[LINK] The Smart Meters are coming to get us!

[Dr Bob Jansen]

Mike,
Although I agree in principle with your views, if my memory serves me correctly, the Victorian experience is that most if not all bills increased with the introduction of smart meters. I am sure, not all these people ran aircon all day so they, like me, do not fit into your criteria. Still, the papers this morning discussed the fedgov report and stated that smart meters would make things cheaper. That does not appear to be the general evidence at all. 

I found the best thing in our new factory building was me installing a power meter on the meter box and seeing, in realtime, power usage. That started me thinking more about what was on and off and changed my behaviour. The app that came with the meter is very useful in displaying long term trends. what it showed was an initial downward trend as I became more familiar with what power was being used and turning things off, until now a steady state has been achieved. From my experience though, I would still expect my bill to increase even after I have done all I could to reduce usage. 

The only option is to go fully solar and off grid. I wonder what the power companies are thinking about the population going off grid as the prices for this technology decrease to become viable? I have been experimenting with a trial system which is a battery powered system which charges up from the mains overnight. The next step is to add a solar panel to change during the day and then only rely on the mains when necesary. Not fully off grid but as best as I can think of. Want to bet that the per KwH rates will increase  and they redefine peak period, if this becomes the norm? A bit like the banks offering free internet banking and then when the majority of customers cross over, begin to charge for it.

Also, I seem to remember that a fedgov report indicated that all this investment in infrastructure, to save us from blackouts, was not essential and in fact a response to a pricing environment that rewarded such spending even if not required.

Then again, I am an old man on drugs and maybe I just need to take more drugs!

Bobj

Dr Bob Jansen
Turtle Lane Studios
PO Box 26 Erskineville NSW 2043 Australia
Ph: +61 414 297 448
Skype: bobjtls
http://www.turtlelane.com.au


On 18/10/2012, at 13:32, "Michael Skeggs mike at bystander.net" <mskeggs at gmail.com> wrote:

> On 18 October 2012 12:56, Dr Bob Jansen <bob.jansen at turtlelane.com.au> wrote:
>> My experience in Sydney with smart meters in our last place (a converted factory building) is that my bill went up. So I find the claim that smart meters will help to reduce our bills 'interesting'. I noticed that the peak time tariff was the killer. It's difficult turning things off during peak times cause that's why they are called peak times. In off peak, things were simpler because, basically, off peak means sleep time amd hence things are off by definition.
>> 
>> Just another way to screw the consumer.
>> 
>> When will this focus on the bottom line and increasing yearly profits stop? After I'm dead maybe?
>> 
> 
> As somebody who has seen my power bill grow substantially to pay for
> the network expansion needed to cater to peak use, I don't have a lot
> of sympathy.
> I would much rather have regulated time of use metering across the
> board, with pricing set independently (acknowledging this would be
> next to impossible in reality) than customers who run the air-con at
> full tilt on hot day peaks because they pay the same per kWh any time.
> Regards,
> Michael Skeggs