If Onstar can stop your car, unlock your doors, and provide GPS, the smart meter can most likely stop your power, unlock your house, and provide GPS.
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13 years ago
Electric Meter
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13 years ago
Why not? Extremely common around here especially for multioccupant buildings and in the older areas.
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13 years ago
I saw a retired power guy had a meter set up on a wooden base. He had a plug and socket on it, and was using the meter as a Kill O Watt.
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13 years ago
So, the Fed removes money from me by force. Spends it on things I don't want, and expects me to vote Democrat next time, so we can do this even more?
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13 years ago
And I can confirm that the photo wasn't Photoshopped. I haven't seen all of them but are likely 30,000 homes in my immediate area that still have indoor meters that look just like that.
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13 years ago
My parents electric meter is over the washer / dryer. The gas meter is in the other corner of the cellar, indoors. I see indoor gas and electric meters rather commonly. Rochester, NY area.
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13 years ago
They can shut off your meter remotely, even just to save power for industry during peak hours and when your AC needs it the most. If its tampered with or the power goes out they know immediatly as the meter contacts the system about every minute, they dont need meter readers anymore its all computer generated now. I would rather have the old meter.
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13 years ago
You can just walk outside and check your meter.
Remember when the drunk guy hit a tree with his car; then he went to another bar to relax, and On-star called the police.
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13 years ago
Becaue the wives used to stay home like they should now. So being indoors wasn't a problem.
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13 years ago
I guess that is irony. You should get some big fans to blow it over Quebec.
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13 years ago
Yes, Baltimroe too, but last summer they wanted to come out and change the control unit on the AC.
I had signed up for this again, and the guy arrived and handed me the brochure and went to work, and this time he drilled 2 holes in my brick wall, in the mortar at least, and installed it.
After he left I read the brochure and it said he could have mounted it to the AC if I requested that, but it was too late. I was really annoyed.
Now they're offerring setback thermostats too, but I've had one for 26 years. If it's connected to varying electric rates, I don't think they said that.
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13 years ago
And all the TV's and devices to reset, and some cable channels off for a half hour or so while the cable box reset. Mine was done on Tuesday, and the power was only off about 20 seconds max. What was more irritating to me, is that my meter is on the back wall outside, and he slammed the wall several times during installation, causing 3 of my music boxes to come off the shelves inside. One broke, but I was able to glue it back together. Ah, progress.
Cheri
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13 years ago
Not if he's a half continent away on business or vacation.
Jim
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13 years ago
In downstate NY many older gas meters and electric meters are located inside. It's still OK , at least for electric on multi-family buildings, but single and two family dwellings meters have to go outside.
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13 years ago
Imagine some government busybody decides you're using too much electricity and gets a warrant to search your home for anything incriminating. It already goes on. You fail to pay a parking ticket and the city contacts the power company to switch off your power. The perils of too much control made too easy is a slippery slope. There are those in government who want to make all money electronic. Imagine, "Do what we say or we will turn off your money." Technology can be either incredibly wonderful or devastatingly evil.
TDD
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13 years ago
I've seen them in basements where the meter reader looked through a window to read the meter. I've met meter readers who used binoculars to read meters. Perhaps an aggressive dog kept them at a distance?
TDD
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13 years ago
Inside-the-house meters are very common in my area too. (Baltimore) Myold house had both gas and electric inside, current house has gasinside & electric outside. BGE changed the gas meter to a remote-read type about
5 years ago. I believe they read it form a receiver in a vehicle. A meter reader still comes into the yard to read the electric meter.- Vote on answer
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13 years ago
I have a customer who's water meter is in the ceiling of his business. There is an electronic sensor on the meter with a cable going through the wall to an optical interface for an external reader.
TDD
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13 years ago
So your daddy was actually the meter reading man?
TDD
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13 years ago
Alabama power had or has these evil radio controlled gadgets that were installed on the AC condenser of folks who singed up for a reduced rate or credit. During peak demand, the AC could be turned off by the power company. I haven't seen one for a while and always disconnected them when someone called for service on an AC which wasn't cooling.
TDD