Smart meters can switch off your electricity supply!

Razoo

I was watching a TV programme a few weeks ago that showed how stuff was manufactured. On this occasion, the 'stuff' was a smart meter.

The first thing that caught my eye was the two large sets of electrical contacts being assembled into the meter case. Later a solenoid was added, which the voiceover explained was so that the energy company could remotely switch off the electricity supply, if they so wished. Now there's a level of complication and control that I would sooner avoid!

The programme didn't identify the smart meter manufacturer, or whether these smart meters were destined for the UK. I don't know if all smart meters have this remotely-operated supply isolation feature, or not, but I expect they do.

I think the benefits (to the consumer) of smart meters are seriously over-hyped. Some people are being so mislead that they actually believe the smart meter will autonomously reduce their fuel bills.
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Razoo

Cardew

Certainly in my place in Florida, the energy company could, and would, cut off the electricity for an unpaid bill.

If UK companies could cut off supply to those who treat paying their energy bills as optional IMHO it would be no bad thing.

Incidentally, bypassing meters there is theft and you go to jail!

PasturesNew

While I support the ability to switch off electricity for non bill payers, I'd fear that somebody'd be cut off in error and it'd take weeks to get it sorted and maybe somebody's reliant upon medical equipment and they die from the error.

Yes, enabling is good. It saves them from sending a human to bang on the door, break in and disable the meter.

But ... we all know how big automated companies don't have an emergency situation response line that can immediately respond to emergencies and sort out their errors within 10 minutes .... that's the problem.

System

This is what the suppliers wanted and it is what we are all paying for; however, having taken legal and HSE advice, the latest thinking is along these lines:

Can my supply be turned off remotely?

Smart meters have the facility to remotely disconnect and reconnect both the electricity and gas supply. However most suppliers seem to have decided it is too dangerous to remotely disconnect or reconnect, as in the case of disconnection they cannot always be sure that the customer isn't relying on a supply for serious health reasons and in the case of reconnection the customer may have left a cooker on for example. (Source smartme)

Of course, what a supplier can do, so can anyone else who is so minded and has the time and resources to hack the smart meter system. Most cyber experts say it is not a case of 'if', it is more a question of 'when'.

GingerBob_3

Razoo wrote: »

I was watching a TV programme a few weeks ago that showed how stuff was manufactured. On this occasion, the 'stuff' was a smart meter.

The first thing that caught my eye was the two large sets of electrical contacts being assembled into the meter case. Later a solenoid was added, which the voiceover explained was so that the energy company could remotely switch off the electricity supply, if they so wished. Now there's a level of complication and control that I would sooner avoid!

The programme didn't identify the smart meter manufacturer, or whether these smart meters were destined for the UK. I don't know if all smart meters have this remotely-operated supply isolation feature, or not, but I expect they do.

I think the benefits (to the consumer) of smart meters are seriously over-hyped. Some people are being so mislead that they actually believe the smart meter will autonomously reduce their fuel bills.
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Razoo

Have a look at British Gas T&Cs for smart meters. They explain in detail how then can remotely disconnect your supply. I guess all the other suppliers will be the same. I can't think of a single benefit for smart meters, but I can think of several disadvantages. I won't be getting one, and I'd advise everyone else to take the same stance.


You are right. Many people will think smart meters actually reduce bills of their own accord.

esuhl

And energy companies are complaining that the cost of installing smart-meters is partly to blame for rising energy costs.

Smart meters only (really) benefit the energy companies, and consumers are having to pay for the unnecessary roll-out.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/22/energy-prices-energy-uk-bills

phillw

esuhl wrote: »

Smart meters only (really) benefit the energy companies, and consumers are having to pay for the unnecessary roll-out.

There are plenty of people who turn up here after having their first meter reading in years and realising that they now owe a huge sum of money. It benefits them and the people who try to help them out.

System

phillw wrote: »

There are plenty of people who turn up here after having their first meter reading in years and realising that they now owe a huge sum of money. It benefits them and the people who try to help them out.

I don't disagree; however, a £12Bn solution to solve the problems of a few is hardly a cost effective solution. I have a simple smart meter fitted to my EV charger as required by OLEV: it doesn't have all the expensive bells and whistles of a full domestic smart meter but it does give OLEV my usage.

joncombe

This is why these meters are dangerous. What happens if (or more likely when) someone (other than the supplier) works out how to send the message to shut off the supply to these metres?

System

joncombe wrote: »

This is why these meters are dangerous. What happens if (or more likely when) someone (other than the supplier) works out how to send the message to shut off the supply to these metres?

There have been some reports of smart meters with this type of disconnection facility catching fire in CONUS. Our meters though may well be different. The real risk though is one of Third-party exploitation. A massive DDoS attack could cause significant damage to the grid; more worringly, as reported in the cyber community, our meters are designed to transmit data not receive it. The concern is that it could take some weeks/months to manually upgrade the firmware in multiple meters following a cyber attack.

Pincher

Coming from the good olde days of cars with sticky solenoids, I groan.

So what happens to a solar panel household?

You are on holiday in Marbella, and there is a power cut, so the solenoid cuts you off from the Grid. In the mean time, the solar panels are generating 4kW, so where is the energy going, since you cannot export it?

This would suggest the fail safe position for the solenoid is connected to the Grid, even during a power cut. Rather dangerous, as the local grid is live from the solar panels in the area, and the workers repairing things could get a nasty surprise.