Everyone seems to want to shove you onto a smart meter

brewerdave

Totally agree with last post. It's a laudable ambition to have but unfortunately it's a total mess currently.
I'm still strongly of the opinion that SMETS 1 adoption into the centralised data collection system is unlikely to happen anytime soon (if it all) despite all the words (and reams of paper) pouring out from various Govt. funded orifices.

I've lived thru too many private and public IT disasters!!

[Deleted User]

Hengus wrote: »

Coming our way soon will be something similar to this:

http://www.ontario-hydro.com/current-rates

I would also guess that in 10 to 15 years time a lot of homes will have off grid battery storage. The only reason that it hasn't happened already is because the cost per kWh from a battery (taking into account battery life) exceeds the cost of importing electricity. It's a double win: ToU/tiered pricing will deter people from using electricity at times of peak demand (negating some of the need for standby/expensive generation which may never be used) and, secondly, consumers will be able to store electricity when import costs are low; for example, during periods of high winds and high solar. At the moment when generation exceeds demand, we pay the generators to stop their wind turbines.

This all makes a lot of sense, so I am happy with the final destination: it's the manner of our getting there that is the problem.

What a bargain over in Canada, I hope those prices come our way soon with off peak rates at only 6.5 cents/kwh from 7 pm onwards. That is around 4p/kwh cheap rate and even peak rate is less than 8p/kwh . Cheap electricity for your daughter over there Hengus
All my heavy use electric appliances would be in that off peak period after 7 pm.. Like I said, savvy MSE devotee `s would make TOU pay.
Nothing to fear from TOU tariffs as far as I can see.
We do that with switching suppliers year on year whilst the other 60% pay through the nose so we can have a bargain priced deal, and TOU pricing will not change that

A._Badger

Uxb wrote: »

It also opens up the possibility of maximum demand pricing which I believe some other countries also use.

<cut>

The objective is to reduce peak demand points on the electric network since the public seem unwilling to actually pay for new power stations to provide for their ever increasing consumption.

Not really fair. The public hasn't been asked whether it would pay for new generating capacity What has happened is that the market for energy has been made so lop-sided in favour of 'Green' sources that it has become uneconomical for generators to invest in the sort of reliable, traditional, plants that can generate the power their customers want when they want it.

You might contend that this is the public's fault for electing successive clueless governments, but I would suggest that is hardly asking them. Most people have absolutely no idea what governments (or, indeed, the electricity companies) have been up to and (Brightonians excepted) are often quite bemused and angry when they find out.

datlex

Personally I am holding off getting them until they are actually smart. i.e. you can change suppliers or have different suppliers for each. At present it seems you cannot (at least not from what British Gas say).

[Deleted User]

Totally disagree. Whatever the outcome, i can virtually guarantee that we will all be paying through the nose for it.

antrobus

A._Badger wrote: »

Not really fair. The public hasn't been asked whether it would pay for new generating capacity,

The public hasn't be asked whether it would pay for new Aldi stores either. But Aldi built 'em. Their investment will succeed or fail depending on the public's appetite for their products. That's how 'economic democracy' works.

A._Badger wrote: »

What has happened is that the market for energy has been made so lop-sided in favour of 'Green' sources that it has become uneconomical for generators to invest in the sort of reliable, traditional, plants that can generate the power their customers want when they want it.

Like what?

[Deleted User]

Someone posted a list of all the supposed benefits of a smart grid in this thread. I must admit, i've not chuckled so much in long time!

The_Big_Bamboo

A._Badger wrote: »

Not really fair. The public hasn't been asked whether it would pay for new generating capacity What has happened is that the market for energy has been made so lop-sided in favour of 'Green' sources that it has become uneconomical for generators to invest in the sort of reliable, traditional, plants that can generate the power their customers want when they want it.

You might contend that this is the public's fault for electing successive clueless governments, but I would suggest that is hardly asking them. Most people have absolutely no idea what governments (or, indeed, the electricity companies) have been up to and (Brightonians excepted) are often quite bemused and angry when they find out.

God forbid you’re implying that most of the great British public are brainless fukin' zombies‽  
¯\_( ツ)_/¯  

Enterprise_1701C

We are just ignoring any letters about smart meters.

Some time ago we had an electricity meter that was similar, we wrapped it round the main power cable and it told us how much power we were using at any one time. We could not identify any power usage we could cut so we did the only thing we could do to cut consumption, we unplugged the meter.

Smart meters are being advertised as the way to cut consumption. Simple fact is that if we are not using something it is turned off so how can it possibly save us power?

I know someone that could hack smart meters standing on his head, I do not trust them and will not use them until there is an absolute guarantee, to the extent that they would be prosecuted, that the power companies cannot simply turn off power through them, consider that someone with smart meter number X1 didn't pay their bills but they accidentally turned off number X2, it could cause serious problems.

A._Badger

antrobus wrote: »

The public hasn't be asked whether it would pay for new Aldi stores either. But Aldi built 'em. Their investment will succeed or fail depending on the public's appetite for their products. That's how 'economic democracy' works.

That is no sort of comparison. Aldi operates in a (relatively) free competitive market. Energy generation is determined by government policy and subject to huge market distorting subsidies and penalties.