They eliminate the need for someone to go to your house on a monthly basis to “Read the meter” (does eliminate a few (100-200) jobs which ultimately affects rates)
They tell the Electric Company when your power goes out (even if you aren’t home) and someone is dispatched to investigate/correct the outage.
Multiple meters reporting outages helps the electric company determine the potential level of the outage (if they need to go to a Single Service, Fuse, Recloser or substation cutting patrol times and outage times)
They report usage every 15-30 minutes depending on the type of account.
They allow you to log into a website and view your usage profile.
Thanks. I have friends who say they give false readings, but I guess that this is not your experience?
Allan
I have not seen a meter reader for years, as I send all my readings online.
If people want them, they should pay the £400 cost of them, instead of expecting me and all other bill payers to fork out
Paul Homewood
Well said Paul, the expense of these idiotic bits of tech is ridiculous. I can buy a reasonable laptop PC for £400 and a Chinese Android mobile phone for £150, both of which are far superior to the technology in a smart meter.
Oh! except, of course, that a Chinese mobile phone won’t cut off your electricity and gas supply remotely.
They do have benefits, yes. However, they are not beneficial for the reasons they are advertised. They are beneficial to the efficiency of the electric company, but not significantly to energy use. The only problem that I have is that the utilities want us to pay extra for what is effectively their cost savings.
Bryan,
Exactly correct. We’ve had ‘smart’ meters here in northern California for over 15 yrs now, and all that you’ve mentioned is true. Our outages have decreased as well. The on-line monitoring is interesting, but the meter itself scrolls through 3 screens – total kwhrs used, current kw, and line voltage. So, I can turn on an appliance and go look at the meter to see the wattage it’s using.
They “help” violate your privacy from cushy seats in the convenience and comfort-controlled central office. For that, they have been “working” since tge early 1989s… It has only been in the last few years the power-mad set have had the chutzpah to cut locks, beat people up, or kidnap or further extort those who raise objections.
“So, I can turn on an appliance and go look at the meter to see the wattage it’s using.”
You can get a device that goes into the wall socket to do that and it will cost a few dollars, and won’t enable them to cut your power supply off remotely.
Just a paltry 11 billion pounds.
What a bargain!!!!
“They tell the Electric Company when your power goes out (even if you aren’t home) and someone is dispatched to investigate/correct the outage.”
Maybe. Thanks to some inept street refurbishing by my local municipality, we had several power outages last year. Each time, we had to work our way through the local power company’s (poorly implemented) automated phone system to report the outages. They were able to confirm the outage remotely once we roused intelligent life at the powerco and reported the problem.
I’m a bit hazy on where this 5-15% power saving is supposed to come from. Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
Also, it seems to me like remotely controllable smart meters will probably be yet another digital vulnerability to be exploited by hostile agents to harass individuals and/or cripple economies. Might be an OK idea if implemented by VERY smart people with a clear vision of the risks and gains. But is that what we’re dealing with?
One problem admitted by the companies, is that if you change supplier, your “Smart” meter may not work with your new supplier.
That’s not really true though. The meters and their installation are expensive and the consumers pay for them in their bills. That is far more than the cost of the people being replaced. And power outages are so uncommon as to be irrelevant in the UK. And I can already access a website to provide my readings.
They are also bigger than the old meters so won’t fit in the meter cupboard in my block of flats. Your power can be turned off remotely to try to deal with wind power induced grid crashes and avoid switching on all those diesel STOR installations. That would be annoying if you needed your Tesla for an important meeting in the morning, and clean underwear too perhaps. Also reports of fires from bad installation (possibly related to the size issue and having to move the tails).
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/4112372/bbc-investigates-smart-meters-safety-house-fires/
‘monthly basis’ – nobody ever comes to read the meter on a monthly basis. Been in my house 3 years and had one card left for electricity I think.
There are no benefits to having one so that is why they are not wanted. I have 2 wireless displays and as said above, the novelty soon wore off and they are in a box somewhere. If you don’t supply monthly readings – and my companies e-mail reminding me to send them – and get an estimated bill you are a moron. And not mentioned by the report is that they can facilitate variable charging as well as been turned off remotely. I saw somewhere a claim that they cost £200-300 but I think over £400 is nearer the mark.
Had 2 smart meters installed out of 3 properties recently. One seems to have helped a lot, without doing anything at all the quarterly consumption is now down to 2kWHr. They sent me a letter recently saying they need to visit and “ask me some questions”. I’m going to bake them a cake with salt instead of sugar and ask some questions of my own while they eat it.
“I’m a bit hazy on where this 5-15% power saving is supposed to come from. Sounds like wishful thinking to me.”
No money saving, just power saving. Electric utilities are regulated monopolies, with guaranteed rates of return. Should the people cut power usage 15%, rates will go up as needed to cover the difference.
It’s crass to push the main/only ‘advantage’ of smart meters as the elimination of estimated meter readings.
Estimated readings *always* catch up to reality, at the next formal reading. Energy supply companies’ estimation algorithms are relatively accurate.
UK consumers are misled by suppliers & proponents NOT mentioning the *major* reason for the roll-out is to enable peak time-of-day charges.
Just maybe the public is not a senile or unintelligent as these senile and unintelligent researchers seem to think.
And most people now log on to their supplier and type in their meter readings every month ! So no estimated bills and no need for a smart meter. I have done this for years. The one supposed benefit of these meters does not exist. More fool the government.
In most parts of the US, manual meter readings have gone the way of vinyl LP albums for 20 years or so. It’s only claim to fame is being able to cutoff your electricity when the provider wants to and it’s typically an all or nothing affair. There’s a whole ‘nother level to the game if you want to selectively cut off AC or an electric water heater.
Six months ago, the local electric utility sent notices with montly bills to all its customers that the smart meter program would be starting before long. In this case, in my USA area, it’s meant to provide a more accurate reading. Since I keep my old bills, I can compare August this year with August several years back, and I found in doing so that it does give a more accurate reading and my electric bill is lower in the summer by about $5/month. Not a huge savings, but five bucks is five bucks, right?
It probably helps that I haven’t required air conditioning for at least the past five years, maybe longer. The bill will go up when winter comes, because the furnace will be running, but when all I run is the fridge, computer, and a microwave, I should have an exorbitant electric bill.
So, I don’t know what the issue is, but if it saves me a bit of cash, that’s fine with me.
Sara. The same people in control of the meter read-outs can also, whenever they feel they can get away with it without too much public outcry, control the power supply to your metered building.
Big G controlled power company: Here you go, lady, a nice way to help you keep your power bills down.
Sara: Thank you! I like saving money.
{3 years later}
Power Company rep. (answering call): Big P saving the Planet one house at a timehowmayIhelpyou?
Sara (on phone with power company): What is going ON?! Why did my power go off — no one else on the block’s power is off?!
Power Company: Sorry, Ms. Sara. We have to turn off your power once you’ve reached your monthly allowance.
Sara: It — is — only — the — 10th — of — the — MONTH.
PC: C’est la vie. Try to use 1/3 of the power you usually use next month and you might make it to the 30th. *click*
Yes, yes, they can turn it off, now, but this makes it much easier to do — under the guise of “saving the planet.”
And (I think this is the last, lol): all they need to “shut it off” is to raise the rates high enough and make that “peak” time last long enough — you will shut it off (or, if you don’t pay, THEN, they will shut if off and they will have a “right” to). Old or frail or sickly? They. Don’t. Care. You can just enjoy freezing to death. “Cheers! Phil.” — Sickening.
They start doing that and they’ll have a riot.
Actually, if the power company did something that stupid, they’d get more bad publicity than you can imagine. Since it’s a publicly-traded stock, the bad – VERY VERY BAD – PR would drop their stock value in a heartbeat. They haven’t indicated any sort of “allowance” in any of the stuff I’ve been sent, and which I keep, so what you’re talking about is an entirely different matter, and sounds like a government-run utility, not a publicly-sold and traded stock company.
So, no, unless I don’t pay my bill (for which I’d get notices before being cut off) the notion that I’ve got an “allowance” doesn’t fly.
Sara:
1. The government “runs” the utility company via regulation.
2. The “allowance” is not a presently existing thing. It is made easier to impose by the smart meter.
3. The public is easily duped.
And do you think the meter and its installation cost less than $5?
I refused to have one. The very nice lady from the energy supplier told me how much money I would save. I asked her if I could bill her very nice company for my time and any time spent resolving problems. She said no, so I said no.
That is the issue: the meters only save you money if you spend time watching them – and a great deal of time if you want to make any real savings. My time has a value to it, and that value is far more than a few pennies an hour.
5% of my bill is around £50. That sounds like a lot, but is only £0.13/day. Thus any time I spend during a day checking the meter and then turning stuff off has to be worth less than say £0.03/hour (assuming a ten hour day). I’m pretty sure every hour is worth more than that to me!
It seems a funny premise…
If the lights are ON you are using energy, if the lights are OFF you are not using energy.
If twice as many lights are ON, you are probably using twice as much energy.
Does this really need a digital meter to help folks use less energy? It almost sounds insulting.
As the “benefit” is load shedding to make up for an unreliable grid, some advantage. This sort of thing is why the Brits should vote some people out.
They don’t have an alternative, it seems. In addition to homogenizing temperatures and seeing that it was good, they went ahead and homogenized the politics.
Exactly. I’ve been chucking Smart Meter spam in the bin for about eighteen months because the longer it takes to roll out, the longer it will be before ‘flexible’ pricing is feasible. I expect to be forced into it eventually but I don’t expect it to be to my advantage in the long term. I’m probably one of those “less educated” consumers.
You have done uncovered the real reason they want ’em installed. Raise the price during peak loads, drop it during off peak.
Unfortunately, they tend to forget the “drop prices” part.
I have had the meters fitted and my bills have gone down. I have not changed my life style or usage. My family have certainly not changed their habits. I believe my old meters were not working accurately and I was paying excessively high bills.
It’s now easy for the Goverement and supplier to say that the smart meters have helped to reduce my usage without making the slightest difference to my carbon hoof print.
This is just another massive waste of money.
If it’s digital it can probably be hacked. link Apparently hackers turned off the heating system of an apartment building in Finland. link
I don’t believe it’s possible to switch off either gas or electric. There is no mechanism on either meter that could do that.
I believe you are right that a malicious hacker could alter the readings but to what advantages?
The link says the meter is the gateway to all the IoT devices in the house. In that regard, infinite mischief is possible.
Also handy if you are a burglar wanting to know when your proposed victim is away from home.
CommieBob, that assumes that the house in question is entirely dependent on IT hookups for everything, including indoor temperature control and running the fridge. Mine is not. There are far more houses, and more old houses like mine in America than there are in Finland. A scare story like that doesn’t wash.
The question is not the age of the house but the age of the appliances. Over the next fifteen years you will probably replace most of your appliances, water heater, and furnace.
I recently replaced my 50+ year old furnace. I could have bought a furnace with wifi connectivity. I can assure you that I did not do so. The furnace guy thought I was cracked to worry about it but he has never been a hacker.
Did you know that cars can be hacked? The hackers don’t have to get physical access to your car, they can do it by remote control. link My car is too dumb to be hacked and I’m going to keep it that way as long as I can.
They didn’t turn up when they said they would. Problem solved 🙂
When government (with the support of academia) says, “Do it because its good for
you.”, followed by “Do it because we tell you to.” many folks balk at that approach.
Personally, I can identify with passive resistance to any government intrusion
into my home.
Today, it’s “smart meters” and prescription reminder apps; tomorrow, it’ll be implanted microchips and we’ll have all the personal autonomy of cattle on a feed lot. Plenty of lefties licking their chops.
I take it you’ve been watching “Logan’s Run” too many times.
Most people realise it is an enormous waste of money and primarily intended for demand management when the windmills stop.
I’ve never paid an estimated bill – always only what I’ve used by submitting a reading by phone/internet – and I don’t use any electricity that I don’t need to use.
I don’t need or want a smart meter, as it gives me nothing at all.
To get a reasonable price for gas and electricity you need to switch supplier regularly. The smart meter is currently used as a tool to chain you to a supplier because the meter has to be replaced if you switch. The government ruling that smart meters have to be of a standard configuration, that any supplier can use, have been put back. That is the reason that I won’t have one, but I haven’t checked to see if I am deluded, I could be completely wrong.
I don’t think competition is a feature of European energy culture.
Mate, it is here (UK). But the issue is what works
Once everyone has a smart meter ,&is saving 5-15%of previous energy use ,supply company income would fall . Thus as generating costs remain fixed (more or less)they will raise the tariffs to the customer .simples !,as well as all the forgoing scenarios.
Smart meters …. aim{} to help
people{ the government} betterunderstand{ control}their energy use.The main beneficiary: the installers (at a rate of 40,000 units per day thanks to contrived/mandated demand). Just like the solar sc@mmers. Disgusting.
The same spirit which energized her American colonies to say, “Enough!” is still alive in England today.
The same spirit that fought and persevered and stood firm and WON WWII is</b..
RESIST TYRANNY, O Great Britain!
Remember…… and NEVER SURRENDER!
4 June 1940.
He did not know that Great Britain would, in the end, prevail.
He only believed.
Don’t — give — up, dear liberty-loving British!
YOU ARE GOING TO WIN THIS FIGHT!
The Environ@zies have lost the war….. it is only a matter of time until they are heard of no more, swept out with the tide to sink down into the murky depths
where all the detritus of history lies,
forgotten.
In the meantime, dear United Kingdom: stand your ground.
Truth will win.
If the mod would be so kind, please add a > to close that bold, thanks!
Edit: “….. the installers and the meter producers (the Chinese — again?)
How sweet of you, Janet. Thank you.
But please don’t worry about my lack of hearing…my audiologists will tell you a wonderful new world of hearing awaits me with all the chicklet sized processors, magnets, coils, and cables installed in my head if only I would follow their instructions: Listen! Listen! Listen! What they don’t tell you is that if you relax from all that rehab listening for just a short time, the hard won progress disappears. I’m 74, retired, live alone, and aside from music and wind in the pines, I have no compelling need to invest the amount of time and energy required to sustain the level of hearing that the technology offers. I actually revel in the quiet forest I live in, don’t miss television, and furthermore don’t have the energy to bother with it all. You’d be surprised how easy it is to function without a telephone if you have email capability. I managed to settle my mother’s estate, sell her house after getting it appraised, and dealt with an insurance policy reroofing job…all of this in Arkansas. Those who can’t, or won’t, use email to communicate with me are by my lights simply out of luck. For me it’s a simple matter of costs vs. benefits.
I like to wear the implant processor when working with the chainsaw, just for safety’s sake. But I found the cabling between the external processor device and the magnet/coil attached to my scalp shorts out when I sweat, so that’s become impractical.
You may with my blessings instead pray for those others who may be in more dire need of hearing capabilities. The cochlear implant technology is available via medicare supplemented by a decent health insurance plan to cover out of pocket expenses. I was blessed to receive the device. It enables conversations with family and friends. I am by my own choice not utilizing it to its full capability.
p.s. My apologies to the mods and others for this long winded discourse on my hearing.
p.p.s. Thanks again to the commenters a few weeks back who addressed my concerns over EMP risks of the implant. I have the man-sized Faraday cage on my to-do list. I doubt it would be of much value in the event of a nucular attack unless I lived in it, which seems impractical.
Nice sentiments, Janice. Seems too late for some of us in California using PG&E. They swapped out the old meter “in the dead of night,” so to speak using contractors. I found a nice young feller on my deck fiddling with my meter…a strange unmarked truck in the drive, not PG&E. Before reaching for my shotgun, I engaged him in conversation. The essence of his explanation was he didn’t know diddly regarding my questions. The old meter was convenient for me to monitor things like the well pump cycling, etc., and one could determine usage by understanding all the little clocks. All I had to do was watch the rotor spin to know when my pump cut off, useful in a number of ways. The smart meter is just a dumb black box that flashes some useless numbers in comparison to the old meter.
I fully agree the real motive is CONTROL, and not by me.
Assisting trouble shooting in case of unscheduled outages might be the only useful application from my rural mountain perspective. My outages are few, and have been only of short duration, so perhaps something is working. But, I have to wonder if they really monitor down to the individual service level.
[I’m now functionally deaf and avoid the kind of phone maze I’d encounter if I tried to research these questions myself. A cochlear implant helps with face-to-face conversations, but I’m enjoying being “un-connected” otherwise.]
Well, it was a pleasure to “connect” with you, here T. O. Ed Brown. California is a VERY creepy state. I hope, hope, hope, HOPE that the UK still has enough fighting spirit to throw off the enviroprofiteers. In the end, truth will out, though — even in the communist state of CA. Just hard to watch the damage inflicted on the economy and in people’s lives in the meantime.
Those meter makers and installers are making $$ right along with that punk Musk — off the backs of taxpayers/power customers’. The game’s up at the federal level, though. heh, heh, heh.
Tesla stock fell significantly today. How sad — NOT.
Dear Mr. Brown,
I am so sorry! In my haste to reply, I forgot to tell you that I admire your spunk and wish you all the best as you soldier on in a world where loss of hearing makes the going at times very tough, indeed.
Hang in there. You are now on my prayer list (along with 3 other functionally deaf people) for help to cope (and for a miraculous healing, too — doesn’t hurt to ask. “You have not because you ask not.” James 4:2 🙂 ).
Sincerely,
Janice
P.S. I also admire your self-control. I grew up “out in the country.” If that man had walked onto our “farm,” I would have lost my temper and really laid into him with angry, stern, words.
I have no respect for Churchill. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, basically given his position at the Admiralty. He was a strong supporter of eugenics and supported the 1912 feeble minded persons act which, thankfully, *NEVER* passed in to law. The “great” war would have been very different if it had.
To what other potential uses can these eavesdropper technologies be put? Paranoia is not remote from reality anymore. Just knowing when I’m home and away is an obvious one. Depending on granularity, they may even surmise exactly what activities you have engaged in during a day. They make the power horribly expensive and then kindly give you a device to save on energy bills! Ideologues who unabashedly admit they intend to control you handing out gifts!
The numbnuts who conceived of them may not be thinking about such, but eventually someone will get a good idea on how to further invade your privacy you with such things.
Applause! (worth waiting for, 🙂 )
Yes, indeed. THIS point is the crux of the matter: the reason the power is so expensive that a smart meter is welcomed by some IS BECAUSE OF AGW FANTASY SCIENCE-BASED ENERGY POLICIES (i.e., rate surcharges to fund wind and solar sc@ms — also, no dams built and nuclear power plants built, etc.).
When I move house for the last time (in next two/three years) I won’t buy a house with a smart meter while I still have a choice.
It’s just an excuse to be able to charge more at peak times or even cut off supplies to a selection of customers to shed excess load while avoiding a backlash. It will be difficult to object if only 10% (say), of people in your area are affected.
SteveT
I don’t believe customers are confused, as is made out.
On the contrary they know exactly why these obscenely expensive things are being forced on them, and that is why most don’t want them
I have been offered by people at the door and on the phone one of these things and have explained to them why I don’t need nor want one. The people on the phone obviously aware that these calls are monitored “for training and security reasons” haven’t said too much against them but those at the door have often agreed with me.
They have also had reliability issues, The Daily Telegraph money section has dealt with quite a number of customers who had billing and supply issues
Gee mods, I don’t recall breaking a rule with my very apropos comment.
[No rules broken. Just an over-active WordPress filter system. Your comment was found and restored. Cheers. -mod]
Hang in there, Gary. On the bright side, NOW (smile), your comment has the added attraction (to readers here) of…. “Watch this space! Great things are coming soon!” 🙂
Janice. You are a cheery, but fierce defender of freedoms.
Thank you, Gary!
Sometimes, quite cheerful:
Sometimes, not so cheery — hahahah! 🙂
Smart meters have been in use in Ontario for a couple years now. As a retired person living at home year-round, the only way I can reduce my electricity bill is by doing the laundry (washer and electric dryer) after 7:00 pm or on weekends (when I used to do it anyway). Unless I cook (using an electric range or oven) after 7:00 pm weekdays. Not much choice at other times for turning on the LED lights (when it gets dark).
They seem to need GSM signal so no use here where there is no coverage at all.
Even if you have outdoor coverage it could be borderline indoors.
It would be better if they wasted money on filling all these notspots first.
I refused point blank to have one of these meters.
I told my energy supplier that if they tried to fit one, I would sue them for trespass and criminal damage.
No more phone calls since!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
Hip, hip, hooray!
I knew you people were still great!
Cheering you on from across the sea,
Janice
At the moment, it is entirely your decision whether to have a smart meter fitted, however if it became mandatory your threat to sue for trespass would fail because utility companies have right of access to private premises, and can break down your door if you don’t co-operate.
“Peter Plail September 19, 2017 at 4:29 pm ”
It’s called a “statutory right of entry” and has been around for a very long time. Esther Rantzon in the 70’s ran a skit about it.
They replaced my 50 year old meter the other day.
I asked if it was a smart meter, guy said NO.
Did I have to pay for it? NO.
No problem. 🙂
As regards paying for smart meters – you already pay, the cost of the program goes on all bills, you can’t opt out of paying for it – only actually having it (at the moment!).
But of course you paid for it. Who else did? And why should anybody else pay for it?
Energy supplier ‘trespass’ – good luck with that in the UK, they can pretty much break in at will with impunity, if they suspect theft, safety, or just want to ‘inspect’ – like you I am holding out, but as soon as they become mandatory, they will be allowed to break in to fit them!
I;m intrigued by the theme that general public is so stupid that can’t see what a great idea smart meters are, and better communication is needed. Sort of like better communication of CAGW / CCC is needed so the general public will realize the existential threat.
And I love Dr Kirsten Jenkins title – Research Fellow in Energy Justice and Transitions at the University of Sussex. Is that for real? Is this your tax pounds at work?
It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the society I live in is beyond parody. I find myself almost wishing for some sort of cataclysm to flush away ‘jobs’ such as Dr. Jenkins’. I despair that my taxes are helping to fund her 🙁
One of the advantages of the old analog meter is that you could run the meter backwards if you could generate your own electricity, and truly net meter your own house. The old meter didn’t care or know which way the electrons were going, although you had to be careful not to confuse the meter maid if your next months meter reading were going backwards and they suddenly owed you money. Then the computer or someone may be taking a closer look at your account. Some may remember this ‘guerrilla metering’ back in the day before utilities were actually approving formal net metering. Perhaps this is one small reason why utilities are moving towards smart meters.
One of the things I actually do agree with now, is time of day pricing. Electricity is another commodity or product that should have its value set by demand. If I want to do my laundry or dishes at peak time when everyone else has their oven on at 6 pm, then I don’t mind paying more since I can schedule the laundry or dishwasher to do its thing at midnight, which is when the grid has more of a surplus. I realize many people won’t agree with me on this, but if you think about it and realize that peak demand is what costs utilities in building capacity for both peak power production and grid availability, then your basic cost of electricity is going to rise to be able to meet peak demand from 3 – 9 Pm every day for everyone. Pricing for demand is only good capitalism at its finest. And it does make for a more stable grid with less brownout.
The smart meter is just a digital meter with a clock, and can hook into the internet of things. It doesn’t save you any money unless you get smart and check and see what appliances and devices are costing you money and adjust your electrical habits to get the best bang for your buck by adjusting your living habits to match your wallet.
“your basic cost of electricity is going to rise to be able to meet peak demand from 3 – 9 Pm every day for everyone.”
That’s an accurate description of the situation now, but in a few years time when we’ve all been forced in to electric cars the peak demand will be over night as the cars are recharging. If your smart meter shuts you off because your supplier needs to manage demand you’ll start the next day as a pedestrian.
So should the wealthy bloke who has a hot tub and swimming pool heated by the mains, get his electricity at the same rate at peak times when all the poor people are cooking supper? Assuming that the price is the same all day for everyone… Perhaps non essential loads like this example, including the electric clothes drier and other high consumptive loads at peak times should be charged higher prices so that people modify their usage habits so that the grid is operational at supper time for everyone.
In other jurisdictions around the world, they have what is called Tier 1 and Tier 2 pricing. The first 500 Kw/hrs for the month are charged a base rate so that essential things to live can be mostly met and the additional amount over the 500 Kw/h gets charged a premium, so that the poor are not gouged by their minimum use of electricity. This would be fair to the argument of gouging the poor for cooking supper at supper time.
I get it, and realize that different countries have different types of smart meters to charge and change consumer behaviour. But I think people also have to understand that if everyone wants equal demand to electricity at any time for no additional cost, then the grid won’t work. This sounds a bit like NIMBYism that some people just think they should have equal access to consume as much electricity at peak times with no price differential regardless of the effect on the electricity generator or the grid infrastructure.
I can schedule the laundry or dishwasher to do its thing at midnight,…
If everyone does that….it’s no longer off peak
Yup..that’s the whole point. The more we can level the grid so that we don’t have huge surges in demand for 3-4 peak hours a day (morning and night) and then a substantial drop in demand all night, then the utility that is producing the power and the grid operator have a chance to operate at the most efficient level. Which in the end, at least in theory, should make both the utility/grid more profitable which is good for shareholders, and should also keep the electricity rates the lowest possible for consumers. Or at least competitive.
Yes earthling, that’s all well and good, but people are still going to want a hot shower before they go to work while the shirt is in the tumble-dryer because they forgot about it the night before.
The available savings are limited, and it all still needs a guaranteed supply. Who and what is the guaranteed supplier? Not wind. Not solar. The value of 24 hour, fossil-fueled, electricity 365 days a year is much underestimated by those who haven’t had to live without it. (That doesn’t include the several billion poor of the world who would dearly love to have affordable electricity.)
Earthling, you’re assuming that wind, sun and tides are also co-operating.
I agree about giving the power generator and the grid operator the chance to operate at the most efficient level.
However, the “problem” of “surges in demand” is not a real problem as the scheduling of predictable surges is comparatively easy. The problem is unexpected surges (rare), or more correctly, the failure of renewables to produce when the wind suddenly stops or is gusty.
The renewable electricity system is a duplicate system that doesn’t work 24/7. All its costs are extras, because the traditional systems can provide reliable power.
It does require expensive connections and management to keep it synchronised etc. It cannot respond to changes in demand and because of the priorities given by government mandate it makes traditional generation more expensive (ramping up and down) and removing opportunity to lower overall cost by running 24/7.
Without all the money wasted on these unnecessary renewables the price of electricity could return to somewhere near the traditional level. If they still require mandates and subsidies after all this time they are obviously as obsolete as the windmills of olden days.
Carbon dioxide is not the problem, its the people making money from it.
SteveT
SteveT…Yes, I agree totally that intermittent renewables are part of the problem in this discussion. It doesn’t make sense that such a sporadic energy source as wind should displace base load generation, and penalize that base load by making it throttle its capacity up and down like a yo-yo making that generation source inefficient and if it is fossil fuel base load, then producing more actual CO2 from inefficiencies. You just destroyed the ‘carbon’ reduction of the wind mills, while doubling the price of the electricity with more expensive renewables.
A stable grid should probably never have more than 20%-25% intermittent supply connected, otherwise risks becoming a brown out scenario, if not a black out when base load supply cannot match demand real time. If the role of the smart meter in this scenario is to load shed to match the demand supply balance, then obviously the politics of CO2 has gone bizarre. And it has, in some jurisdictions. Just look at SA, where they actually destroyed much of their base load generation and now are going to try and replace that with a Tesla 100 Mw grid battery. Let’s see how that works out this upcoming summer in Oz.
My point that electricity has different price value based upon time of day demand that also assists in keeping the entire grid stable is just common sense if one understands how our electricity infrastructure works. Perhaps a better simplistic analogy would be water, if every house only had a 1/2″ pipe feeding it, and if everyone twice a day, morning and night, all wanted unlimited water volume and pressure at once, and well, I think you get the idea. The same should be applicable for the bloke down the road with the hot tub and swimming pool who also wants cheap electricity at 6 Pm. I am sure he would soon put a timer on his water heater between 4 Pm – 8 Pm if he is paying double at peak times. Most of these issues are easy to fix with simple technology, while not inconveniencing ourselves to death.
I know there’s vey little worth watching on TV these days, but how sad do you have to be to spend your evenings watching your electricity meter?
I liked the comment in the report; “Consumer confusion and even resistance to the programme …….. is especially true when it comes to vulnerable classes of people, such as the elderly and those less educated”. They tried the “less educated” line during the Bexit campaign and lost, but at least they haven’t gone to American terminology and called us “deplorables”.
Arrogant doesn’t even begin to describe them.
Well, this deplorable will. You Brits that don’t glom on to smart meters (for sure enabling future electicity rationing when renewables fail) are just deplorable. Welcome to the deplorables club.
BTW, I am a rather exotic deplorable, since three Harvard degrees failed to fix my deplorableness.
I recall an old (1970’s) Monty Python sketch where they had live coverage of traffic from the bridge over a motorway (“freeway” to US audiences). I thought it the height of good comedy at the time that there was either a seller or buyer for live TV coverage of cars moving on roads.
Yet it took only two or three decades for such camera shots to become a regular part of ‘breakfast-time’ TV.
Where will it end? I dunno.
The paper to which this article links is hilarious, although I can’t tell whether it’s deliberately ironic, or just very naive. Whichever it is, it makes it clear that the benefits to consumers are minor and spread over a long period; the upfront direct costs to consumers are high; the technology is not particularly reliable; the technology may make it harder to switch energy suppliers; and there are reasonable concerns about personal privacy and the ulterior motives of those pushing this technology.
I can add that the advertising appears to be aimed at 5 year olds and is misleading about the costs and benefits,
Sadly UK energy policy is a joke, hardly surprising given the lightweights and in at least one case criminals, who run or have run it in the last 10-15 years.
I absolutely love that Subway wall advert.
‘It’ll save you money because, unlike the electric company in your granddads time, we don’t bother to read your meter and just guess at how much you used. And we aren’t very good at it.’
~¿~
I love this website! It is so stimulating. Lots of topics and lots of good comment. And it’s a lot of fun, too. 🙂
Thanks Anthony, for making this an excellent forum for discussion.