Coming to a smart meter near you...

[The Natural Philosopher]

"A series of ?modifications? to the Smart Energy Code have been proposed by officials and look set to pass into law by next spring.

These include giving networks the right to decide when they consider the grid to be in a state of ?emergency? and the power to switch off high usage electrical devices such as electric vehicle chargers and central heating systems in British homes.

Under the plans all homes would need to have a third generation smart meter installed, to include a function that allows meters in the home to receive and carry out orders made by the energy networks.

This would dramatically alter the role of smart meters, which are currently capable only of sending data on energy use to energy networks.

If passed unchallenged, these ?modifications? to the law would mean that electric vehicle owners could plug in at the end of the day and wake up without sufficient charge to travel the next morning.

Similarly, central heating systems could be turned off in homes across a whole area if too many electric vehicles are plugged in to charge at once, for example.

Currently, consumers are entitled to compensation if their power supply is cut off, but under these plans, this recompense would likely be scrapped.

There is also a question mark over whether to force households to install the new smart meters, or make it an opt in or opt out scheme.

When energy networks are allowed to declare an ?emergency?, triggering their right to switch off private domestic energy devices, is also so far undefined. "

Fucking renewable greencrap.

[Jethro_uk]

Didn't I warn about this last week ?

And last year ?

And 5 years ago ?

what will they do about people with dumb meters ?

[Richard]

You seem to have missed this in the text you snipped: <q>

Under the plans all homes would need to have a third generation smart meter installed, to include a function that allows meters in the home to receive and carry out orders made by the energy networks. </q>

[Tim+]

It?s going to need more than a smart meter to carry out these orders. All power switchable appliances would have to be retro-fitted with smart switches to enable this. I don?t see this happening any time soon.

Personally, I?m not going to lose any sleep over this.

Tim

[Jethro_uk]

What happened to the plans to have everyone on 1st generation smart meters. Or indeed 2nd generation smart meters ?

[Andrew]

keep ramping up their daily standing charge over and above inflation !. It's the energy stealth tax that will keep on giving, .. and giving, ..and giving, ..

[Tim Lamb]

In message <rvron6$9el$ [e-mail], Jethro_uk <jethro [e-mail] writes

Or those with a non-domestic load (farm use). I was never going to use household energy for vehicle charging anyway:-)

Somebody with up to date knowledge can confirm but industrial tariffs have had *off peak* charging for 40 years and load shedding by agreement more recently.

[The Natural Philosopher]

No,. They simply disconnect the premises

[Jethro_uk]

When I worked for British Gas, we had interruptibles off the high pressure grid. (A lot of ICI plants, plus Hams Hall). So called because they got a discount rate on the proviso it could be cut at short notice.

It was probably around then the industry shifted to a load of city wide boys all selling each other "energy" rather than actually making the stuff.

[Robin]

Not a good guess given what seems to me clear language in the document ..."to allow Distributors control of consumer devices (such as Electric Vehicles) connected to Smart Meter infrastructure"..."customers participation in these arrangements is voluntary" ...using "Han Connected Auxiliary Load Control Switches (HCALCS)".

[Robin]

And what's proposed is just a high-tech version of load shedding where the load is a connected in a way which allows the supplier to disconnect it. As I just pointed out to TNP, participation will voluntary (though of course that might be part of a tariff's T&Cs). And it only applies to specific consumer devices. So e.g. a farmer can keep a robotic milking parlour out of the scheme altogether. Or only allow disconnection of EV charging at peak hours.

[Tim+]

Hmm, it seems that you were so busy enjoying a rant that you?ve forgotten what you said earlier.

?If passed unchallenged, these ?modifications? to the law would mean that electric vehicle owners could plug in at the end of the day and wake up without sufficient charge to travel the next morning.

Similarly, central heating systems could be turned off in homes across a whole area if too many electric vehicles are plugged in to charge at once, for example.?

Besides, isn?t remote disconnection already theoretically possible with the present smart meters? No need for a newer smart meter than those already available if disconnection is the only action to be taken.

Tim

[Jethro_uk]

So who pays for all that ?

[Paul]

Schemes like this (load shedding) are generally sold to clients via an advantageous tariff.

Such a scheme makes perfect sense for BEV chargers. BEV smart chargers, will already have a software interface for this.

They won't be doing this to your home. They'll do rotating blackouts, instead. That's a form of central management, too.

Paul

[Andrew]

All the refuseniks, by whacking up their daily standing charge :-)

[Jim Jackson]

I think he just enjoys ranting - it doesn't really matter what about :-)

[Andrew]

Can you 'make' energy though ???

[Robin]

The direct cost might fall on either the consumer who wants them (so as to qualify for a better tariff) or the supplier (who want the flexibility). But what really matters is the aggregate cost to the consumers of their supply. If not such controls then what?

[Andrew]

We have an electricity supplier, OVO who already have an experimental EV tarrif where the EV battery can send power back to the grid -

Whether you would want your expensive EV car to have more discharge/charge cycles for other peoples benefit is a moot point.

[Jethro_uk]

Sloppy wording, wrist slapped.

However we are where we are because successive city spivs have managed to create a merry go round of extracting money out of what people pay for energy while also cutting back on investing in new supplies.

Trebles all round !!! etc.

It's the same logic that addresses a lack of houses with cheaper mortgages.