Texans' Enthusiasm About Smart Meters Wanes
Seven years after legislators passed a law encouraging the use of “smart” electricity meters across Texas, enthusiasm about the initiative is waning amid complaints about the meters being installed against the wishes of some homeowners. And the numbers of calls are increasing from Texans who want to opt out of the program.
Smart meters, which can be remotely read, record power-usage data almost instantly, enabling utilities to respond faster to outages and also helping consumers track their own electricity habits and save money.
Utilities have placed the meters in millions of Texas households, and their proponents say they make the ...
Comments (8)
Lori Driver
They say that the "Smart-meter" project has cost around $2.5 billion so far, charging each customer $2 to $3 more per month, cutting the need for meter readers. And according to Oncor, it has slashed costs of a connection service to $3.20, down from about $15 under the old meters. So my question is: Why are the consumer costs still going up if they are saving SO much money and have been able to cut employees. Shouldn't the consumer start to see some savings somewhere??????
BiffTannen
More chem trail madness. How many people complaining about the radio waves also use a cell phone or have a wireless router in their home?
Christine Lund
Everything that Lori Driver said and wouldn't it be nice if there were some transparency in the way they calculate our bills. The installation should not cost us a thing. This is all part of the price of doing business and it's profitable to them to charge us for the cost? Are they crazy or do they think we are going to believe this is a legitimate charge?
Peter Sour
Missing from this discussion is a key point:
The Utility, with a Smart Meter installed, can now CONTROL YOUR USE.
Your Air Conditioner, for example, can be 'tuned down' if there is too big a load at peak times.
This is the alternative to building more power plants - cutting America down to size.
The apparent benefit to consumers is 'Time Of Use Rates', where, for example, if you dry your clothes at 2AM, instead of at peak times, you will be charged a lower rate.
The real question, at least for me: DO YOU WANT SOMEONE LIMITING YOUR USE?
We are an ENERGY RICH NATION-WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? just more government control...
That's why my state, Pennsylvania, is legislating the option to permit OPTING OUT.
Curtis B
The wireless smart meter frequencies are illegal as applied and an opt out program will not protect people from them.
For the Texas PUC to refer to exposure being less than a microwave is ridiculous science not even related to the issue. Oncor reported through their lawyer the coverage areas of the smart meter router is 5 sq. miles and the collectors 125 sq. miles. The microwave in your home isn't wireless and covering 100s of sq. miles.
Opting out isn't going to mean anything either because if you opt out, you are still in the coverage areas and being radiated. Wireless exposure over 100s of square miles creates a biological killing field, will radiate buildings and induce electrical charges where explosions in volatile areas are the reality..
Here is a link to testimony we provided for the Texas Senate Committee. http://www.thermoguy.com/pdfs/Texas_Senate_Committee_Meeting_on_Smart_Meters.pdf
The frequencies are not saving energy, they are billing you peak hours while they radiate you. When it comes to safety, the routers, collectors and the fact humans are electrical was left out of the equation. Taking that further, Texas has unqualified people sneaking on properties and swapping the meters under electrical load, electricans wouldn't do that.
Go to this link and see how Texas buildings are generating heat close to boiling temperature and the wasting massive energy responding to the symptoms. Air conditioning is refrigeration, not air conditioning and each A/C unit wastes several thousand watts per hour. The smart meters aren't catching it, they are billing you for it. Your buildings are still contributing to weather severity and that includes Hurrican Sandy. http://youtu.be/366vfsCRpMA
Paint, shade, white washing will eliminate the heat from buildings and the electrical waste.
Frank Lie
Utility companies are not your friend.
The new meter will charge you more!
The old analog meters had some built in slippage which was factored into the rate we all paid.
Now the slippage is captured on the bill , but the rate was not lowered..woops we got screwed again.
Proud Texan
Curtis B never heard a conspiracy theory he didn't like. Agenda 21 anyone?
George Shiel
Maybe an independent over site committee needs to be established to verify that the price hikes are needed. If these smart meters are saving money for the utilities then they need to give their customers incentives to adopt the meters. Forcing people and then charging them is not a great way to do business.