Smart meter smokescreen

A long time ago, because of gates, dogs, long driveways,and livestock that would interfere with meter-readers, PG&E made available a device for the customers to display their meter readings at the roadway. The little dial-hands on a cardboard back could be adjusted to match the dials on the meters. Then it could be put at a mailbox, fence post, or other handy spot for the meter reader. This made the collection of usage information much easier for their accounting folks.

Even though we were not being paid for our work in their accounting, it seemed to make sense. We could opt-out too and accounting would need to deal with the problem. With abundant energy flowing from cheap sources, abundant labor at good rates, and a focused, lean structure, there was enough money to pay for a fully functioning distribution and administration of our power system. and to reward the investors for the use of their capital. Some people may have paid more for their share of the costs than others, but it all came out in the wash of huge economies of scale.

The ratepayers were customers. Industry provided a service. Regulators were mediators.

Today, things have changed. Even the term "ratepayer" is the defective progeny of generations of "inbreeding" by the incestuous relationships between utilities, investors, special interests, regulators, politicians, funds, and more. Today, what dominates the public energy discussions are elements of intense rationing and pricing schemes. De-regulation never happened. What did happen was re-regulation with a much greater number of players and far more opportunities to bleed the over-all energy enterprise.

Even with a virtual "deregulation" there is still a monopoly at the meter. To think there was actually a utility de-regulation is as crazy as thinking that a railroad monopoly was broken by expansion of the markets to serve We have some "communization" of areas with utility districts but the ownership of the infrastructure, rightly so, is mostly unchanged and unchallenged by any competitive enterprise. The only real competition is distributed power generation.

Now that the regulators have been in bed with the industry for 50 years, they now serve the industry by wringing every cent from the "ratepayer" and serving as apologists for whatever comes down the pike. Even the most customer oriented individual is overwhelmed by a tsunami of coordinated forces.

There are good solutions that REAL regulators of a the very REAL public power monopolies could demand from the system. Maybe like "no CO2". Fortunately, there is movement in that direction and regulators are not all evil minions of robber barons. Unfortunately, they are relatively weak, naive, and frequently, greedy for an easy job. The people who have an educated interest in these issues must begin, aggressively. to supervise the decision-makers and organize their friends to do the same. The smart meter discussion should illustrate how desperate we are.

The discussion should address how we have come to be compelled to install some device. The discussion should explore the real problem, not a discussion of peoples preferences. Imagine that Burger King is the only source of food. We no longer debate what's on the menu. Now we must eat it...and the discussion is about those who won't?

What's wrong with this picture?
John b

Well, I've got a clue for you all. Mussolini's definition of fascism was corporatism. Makes things all more clear now, doesn't it?

remote PG&E meter reading:

recent news about PG&E regarding the San Bruno pipeline explosion indicates as a corporation PG&E is not to be trusted.

PG&E has not kept the necessary records, and allegedly they have lied and misrepresented that they did have the records.

PG&E gave information to the public and government entities based on non-existent records.

I believe PG&E uses meter-readers that are not PG&E employees but are contractors (employees of another company). These unknown persons are given carte blanche to walk about on private property unsupervised.

The other day i encountered one in an area of my acreage not usually considered along the path of a meter reader: possibly helping himself to fruit or looking about for his entertainment or to gain information.

Frankly, i do not understand why we ratepayers can't 1) phone in our meter information to a toll free number; or 2) be given a device to use monthly to transfer the information to PG&E; or 3) pay an estimated amount monthly and have the meter read once a year!

PG&E does not need to economize in any of its business activities because they just charge the ratepayers more money to keep their profits healthy.

We should just capture our own electricity and put them out of business!

thank you - I totally agree

kate

Quote:

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I believe PG&E uses meter-readers that are not PG&E employees but are contractors (employees of another company). These unknown persons are given carte blanche to walk about on private property unsupervised.

The other day i encountered one in an area of my acreage not usually considered along the path of a meter reader: possibly helping himself to fruit or looking about for his entertainment or to gain information.

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Yes, in fact, meter installers are NOT even electricians, they are temp workers, installing smart meters that are not even UL certified, and they ARE bursting into flames. Want one on your gas meter?

For more information, resources, data, tactics for avoiding them despite PG$E cutting the locks place on blocks put on meters by homeowners who did not want Smart Meters, please see my post at
https://www.waccobb.net/forums/showt...d&p=139875#top

More On “Smart Meters”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKoiFJFRy0M

While the implementation of Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI),... these new smart grid functions will leverage an Information Technology infrastructure in order to deliver these new capabilities...delivering the ability to monitor cyber security posture across multiple smart grid elements.

https://www.wiznucleus.com/wizSG.php...FWU0QgodnzT-NQ

The "smart meter" is part of a global cyber security monitoring system. Let's call it what it is. In an article by Dick Eastman - the current US electrical grid systems is the best in the world and has never failed, i.e., there is no need for a "smart grid"; unless the grid is to be used as a "monitoring" device.

https://www.everestgrp.com/2011-04-t...irts-4619.html