by K.T. Weaver, SkyVision Solutions
I have previously written a number of articles demonstrating how smart meters are not economically justifiable for broad-based deployments and that the vast majority of consumers will suffer a financial “net loss” with smart meters. [1] In particular, we have seen how families are punished by ‘Smart’ Meters and Time-of-Use (TOU) rates. [2]
A recent reminder of these facts came in the form of a November 2016 radio program from Australia, “Electric Shocks.” [3] At one point in the radio program Lew Owens, the CEO for a privately owned electricity distributor called ETSA, stated the following:
Lew Owens:
The words ‘smart meter’ sounds fantastic. I mean, it’s smart, it must be good.
But what it actually is saying that we will force people to reduce their consumption by making the price so great that they have a response and turn it off.
Well, that’s fine. But just understand the social implications of that. It is saying that pensioners, people at home in the daytime, will be forced to reduce their energy consumption for air conditioning so that we get a demand reduction.
And if that’s what society wants, well fine. But the people who are at home who we are trying to get to reduce their air conditioning consumption, because peak demand occurs on a weekday between 4 o’clock in the afternoon and 7 o’clock at night… so, it’s people at home. They are the pensioners, the sick, parents looking after children at home, that’s who we’re targeting when we’re saying ‘Put the price up so people will consume less.’
Lew Owens made an important point by stating, “And if that’s what society wants, well fine.” … So, … is that what we want?
Early last year I wrote an extensive article on how smart meters are being deployed without transparency or necessary public debate. [4] Unfortunately, that is still the case.
References
[1] “Vast Majority of Consumers Suffer Financial ‘Net Loss’ with Smart Meters,” SkyVision Solutions Blog Article, February 2016, at https://smartgridawareness.org/2016/02/16/consumers-suffer-financial-loss-with-smart-meters/
[2] “Families Punished by Smart Meters and TOU Rates, Recent Study Confirms, SkyVision Solutions Blog Article,” January 2016, at https://smartgridawareness.org/2016/01/31/families-punished-by-smart-meters-and-tou-rates/
[3] ABC Radio National, “Electric Shocks,” November 5, 2006.
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/backgroundbriefing/electric-shocks/3359160
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/2006/11/bbg_20061105.mp3
[4] “Smart Meters Being Deployed without Transparency or Necessary Public Debate,” SkyVision Solutions Blog Article, January 2016, at https://smartgridawareness.org/2016/01/26/smart-meters-deployed-without-transparency-or-public-debate/
Smart Grid Awareness 
“…peak demand occurs on a weekday between 4 o’clock in the afternoon and 7 o’clock at night…”
That’s because that is the HOTTEST part of the day after the sun having been up all day long heating everything up, it reaches horrendous heat by late afternoon, ESPECIALLY!!! > due to the insane “Daylight Savings Time” (DST) which “keeps the Sun up LONGER” making it even HOTTER LONGER > in FLA Summers, that blasted Sun doesn’t “go down” until 9pm due to DST!!
COMMON SENSE SOLUTION: DST should be outlawed the world over & allow the Sun to “go down” when it is NATURALLY supposed to, which would save a TON of energy in later afternoon & early evening simply because it would be dark SOONER = LESS HEAT/SUN.
I speak from a FLA perspective where it is hot as hades for waaaay too long & DST makes it so much WORSE!
As a victim of smart meters, transponders, my husband and I just wanted to be able to sleep in our home without being tortured by radiation transmissions throughout our home, when the Ameren MO refused to remove the meters and transponder, I contacted the Utility commission, filed informal complaint, what happened next was a full blown attack by Ameren, with transmissions coming from every direction, directed right at our home, and if that wasn’t enough, … The American people have been betrayed by the Bush and Obama administrations
It is amazing that people are too busy to notice what is really going on. Perhaps they are too occupied with all of the wireless devices that are bringing them data, communications and entertainment.