Smart meters (again)

[F]

Does anyone know if any of the energy suppliers are installing SMETS 2 meters yet?

[Bob Minchin]

I read somewhere that they would be rolled out from Feb 17......

[Andrew]

'Smart' meters for dumb people.

Hope they are smarter than a Sony smart TV, which isn't very smart at all.

Perhaps Smug meters might be a better description ?.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , Bob Minchin escribió:

Is it possible to refuse one? I don't want one.

[Adrian Caspersz]

This is the smart meter opposing view. Foil hat brigade.

"radiation risk"

The word "smart" is a dumbed down advertising slogan, as if they really defined in English what the feature actually was, the matter would be flying over most peoples heads. Bit like sticking "i" in front of things.

Wouldn't "remotely read utilities metering" do?

Nah, then again I might be unavoidably smug as some of my electricity bill might eventually be subsidised by people who haven't got them installed.

Now where have we seen that before ...

Solar FIT payments? Folks on Pre-payment meters? Folks with poorly insulated houses that can't change that? Folks without water meters?

[newshound]

I declined to accept the generous offer of one. So, yes, I believe so at the moment.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , newshound escribió:

Thanks.

It seems to be the usual colossal fuckup if this is anything to go by.

[Davey]

There is some discussion of this in the next thread, at least as far as water meters are concerned.

[dennis]

Do you actually believe the meters can be programmed to blow up like claimed?

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , dennis@home.? escribió:

Nah. Try looking past the first hit and look at the other links - incompatibility, insecurity, etc. Those are credible.

Because there are several incompatible models of smart meter, it makes it more difficult to switch suppliers if the one you want to switch to doesn't support your meter. Which is what the utility companies want - they want to make it harder for you to chase the cheapest deal.

And I'm f***ed if I'll give the utility the ability to switch off my lecky remotely if their computer incorrectly decides I haven't paid the bill.

Smart meters aren't about helping you monitor your usage and saving energy - that's all bullshit. It's about placing more control in the hands of your utility company. And you're paying for it in increased bills.

[harry]

What a load of drivel.

[Andy Burns]

The new supplier may not support your existing meter *as* a smart meter, but if you want to switch, you can always treat the meter as non-smart and give them meter readings/let them send a meter reader round.

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

BG rang me a few weeks ago about making an appointment for smart meters to be fitted. I told them NO. That was fine with them ---------- sort of.

I have read that when new meters become compulsory the new meter(s) do not have to be smart if the householder declines the technology.

[Bob Minchin]

Exactly! Nail hit head etc

[Max Demian]

Yebbut they also enable you to check how much power appliances consume. Except they don't as they only show total consumption and include things that turn on and off with thermostats like fridges.

But this is a major selling point to users - really they are just to save the cost of employing meter readers.

(Actually I can calculate total consumption with my mechanical electricity meter by measuring the time for one revolution of the disc and dividing it into 21,600.)

[Robin]

Correct. But a lot of people don't want to hear that they have a statutory right to decline to have smart meters.

[Tim Watts]

Possibly as a side effect of being switched on and off like crazy with a big load on the end.

One of the more interesting ideas was what might happen if hackers got control of several hundred thousand meters and could drop a GW or two on and off the grid more or less synchronously, leading to massive frequency swings and the consequential tripping off of power stations.

The scale of the attack would suggest it would be hard, but if the security of these meters is as s**te as El Reg claims, it might be possible.

For example, they claim access over Zigbee is not well protected and of course, Zigbee meshes, so from one point you can reach a moderate area.

The other one which was appalling was if you run a rogue mobile cell and convince the meters to connect to that. One series of meters all used the same hardcoded APN so commandeering a large number in a tight geographic area was suggested as being a possibility.

[Tim Watts]

Just google "Scada hack" for a mind opening experience!

Totally with you on that brah...

[James Wilkinson Sword]

I see no point in declining, apart from the inconvenience of them fitting it.

[Mike Tomlinson]

En el artículo , James Wilkinson Sword escribió:

That's because you're a clueless trolling f****it.