Smart Meters: The Bad & Ugly

[BleedBlueGold]

There is no Good in this title for a reason.

Does anyone have a positive experience with the Smart Meters being installed? This is a relatively new switch over in my area (converting from old analog to new smart meter networks).

I started noticing a massive increase in my electric bill over the past couple months and after investigating it thoroughly (without any help from my electric provider), I came across my Smart Meter (something I didn't even realize existed). Turns out, there is a nationwide outcry about these things causing 1) higher bills 2) fires 3) health hazards, etc.

This article is loaded with links to further explain the situation.

Why Stop Smart Meters? | Stop Smart Meters!

I strongly urge everyone to check their meters and see if they have a new smart meter. If so, it's worth reading up on this technology. You may be getting ripped off financially and your health/home may be at risk.

If anyone has any more information regarding this topic, please share. This is a newly developing story that's unfolding locally for my neighborhood(s).

 

[Irish#1]

You electric bill went up due to a rate increase. Mine jumped almost 30% and I still have the meter from 1988 when my house was built. They're switching from coal to gas and the increase is to pay for the conversion. I can't believe the State Regulatory Commission approved such a big hike.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

My rate increase impact is shown on my bill. It's +$18. My bill is over $100 more than what I expected. It's not because of the rate increase, trust me.

The area of greatest impact is usage. It's more than 1000 kwh higher than normal (comparing previous years, same billing cycles). My meter relayed data to Duke Energy claiming that my house used almost 4000 kwh of electricity last month. That is nearly impossible considering I have primarily gas heat that is supplemented with high efficiency elec. heat upstairs (rarely runs...it's been a very mild winter). When compared to my typical electricity usage from previous winters, it is astronomically higher and there is no logical explanation for it. Duke says "well it's because of cold weather and rate increases." Yet any rational person can look that up and objectively refute it.

 

[PANDFAN]

reasoning is that they are far more accurate---at least that was what they told me and that my previous one must not have been working correctly...i don't buy it....they are robbing me

 

[Irish#1]

My rate increase impact is shown on my bill. It's +$18. My bill is over $100 more than what I expected. It's not because of the rate increase, trust me.

The area of greatest impact is usage. It's more than 1000 kwh higher than normal (comparing previous years, same billing cycles). My meter relayed data to Duke Energy claiming that my house used almost 4000 kwh of electricity last month. That is nearly impossible considering I have primarily gas heat that is supplemented with high efficiency elec. heat upstairs (rarely runs...it's been a very mild winter). When compared to my typical electricity usage from previous winters, it is astronomically higher and there is no logical explanation for it. Duke says "well it's because of cold weather and rate increases." Yet any rational person can look that up and objectively refute it.

I'm with IPL, not Duke. My bills tracked almost identical ($$$) for the last three years, until January's bill. It jumped from $200 to $300. I went back and looked at my usage and it was almost identical to the two previous years. If usage is the same and the bill jumps that much, there's only one piece of the equation left. Trust me, I'm not happy with the jump either, but it's not due to a smart meter (at least for me). BTW.......They read my meter via satellite.

Also, Smart Meters are part of the "Smart Grid" the power companies are going to. The premise is to upgrade the networking of the grid to make it more controlled and make routing of energy demands quicker and easier.

 

[phork]

Wait until you guys start getting into Time of Use billing. Here is an example of why my province has some of the highest hydro rates in the world:

Ontario Time-of-Use Electricity Rates

Add to it the huge push for green (Wind turbines, etc) some peoples bills have become unaffordable. The rate increases are becoming unsustainable as it is now a real choice for some people to pay their hydro bill or put food on the table.

I had a discussion with our local utility once in regard to a July bill I got one year. Every year in July my family is out of the house and at a cottage. The only things plugged in and running when we leave is the fridge and freezer, everything else is unplugged and the AC is set to the mid 80s. Essentially in a 4 week period we are down to almost zero use in one of those weeks.

Somehow that bill was higher than the previous month and when I pled my case for the meter to be looked at, they blamed it on the AC running..

We have so much extra electricity in Ontario that we actually pay other provinces and the US to take it off our hands. We are now using less electricity due to conservation now but pay way more when we were gluttons. I have converted my whole house to LED lights and still cannot come ahead.

Its a futile excercise.

 

[Irish#1]

Wait until you guys start getting into Time of Use billing. Here is an example of why my province has some of the highest hydro rates in the world:

Ontario Time-of-Use Electricity Rates

Add to it the huge push for green (Wind turbines, etc) some peoples bills have become unaffordable. The rate increases are becoming unsustainable as it is now a real choice for some people to pay their hydro bill or put food on the table.

I had a discussion with our local utility once in regard to a July bill I got one year. Every year in July my family is out of the house and at a cottage. The only things plugged in and running when we leave is the fridge and freezer, everything else is unplugged and the AC is set to the mid 80s. Essentially in a 4 week period we are down to almost zero use in one of those weeks.

Somehow that bill was higher than the previous month and when I pled my case for the meter to be looked at, they blamed it on the AC running..

We have so much extra electricity in Ontario that we actually pay other provinces and the US to take it off our hands. We are now using less electricity due to conservation now but pay way more when we were gluttons. I have converted my whole house to LED lights and still cannot come ahead.

Its a futile excercise.

The sad thing is when you talk to them, they have an answer for everything. Temp too low or high, running the dishwasher, windows, drafty doors, etc.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I'm with IPL, not Duke. My bills tracked almost identical ($$$) for the last three years, until January's bill. It jumped from $200 to $300. I went back and looked at my usage and it was almost identical to the two previous years. If usage is the same and the bill jumps that much, there's only one piece of the equation left. Trust me, I'm not happy with the jump either, but it's not due to a smart meter (at least for me). BTW.......They read my meter via satellite.

Also, Smart Meters are part of the "Smart Grid" the power companies are going to. The premise is to upgrade the networking of the grid to make it more controlled and make routing of energy demands quicker and easier.

Very strange, because mine is the opposite: my rate stayed almost the same and my usage skyrocketed.

I spoke with a Duke Energy rep for almost an hour last night. I don't have a smart meter (yet, according to them). They stood firm that "this past December/January billing cycle was the coldest we've had in two years." So basically, I'm SOL and still don't know why my usage went up so high. Like I said, I have primary gas heat, gas water heater, no heat pump, and secondary elect heat upstairs that rarely runs. When I explained this to the rep, they continued to blame the weather.

Re: Smart Meters, everything I have read/heard about them is that they're dangerous and intrusive. The negatives are well-documented. When I asked Duke if there was any opt-out plan, she said probably not and that they're trying to possibly get it legislated that you have to have one. But that's still unofficial.

 

[Irish#1]

When mine jumped I called IPL and the rep immediately blamed it on the weather. I reminded her that except for a couple of weeks, the weather has been extremely mild and last year was colder than this year. She had no answer. after 15 minutes of discussing, she asks to put me on hold. After waiting 15 minutes for her to come back to me, the call dropped. lol

Since you have Duke, I assume you are in one of the donut counties around Indy?

 

[BleedBlueGold]

When mine jumped I called IPL and the rep immediately blamed it on the weather. I reminded her that except for a couple of weeks, the weather has been extremely mild and last year was colder than this year. She had no answer. after 15 minutes of discussing, she asks to put me on hold. After waiting 15 minutes for her to come back to me, the call dropped. lol

Since you have Duke, I assume you are in one of the donut counties around Indy?

Hamilton Co.

I looked up the actual recorded temps (highs and lows) for the entire billing cycle and came up with an average. It's roughly ten degrees warmer than average Indianapolis temps this time of year. When I called her out on it, she 1) questioned my source and 2) questioned my math. I LOL'd at her. And then she said "Well, regardless, it's still cold." I LOL'd again and said "1) not cold enough to generate that kind of discrepancy and 2) I have GAS HEAT! She dismissed both points. At that moment, I realized how unproductive the phone call had become and before I said things I would later regret, I ended the phone call.

Edit: For the record, I just received my new bill (Jan 13 - Feb 13 billing cycle) and the usage is back down to reasonable winter levels and my bill is literally $125 less than last month.

 

[kmoose]

Hamilton Co.

I looked up the actual recorded temps (highs and lows) for the entire billing cycle and came up with an average. It's roughly ten degrees warmer than average Indianapolis temps this time of year. When I called her out on it, she 1) questioned my source and 2) questioned my math. I LOL'd at her. And then she said "Well, regardless, it's still cold." I LOL'd again and said "1) not cold enough to generate that kind of discrepancy and 2) I have GAS HEAT! She dismissed both points. At that moment, I realized how unproductive the phone call had become and before I said things I would later regret, I ended the phone call.

Edit: For the record, I just received my new bill (Jan 13 - Feb 13 billing cycle) and the usage is back down to reasonable winter levels and my bill is literally $125 less than last month.

They probably charged you for either all, or a portion, of the cost of the new meter and its installation. They may not have been allowed to charge you for capital equipment that they own, but the PUCO may have allowed them to use a one-time "adjustment" to your usage, in order to recoup their investment?

 

[ACamp1900]

Our gas is interesting... an investor bought our home and flipped it to us... it's an older home but super updated. One of the things they did was extend the backyard fence out past the meters, which are old school, meter reader types so now you can't access them normally.

We've never had a complaint, been in the house five plus years now... and it's obvious they just estimate... we have a pool/spa w a heater... I'm sure everyone knows what heating a pool can do to a gas bill... our bill is the same, spa or even pool on or not... sticking it to da man!!

 

[BleedBlueGold]

They probably charged you for either all, or a portion, of the cost of the new meter and its installation. They may not have been allowed to charge you for capital equipment that they own, but the PUCO may have allowed them to use a one-time "adjustment" to your usage, in order to recoup their investment?

I don't have a new meter. I thought I did (hence the research, shock, horror, new thread), but when I called, they informed me that I do not have one yet and the full implementation of the Smart Meters is on the horizon but my area is further down the list.

I had to look up PUCO....I don't live in Ohio. We have the Indiana utility regulatory commission. Same thing I assume, but just wanted to point that out.

Lastly, if there was some sort of adjustment charge, they just needed to tell me that. Be honest. Don't make up some bullshit about the weather that I can easily fact check and prove incorrect. I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and allow their claim that December was the coldest it's been in two years. But it wasn't cold enough to generate an additional 1000+ kwh of usage when I have primary gas heat on the main floor and supplemental electric heat that rarely runs upstairs. That was my overall point to them and they refused to acknowledge that.

 

[Irish#1]

Our gas is interesting... an investor bought our home and flipped it to us... it's an older home but super updated. One of the things they did was extend the backyard fence out past the meters, which are old school, meter reader types so now you can't access them normally.

We've never had a complaint, been in the house five plus years now... and it's obvious they just estimate... we have a pool/spa w a heater... I'm sure everyone knows what heating a pool can do to a gas bill... our bill is the same, spa or even pool on or not... sticking it to da man!!

I'm almost willing to bet your bill isn't estimated. Our meter isn't accessible without us letting you in and we haven't seen a meter reader in years and my wife is at home during the day. I asked the rep how they were getting their readings and that's when she told me they read it via satellite and have been for a long time. My house was built in 1988.

 

[ACamp1900]

I'm almost willing to bet your bill isn't estimated. Our meter isn't accessible without us letting you in and we haven't seen a meter reader in years and my wife is at home during the day. I asked the rep how they were getting their readings and that's when she told me they read it via satellite and have been for a long time. My house was built in 1988.

idk, our bill doesn't flex according to usage (and our usage can vary pretty drastically) and my wife works with community events and asked one of our local gas company reps at one of these said events... he told her if they can't reach the meter they just do estimates according to neighborhood usage or some such... this was about two years ago. Nothing has changed since. I'm not going to directly ask anyone about OUR situation though... why mess with a good thing?