Have you received one of these?
Arriving in mail boxes all over Bergen county these are heralding the arrival of smart meters that the energy company is excitedly telling you is the way of the future. However, before you allow your old meter to be removed you should do some serious research into what these ‘smart meters’ really are and the risks associated with them.
There is a veritable onslaught of pressure from manufacturers and businesses to adopt smart technology. They tell consumers it is new, edgy, the way of the future. It will revolutionize your life, seamlessly bringing together many parts to ensure your life will flow effortlessly with these new devices. Turn your heating up while driving home, order milk while talking to your friend from the refrigerator. Great!! Despite the perceived popularity of smart devices, and the less than subtle marketing of them (Siri, Alexa, Nest and more) there are risks and potential problems that most consumers don’t give much thought to.
Until there is a problem.
Right now smart meters are appearing in communities. There is a big push from energy companies for them for various reasons, and consumers are told it will be a great for them and the way of the future. However, as a consumer you should avail yourself of as much information as possible and be informed.
Please Note:
With no attempt to be a definitive or a complete source of information here are some of the issues and considerations that residents should know regarding smarts meters. Citizens4USR are not experts and aim to raise awareness, share information and keep readers alerted to the issues. Information will be added as available and additionally readers are invited to comment and share information – which will appear in comments and relevant information will be added to the post. There is a lot of information out there, and some of it comes from sources that might not be as factual or unbiased as they could. Wherever possible articles and information have been sourced aiming for impartial, factual based information. As always – please be aware.
Why The Electricity Companies Want Smart Meters
As with so many things it comes down to money.
An immediate result is the companies will be able to get rid of meter readers, costing cutting through jobs, healthcare, pensions.
It will allow energy companies to monitor customers usage allowing them to plan more efficiently for the power grid. As covered in Why Power Companies Love Smart Meters:
Utility companies believe that giving customers financial incentives to shift their usage from peak hours to off-peak times will flatten the demand curve for electricity—with customers waiting until night to run the dryer, for instance. For utility companies, this means a need for fewer expensive generators, some of which currently run only during peak times.
Basically the utility companies will be able to employ time based pricing schemes more efficiently. No reading of numbers showing what was used. It is now read in real time as you are consuming energy. The energy companies tell consumers with this real time information the consumer will be able to adjust their usage to lower priced times. They say with apps and access we will be better informed and able to make better choices. (While washing and drying clothes in the middle of the night might be possible, what else can you really change?)
With integration with apps it is intended that it will streamline life for the customer with other smart devices.
In the event of a power outage you will no longer need to call, they will see it on the grid.
Further information:
The real reasons for smart meters—and why utilities need to tell their customers
Smart Energy Meters: Gas and Electricity Smart Meters in the United States
Considerations About Smart Meters And What You Might Need To Know
RF
For many people this is the issue above all issues. Smart meters use RF signals to relay data. RF is not something to ignore and has the potential to impact your health. It needs to be considered fully and will be given a separate post – coming.
Privacy
Smart meters use wi-fi to send information as it is used to the energy company. Through this you can the ability to connect Smart devices to the machine, including your phone to keep up to date on your personal electrical usage. This can be useful to a user, but also poses some serious security risks.
The BBC has run stories over security concerns about Smart Meters. Despite the fact they are focusing on UK customers and companies they point out that meters pose considerable risks for privacy as companies will have data on when you are home, when you are using more power leading to understanding of your habits and leads to the potential of 3rd party companies using this to target you:
Third-party companies – like marketing firms – might be able to learn about consumers’ sleeping patterns, whether they watched television or used certain tools, entertain guests or even used medical devices like dialysis machines.
As they point out, knowing when and how you use your energy has great commercial value to marketers.
Fox News – Is your home’s energy meter spying on you?
National Geographic – Who’s Watching? Privacy Concerns Persist as Smart Meters Roll Out
Security
Do smart meters let burglars know you are home by being able to see your meter working? More importantly, do they know when you aren’t at home? Additionally, are they vulnerable and open to hacking? Possibly, despite assurances from the energy companies. For more detailed information, click here.
Smart Meters Pose Security Risks to Consumers, Utilities: Researcher
Your smart electricity meter could be a security risk
Fires
If you google smart meters and move through the information one word appears often. Fire. Despite denials from energy companies this appearance warrants an awareness of the issue. There is some evidence that homes with smart meters have the potential of fire risk. Whether it is the unit overheating, or faulty installation you should fully investigate the risks.
USA Today – Fire Chief Calls For Probe After Blazes
EMF Safety Network – Smart Meter Fires And Explosions. Might not be the most impartial source but interesting.
Problems Switching Providers or Going to Solar
If you have a smart meter installed by Company A it is using their equipment. What happens when you want to switch to Company B? As owners of solar panels have discovered you often have a contract for x number of years (to cover their costs for the equipment). If you want to sell your house the new buyer usually will have to keep the contract. How exactly will this work with a smart meter?
Do They Actually Save You Money?
The Telegraph in the UK did an investigation into smart meters reporting there is “little evidence” they save money or energy (see link in Final Thoughts). Lowered bills is one of the major selling points energy companies use to sell smart meters However, the reality seems to be different. For some households bills do not necessarily go down, in fact, they may even go up. And not just a little. Why? There may be a question of quality of the meter, and are they accurately calibrated? If they are running all the time is this adding to the bill
Final Thoughts
The case for smart meters is one of ‘buyer beware’. The push by the energy companies is clear and the consumer may not have the time or information to refuse or investigate before they are installed. One point worth noting – in researching information for this post there was a lot of googling for sources, research, etc. A large number of the search results produced articles from the UK, Europe and Australia, and less from verifiable sources in the US. There are blogs and citizen groups, but in the first few pages of many search results there were few articles, few research papers and the question is why? Hopefully they are just buried, and in time will filter to the top. In the meantime do your research.
Pew Charitable Trust – Amid Health, Privacy Fears, States Are Letting People Reject ‘Smart Meters’
The Telegrph – Six Reasons To Say No To A Smart Meter
Stop Smart Meters is a one stop blog about this. Their position is clear – however, there are a lot of really interesting links and information.
More Information
Rockland Electric / Orange & Rockland Smart Meter information
FAQ for customers of Rockland Electric / Orange Rockland