YOUR UTILITY NIGHTMARE NANNY - SMART METERS

A new product hits the market.  You hear the hype.  It's the greatest thing since sliced bread.  It's an Iphone, or a Cuisinart food processor, or On Star for your car.  Whatever the new product is, it is supposed to make your life easier and take away all of your work and worries.  At the risk of sounding like that guy they called the "unibomber" who hated technology, I have a gadget for you that is not going to make your life easier.  In fact its true intention is to make your life miserable....unless of course you are the strange type of person who wants someone else to make all of your decisions for you. 

Why would the Federal government grant millions and millions of our tax dollars to companies to develop Smart Meters for utilities, water, electric, and gas?  And then spend more millions on propaganda to tell us we must stop or reduce using fossil fuels and water?  And then spend more millions of dollars to set up regional bureaucratic boards under the "Sustainable Communities Initiative," boards that are designed to regulate water use, land use, and fuel use in these extra-jurisdictional regions? Why?

You get two correct answers on this one.  

#1.  Large utility corporations, most of whom already have monopolies,  are making deals with the  Federal government (using our tax dollars) that will allow them to sell less of their products at higher prices.  

#2. Our Federal government has made deals with the UN and third world nations, promising that the U.S. will stop and reduce using resources for our prosperity and well-being. 

If you replied with either or both of those answers, BINGO!  You win the prize.  (I don't actually have a prize to give you except for an "atta boy, " but I'll give you that!)

The premise for this assumes you actually still own or rent a house and run appliances such as an HVAC system, a refrigerator, a washer and dryer, a coffee pot, a hair dryer, etc.  These modern devices have made our lives better by large degrees.  We are no longer having to use wash-boards and our knuckles to wash our clothes. (My knuckles are very grateful, no doubt about that!)  We can dry our hair quickly in order to get to work on time.  We don't have to haul water from the river or a well to take a bath.  We are extremely more productive because we have climate control of our homes and work spaces. 

Oh, no...we can't have that, now can we!!  Especially if the rest of the world is not as capable of doing all of those things.  Why, we must be evil monsters to be heating and cooling our homes in a practical and efficient way, while the rest of the world doesn't.  Envy is a powerful tool.  Technology can be a huge blessing.  Or it can be used as a curse and a weapon against you.

The utility companies are putting out some massively seductive propaganda for Smart Meters.  If you know what the ultimate outcome will be, the propaganda is truly laughable.  If you don't know what it really is, you are going to swallow it, hook, line, and sinker. 

Here is what Duke Energy is saying:

To understand how this will happen, start with the fact that your home's new digital meter will let information flow back and forth between your home and Duke Energy. That means information about your energy use will be transmitted in near-real time and available to you through your home computer, your smart phone or technology such as a home energy manager. As a result, you won't have to wait for a monthly bill to check on your usage. Instead, you'll be able to monitor your previous day's usage and, if you want, modify the ways you and your family are using electricity to better control costs. How you use the information is completely up to you – and only you, since the new grid gives consumers, not utility companies or the government, more power over energy choices.

Better control over your energy use and costs is just one of the advantages the  modernized grid will offer almost immediately. Another includes greater reliability throughout the entire power distribution network helping both prevent and pinpoint power outages in events such as storms. In addition, the modern day  grid will mean that Duke Energy representatives will no longer need to enter homes or come onto your property to read meters. Occasionally, we may need to have access to the meter for routine maintenance, but we'll let you know before we arrive. And the new technology will make flexible billing and payment options available to many.

If you believe all of that, I have a bridge in Arizona to sell you.  First of all, there are several canards in there.  I already have a meter that is read by remote from a truck that drives around and reads my meter from the street.  So there is no need for the meter reader to come into my property, or yours, anyway.  The utility company doesn't have a problem pinpointing problem areas now when there is an outage.  So the Smart Grid / Meters don't make any special improvements on that score.  As you can see from the first sentence, they mean to have real time information flowing back and forth between your house or business to their equipment, monitored by them.  And they are regulated by the government.   Who do you think wants that information and why?  

Do you really want to spend time every day monitoring your watts per hour?  Is that how best your time can be spent?   You aren't busy enough already?  A monthly bill isn't good enough for you?  Hmmm...it's good enough for me.  I frankly don't envision spending my time micromanaging, hour by hour, what my energy, water, and gas usage is.  But they will.  Trust me.

In the future, the new grid will mean you can track exactly which appliances and equipment are costing you the most in energy use, letting you make changes to save on costs. Plus you'll be able to program your heating and cooling system, dishwasher, water heater and other appliances for greater efficiency. The technology  will  let you control your thermostat and appliances remotely and even alert you when you're approaching your own designated monthly energy budget.

 

The plan involves some really fun aspects to control your life.  This includes charging higher rates for "peak" time use.  It also includes allowing the utility company to regulate your appliances and thermostat.  Yes it does!  My son is currently living in Finland.  He tells me the thermostat goes to 72 degrees....period.  He asked someone about it.  They said, "That's what you get." "No more."  The high outside temperature there today is 28 degrees. I cannot attest to the efficiency of the HVAC system in his home.  (He is on assignment for the Air Force.)

When they talk about programming your appliances for greater efficiency...what that means is this:  If you turn on your dishwasher, your refrigerator energy automatically reduces to accommodate the dishwasher.  If you turn on the shower, using your hot water heater?  Your HVAC system shuts down until you finish your shower.  Wonder how the rest of the folks in the house will like that?  Hmmmm...

Oh, did I mention that appliance manufacturers want to buy this information from the utility companies?  And that the utility companies will be making money selling that information to appliance manufacturers....without your permission, by the way?  So then you can be inundated with appliance manufacturers and retail outlets bombarding you with sales pitches on replacing your appliances, telling you your appliances are not up to date enough and you must buy new ones that talk back to the Smart Meter the utility company just put on your home and business.  

Yep, Smart Meters are just great!  Can't wait til everyone is hooked up on those babies. 

Did I mention there are serious high radiation / health concerns that come with that Smart Meter installation?  And the occasional fires caused by Smart Meters?  And your power, water, and gas can be shut down by remote by the provider....or a hacker?  And that this doesn't save you a dime, but makes buckets and buckets of money for utility companies?

This is not the Nanny you want taking care of you, friends.   This would be called the NIGHTMARE NANNY. 

(Note: I have written Duke Energy and the Public Utilities Commission in my state and told them, in no uncertain terms, that I refuse to have a Smart Meter placed on my home.  I have placed a label on my electric meter saying NO SMART METER!  My advice:  If you have any energy left after all of the onslaught against our personal liberties that we are experiencing, start yelling loud and clear to your city, county, state, and utility providers that you will NOT accept a Smart Meter on your home or business. It is going to take a massive backlash from all of us to stop this dangerous insult to our liberties.) 

Here are some links to labels and information for you:

Refuse Smart Meters

Another from Refuse Smart Meters

Printable Label Here

No Smart Meters.org

SMART GRID FOR WHOSE BENEFIT?

Maybe I have control issues. I like to control my own life decisions based on as much factual information I can gather. I don't like having other people control me or attempt to control me. I don't give other people permission to control me. I am my own person. I would like to think that you are your own person and that you have no interest in controlling me. You can persuade me with facts, not spin or innuendo or flat out lies. Well, that's my psychology tip for today, but that is also the crux of the Smart Grid issue.

The premise for Smart Grid technology and Smart Meters is not, as you have been taught to believe, protecting the environment. It is also not about the scarcity of energy supplies. The premise of Smart Grid technology is: How can we create a device that intervenes in the lives of the most people and capitalize on that with control over them and use their money to do it? By appealing to the energy industry with promises of selling less energy while at the same time making more money, the Progressives and Environmentalists have joined forces to create a non-existent crisis in order to suit all of their mega schemes of; controlling people, reducing energy usage, and the myth of "healing the planet," all at the same time. Believe me, the only thing that will NOT come out of this is the "healing of the planet" part. You do not need to starve people of the energy they need to survive in order to "heal the planet." And the planet is not sick by the way, no thanks to Al Gore who makes me sick every time he speaks.

The United States has seen rationing before. During WWII many commodities were rationed to support the war effort. This is different. This is not war. And this is not desperation due to some dire circumstance. Smart Grids are not about rationing for a real cause, but for a fictional construction made expressly for the purpose of controlling people and their lives. Why do I say this?

Read AL FIN today
"There are more than 350 billion tons of recoverable U.S. coal reserves - equivalent to an estimated 800 billion barrels of oil, compared to Saudi Arabia's proven reserves of 260 barrels."

Read that again. And if that is not enough for you or you hate coal, read this:

"Environmental Benefits: Combining the Coal-to-Liquids (CTL) and Biomass-to-Liquids (BTL) processes, Accelergy removes 20% of the CO₂ emissions associated with standard refining methods, resulting in cleaner fuels that reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions and enabling use of higher efficiency engines."

While serious engineers and scientists are very busy saving us from energy starvation and from pollution, our government is busy subsidizing energy starvation through Smart Grid equipment designed to monitor and control our energy use. This is not some conspiracy nonsense. It's right there out in the open for all to see.

Over in Italy, 85% of homes are equipped with Smart Meters.
"Meanwhile, the introduction of smart meters has given Enel customers greater control over their energy bills. Typically, the meter is installed in a convenient place in the home -- say, in a kitchen cupboard or the laundry room. When electricity prices are high, for instance during the peak evening period or on cold winter nights, the smart meter informs household members of higher rates, allowing them to alter their habits (such as postponing a load of laundry until the next morning) to avoid big charges. Analysts figure that attentive Enel customers have been able to cut their bills by as much as one-half by keeping close tabs on energy prices and usage."

God forbid anyone crank up the heat on a cold winter night or toss in a load of laundry when they are home off work. Heaven forbid people use their kitchen during normal eating hours. No, the spinmeisters are telling you this gives you, the customer, "greater control over your energy bill." Isn't that nice? You can eat dinner at three a.m. Or you can go to bed with 5 quilts over you in the winter and do nothing until spring. And when do you do laundry? I guess that must be two p.m. in the afternoon while you are at work. Or maybe two a.m. in the middle of the night, just before you turn on your stove to eat your three a.m. dinner? Just make sure your schedule coincides with the non peak hours or your wallet will be skinned and you will be sent to the poor house. And who do you think this hurts the most? The poor and the elderly. BUT, I'm sure the government will step in and subsidize those folks with your money, so you can pay twice for you energy...both for yours and theirs.

So let's see. The government creates energy starvation by refusing to allow drilling, fracking, refining, or nuclear power plants. Then the government says there is a crisis of not enough energy. Voilá! The government then subsidizes energy companies to create Smart Grid technology. By golly, then the government forces everyone to use Smart Grid technology. Then, when the poor and elderly can't afford the increased rates to pay for the now higher cost energy, the government steps in and makes everyone pay again for those who can't. You pay for the subsidies of both the poor and the energy companies, AND the higher energy rates. The energy companies just got wealthier. The government became more powerful. And you, well...you just got poorer and less in control of your own life. When, if the government had stayed out of it in the first place, there would be no need for anyone to go through any of this.

Recommendations such as this one below should give you some idea of how fast they want to hook you up: Spiegel International Business

"With so many smart meters to be installed in the near future, Enel's Gallo figures other utilities can learn a lot from the Italian experiment. First of all, he recommends that companies roll out the technology as quickly as possible. Instead of gradual installation, a whirlwind program, often in just three or four years, helps achieve a fast return on investment. That may involve higher up-front costs, but it gives utilities quick access to consumer data and greater control over their energy network, which can lead to ancillary cost savings. "In the long run, it's more efficient than installing smart meters over a decade," says Gallo. "

Folks....they already have consumer data by the month. Now they need it immediately? And by the hour? In real time??

This data gathering is a problem for me. I understand the capture of data on my energy use one time at the end of the month for billing purposes. I do not understand any necessity for capturing my data in real time all day long. And how many folks will be privvy to that data? How many house break-ins will be possible because of that data. How easy is that data hacked? Plus, it costs X amount of money to create the energy per Kilowatt hour. X cost does not change from one hour to the next. Why does the energy company want to charge more for certain hours and less for others? Demand? Well, demand does not change the X cost of creating the energy. So, someone tell me why that is not gouging to charge more during hours when usage increases? This is the same theory being bounced around to charge drivers more for driving during rush hour. Excuse me, but the road and the gasoline costs are the same no matter when you are driving, so ...anyway, you get what I mean. Why don't we charge people more for consuming milk in the morning because that is when most people put milk on their cereal? Good grief!

No one is mentioning that this "Grid" becomes a mark for terrorists or for sabotage. No one is mentioning the dangers of government accessibility to your personal energy usage data or government controlling the Grid. Once you are hooked up, you are vulnerable to anyone who wants to flip a switch, bribe you, or do whatever they want.

So I guess I have control issues. Do you? Or are we just frogs sitting in the tepid water while the heat keeps being turned up little by little?

And for my local readers....here come's Duke Energy with Smart Meters right at us. Smart Meters Contract with Duke Energy 17,000 Smart Meters installed in Charlotte
We have already subsidized them through the Stimulus Bill of 2009. Isn't that nice?
Duke has also applied for $200 million in Department of Energy smart grid stimulus grants, which it said could help it install them about two years faster than otherwise planned (see Smart Grid Stimulus Applications at $2.85B and Counting).



I posted in Dec. 2010 on this subject