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In the UK we have smart meters now[1]. They tell me how much I'm using at any time for free. Why not just use one of them? Or are they not in your area yet. To

In the UK we have smart meters now[1]. They tell me how much I'm using at any time for free. Why not just use one of them? Or are they not in your area yet. To be honest, having had one, anything that makes water hot is expensive, everything else is cheap. Before winter hit I was using a 1/5th the electricity I am now (useless storage heaters). TVs, computers, etc. are not worth really worrying about. Although, even then, boiling a kettle for a cuppa is like 1 pence, but my hot water costs like 40p per day and my heating like £4. [1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work https://www.gov.uk/guidance/smart-meters-how-they-work

jstanley 9y ago
> Why not just use one of them? Because you don't want your electricity meter to have the ability to be remotely-instructed to disconnect your electricity supply, and you don't want your electricity meter to have the ability to record fine-grained data about your electricity usage patterns, which it is required to store for 13 months, and which you can't actually know for sure isn't sent off remotely even if you opt out of that. I am interested in having a device in my home telling me how much electricity I'm using in real-time, but not if it comes bundled with a load of surveillance and the ability to remotely disconnect my supply.
- rootw0rm 9y ago
  I'm from California, where they can justify a raid based on your power usage. "You're using twice as much power as your neighbors, you must be growing cannabis indoors!". I can definitely say you are justified in your skepticism regarding the utility-provided equipment.
raesene9 9y ago
We've not been offerred a smart meter as yet. I've also got some reservations about the security of the smart meter systems, so ideally I'd like to wait as long as possible for those to get ironed out, before I get one.

jstanley 9y ago

> Why not just use one of them? Because you don't want your electricity meter to have the ability to be remotely-instructed to disconnect your electricity supply, and you don't want your electricity meter to have the ability to record fine-grained data about your electricity usage patterns, which it is required to store for 13 months, and which you can't actually know for sure isn't sent off remotely even if you opt out of that. I am interested in having a device in my home telling me how much electricity I'm using in real-time, but not if it comes bundled with a load of surveillance and the ability to remotely disconnect my supply.

rootw0rm 9y ago
I'm from California, where they can justify a raid based on your power usage. "You're using twice as much power as your neighbors, you must be growing cannabis indoors!". I can definitely say you are justified in your skepticism regarding the utility-provided equipment.

raesene9 9y ago

We've not been offerred a smart meter as yet. I've also got some reservations about the security of the smart meter systems, so ideally I'd like to wait as long as possible for those to get ironed out, before I get one.