What's the fuss about Smart Meters?

[PingSpike]

I've got a beef about smart meters. My old meter is inside a custom wood box with door that covers it on the front of my house. They came and installed the new smart meter and it was larger than the old one so the door doesn't shut now. Then they just drove off and said fuck it, can't see it from my house. Well fuck you. Fuck you assholes. Fuck your not fitting smart meter. I don't have time to rebuild and repaint that god damn thing and I shouldn't have too.

 

[Imp]

If you really want to spite the power company and not be forced to use their meters anymore, go off-grid.

 

[zCypher]

If I was to worry about RF radiation it's not the end devices like cells or meters I'd worry about, those operate in the mw range. It's the towers, which operate in the watt range that would be doing the damage. Some FM/AM radio towers also put out radiation in the Kw range. There was a post a while back about this one station that was so powerful it lit up people's light bulbs! I think it was in the Mws. If that did not kill people I doubt our little cell phones will.

I suppose we can't outright reject RF being bad for us though, but I would imagine there are plenty of studies done on it and if there was some health issues we'd know from reliable sources such as scientists. I think most studies have shown that it's not bad for us.

Though, wifi and lot of stuff operate on the same frequency as microwave ovens, so I suppose that is food for thought.... or thought for food, if it's cooking our brains. Microwave ovens are also like 1500 watts in a sealed box.

Enjoy your radiation death ray pulses!!

 

[darkewaffle]

I once got a multimeter to check out some of our appliance draws around the house, my mom saw it and got all paranoid like "That's not a smartmeter... is it? You know what they say those do?"

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Where's Stewox at?

 

[Imp]

I once got a multimeter to check out some of our appliance draws around the house, my mom saw it and got all paranoid like "That's not a smartmeter... is it? You know what they say those do?"

Did you ask, "what?"

 

[Kaido]

Funny...I just saw a smart meter collection truck this morning. It was a smaller SUV with some antenna boxes on it, I had never seen one before. The equipment didn't look very well-mounted as far as weatherproofing goes (unlike say police cars with their antennas & plate collector cameras & whatnot).

 

[John Connor]

Thankfully you can just buy your own cable modem and avoid all of that (and avoid the $8 per month rental fee).

That's very true. I have all three services and rent the voice capable modem so I'm not sure if I could get a voice capable modem on my own.

 

[Newell Steamer]

My baby!! Smart Meters took my baby!!

 

[Brovane]

Had one for over a year now. Noticed really no change in my usage. I like the fact that I can get much more detailed information on my electrical usage.

 

[boomerang]

That's very true. I have all three services and rent the voice capable modem so I'm not sure if I could get a voice capable modem on my own.

You can. http://mydeviceinfo.comcast.net/

 

[Imp]

Had one for over a year now. Noticed really no change in my usage. I like the fact that I can get much more detailed information on my electrical usage.

I know you can access that info by logging into your account with the utility, but someone has to release a separate, local indoor display to provide instant usage stats -- or allow you to hook it up to your wifi directly. There are some available now, but the reviews that I've seen kind of suck.

 

[Brovane]

I know you can access that info by logging into your account with the utility, but someone has to release a separate, local indoor display to provide instant usage stats -- or allow you to hook it up to your wifi directly. There are some available now, but the reviews that I've seen kind of suck.

I am ok with at least seeing usage the next day. Basically waiting 24-hours compared to where I was before. Never really looked closely at getting constant information.

 

[Imp]

I am ok with at least seeing usage the next day. Basically waiting 24-hours compared to where I was before. Never really looked closely at getting constant information.

I think 24 hours is a bit too much lag. It requires too much thinking trying to remember what you did and how it affected your energy usage. Having a running total to tell you that you blew $10 to do a load of laundry would probably change habits more effectively.

Having the info hooked up to the water meter and natural gas would be nice too.

 

[rcpratt]

I think 24 hours is a bit too much lag. It requires too much thinking trying to remember what you did and how it affected your energy usage. Having a running total to tell you that you blew $10 to do a load of laundry would probably change habits more effectively.

Having the info hooked up to the water meter and natural gas would be nice too.

My utility has an app that shows detailed usage next-day. You can request a little Wi-Fi box that gives you real-time as well.