Smart Meters

[RAINYDAYS]

Should you turn router off when not using? It says in daily paper you can save 21 pounds a year by doing this. Sounds like a lot.

[Togo]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Business-and-Finance/Personal-Finance/Question1457281.html

A thread was run a little while back, as were others. Smart meter over my dead body. Sold to you as a benefit, used to punish you in the name of ecological concern. Pah

[EDDIE51]

From Togo's Link > In the future the ‘Smart’ Meter gives the utility companies the ability to set tariffs for usage at different times of the day (ie: ‘green’ or carbon taxes) so that you may be charged more at peak times for your energy. It also gives the utility companies the capability of turning off your supply remotely – possibly after exceeding some kind of quota.
In other words they can watch when you use power and turn your supply off if you exceed your quota of peak time power.
The 'remote turn off' facility is in all 'Smart' meters.

[gingejbee]

Turning your router off when not using is as daft as unplugging a clock-radio because you don't want to know the time (or listen to the radio)....ask your broadband provider and they'll say "NO".

[silliemillie]

For 6p a day I couldn't be bothered.

[hc4361]

Eddie, as customers pay for the supply why on earth would the suppliers turn the supply off and lose money? In any case, except in the case of dire emergency the suppliers have to give notice of loss of supply.
Imagine the uproar if customers were cut off mid shower, or halfway through cooking a meal or just before Corrie.

Never in a million years. All that means is that if they have a court order to disconnect the supply for non-payment they don't have to force entry to do it.

[EDDIE51]

hc4361 they want to introduce 'quotas' or limits to the amount of power you can use at 'peak' times. They are well aware that a problem with the grid could cause a power shortage, there is virtually no 'redundancy' in the system now. In a cold winter at the peak demand we are using something like 90% of the UK's entire generating capacity. This is dangerous as a small problem could result in loss of power to some of the country. The aim was to never exceed 75% of the maximum generating capacity but we are way past that. Of course this is all to do with not installing Nuclear power when we should have done it 25 years ago. Now we are dependant on the Chinese to install our nuclear stations for us as we no longer have the capability to do it ourselves. The situation will get worse before it starts to get better when the first new Nuclear plants come on stream in 15 years or so. The entire 'Smart meter' scheme is aimed at spreading the power demand more evenly over the day so that less generating capacity is needed. This is why they are introducing tariffs that charge more for peak rate power and can also limit how much power can be used at peak times by way of a quota. If you exceed your Quota and you continue to do so after a warning the 'Smart Meter' incorporates a remote cut off so they will be able to cut off your supply until after the peak hours.
Those tariffs need a 'Smart Meter. They can't do it unless they can get us all to use Smart Meters, which continuously feedback information from each individual meter as to the amount of power being used on a minute by minute basis. Every Smart Meter has a radio transmitter inside it which feeds back the information. These transmitters are up to 500 times as powerful as a mobile phone to ensure they can still transmit information even if they are in an underground cellar!

[Postdog]

Wow, the paranoia here!

I love my smart meter.

[EDDIE51]

Read this it is scary
http://www.nickhunn.com/when-smart-meters-get-hacked/
As 'Smart Meters' all work on a type of computer WiFi system and ALL contain the remote disconnect facility it is possible they could get 'hacked' on a nationwide basis. A terrorist group could do this as a much easier and more effective weapon than planting an old fashioned bomb! Think about it! Then tell me you still want a smart meter!

[Togo]

//These transmitters are up to 500 times as powerful as a mobile phone to ensure they can still transmit information even if they are in an underground cellar! //

There are already health concerns being highlighted. Would you let you children or grandchildren live or sleep near one of these? Funny how the meters can be on 24-7, you know for our own good once but turning off wifi routers is to be encouraged.

[EDDIE51]

^^ That is a real concern but no publicity has been given to it yet!

[EDDIE51]

Read this!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/10015679/British-families-at-risk-from-smart-meters-campaigners-tell-MPs.html
Up to 800x the radiation from a mobile phone !!!!