Smart Meters

[Bird]

See post #16 at Smart Meters ....

And of course that post #16 has a link to the "study" and the first paragraph should tell all you need to know. They didn't even have "smart meters" when that study started, but there are plenty of other electric and magnetic fields.

 

[KTurner]

And of course that post #16 has a link to the "study" and the first paragraph should tell all you need to know. They didn't even have "smart meters" when that study started, but there are plenty of other electric and magnetic fields.

Yea. That study made me wonder about something though. They're talking about one milligauss making a significant difference in the likelihood of getting asthma. Well, at the surface, the earth's magnetic field is about 500 milligauss. And that probably hasn't changed very much over our lives. Why don't we all have asthma?

Even if you assume everything stated in the study is the absolute truth, the vast majority of people are probably getting more exposure from their mobile phone in a few days than they'd get from a smart meter in a year. That's just a WAG on my part, but think about it. The transmitters are roughly the same power. And one of them stays at some remote corner of your house while they other one stays probably 1/2" from your body almost all the time.

I really don't have an opinion on the smart meters themselves. But, the govt turning these citizens into criminals instead of just cutting off their power? That just aint right.

Keith

 

[dave1949]

I'm pretty sure the utility has a legal right to access their equipment on your land. When we put power in, there was a required easement agreement stating that. It is simply a condition of having power supplied to your home.

Like most other business transactions, we don't get to tell the business, how to run their business. If we don't like it, we are free to not do business with them. How is the electric utility any different, and why would anyone expect it to be?

It's true that the electric utility has a state PUC-controlled monopoly to supply that service, but it's hard to see the sense or safety of multiple power distribution networks that would allow you to choose one over another. And, there is no guarantee you would have multiple choices even if it were allowed. It really doesn't matter to this meter issue, they would all require the same easement in any case.

 

[Bird]

I really don't have an opinion on the smart meters themselves. But, the govt turning these citizens into criminals instead of just cutting off their power? That just aint right.

We might be in the minority with that opinion:laughing:, but I agree. If you don't want a product a store offers, or you don't want that product in the packaging the store offers, the store (provider) isn't required to change. You can take it or leave it. I think the same should be true for the electric company. If people don't want their electricity delivered, metered, measured in the way the electric company provides it, they can buy their own generator.

Of course I imagine every state has some kind of public utility regulating authority, so if the electric company is actually doing something dangerous or illegal, then the customer has some recourse by contacting that state agency.

 

[Bird]

Dave, apparently you typed faster than I did.:laughing:

 

[houstonscott]

The whole reason for smart meters are so someday down the line the government can know and control your usage. Wake up. It has nothing to do with service or efficient control of the grid. Its to control your service someday. In the end they want control of your thermostat.

HS

 

[dave1949]

Dave, apparently you typed faster than I did.:laughing:

Morning Bird. Not by much

 

[dmccarty]

Here's what I'm wondering. Ok, so they refused the smart meters, for whatever reason. What makes that criminal? That just seems like a very strange part to this story. If I have a standing contract to clean your gutters and one day you decide to stand in your front yard saying don't trespass on my property, our contract is over. I can't arrest you, but I have no way to continue providing service.

Keith

The two had interesting charges:

Malia "Kim" Bendis of the 2200 block of Mercer Court was charged with two misdemeanors attempted eavesdropping and resisting a peace officer.

Jennifer Stahl of the 1400 block of Westglen Drive, received two ordinance violation citations interfering with a police officer and preventing access to customer premises.

I get the resting and interfering charges. The eavesdropping charge is interesting. I assume she was video taping or recording the incident. If that is true, that charge is questionable. The preventing access charge is interesting as well. Sounds like the state has a law that allows Joe to be charged from preventing utility access to Sue. I would like to see those statutes.

If the women had refused the new meters, it seems to me that the city should have just pulled the meters until the woman decided she would rather have power. I don't get the pushing of the new meter onto the home. Seems like the simplest thing to be would have been to cut off power and walk away. I wonder if there is a state rule/law that prevents the cut off if the home was paying the bill. If so, the city had to send in an employee with a meter and an officer for protection.

There is much in the link that is missing but should have been asked.

Interestingly, I surfed into an Orlando news site this morning and saw that there are people down there complaining about the smart meters. No arrests though.

Later,
Dan

 

[doxford jim]

The whole reason for smart meters are so someday down the line the government can know and control your usage. Wake up. It has nothing to do with service or efficient control of the grid. Its to control your service someday. In the end they want control of your thermostat.

HS

What he said and more. Who knows what the utility is monitoring and for what reason ? It is a definite invasion of privacy. I pay to use kWh - how and when I use them is no one elses business.
The crap about efficiency if use is just that cr*p - they have ulterior motives and are not about to divulge them to the public.
Thx

 

[kenmac]

I have these on both, gas meter and power meter. The device on the gas meter is a little different. Gas person drives vehicle down the road. The device on the gas meter sends a signal to the truck