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

Marghanita da Cruz marghanita at ramin.com.au
Fri Oct 19 17:18:57 AEDT 2012


Michael Skeggs mike at bystander.net wrote:
<snip>
> The cost of grid power for me is getting up to near 30c per kWh inc
> GST, so at 10kWh per day about $1100 p.a. All this suggests the grid
> still has some life in it, but it off-grid is getting more viable. 10
> years ago the same calculation would have been absurd.
> For me, the interesting point is that if power prices go up a bit
> more, and solar panel and battery prices fall a bit more, the
> infection point will be reached and the utilites' economics that rely
> on everyone being connected will start to break down.
<snip>

The main cost of grid power is the connection fee. The proportion
of your grid electricity charges you can influence is too small. This
encourages/subsidises high energy use and discourages energy efficient
design/product selection.

Government policies which enabled wider takeup of Solar (perhaps even
through incentives for Energy companies to lease roof space). Energy
shaping (capped/shaped consumption), through smart controls and circuits
and a National Grid with Solar/Wind/Hydro/Landfill Methane would also help.

We really need more qualified electricians - perhaps even electricare.

My pet topic is do we need such a large fridge - we should be comparing
total energy use not just efficiency. Models are a bit out of date, but you
should get the idea - smaller fridges use less energy (and waste less food).
<http://www.ramin.com.au/eco-sydney/carbon.shtml#fridge-elec-use>

These kinds of schemes may also help
<http://www.fridgebuyback.com.au/>

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
Ramin Communications (Sydney)
Website: http://ramin.com.au
Phone:(+612) 0414-869202
---
Eco-Annandale 2012 on the Theme of Energy
http://ramin.com.au/annandale/eco-annandale-2012








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