Energy news in general

MikeJXE

matt_drummer said:

Gerry1 said:

MikeJXE said:

Rates and standing charges vary for gas depending what zone you are in so why not electric too ? 

Standing charges don't vary from hour to hour.

When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, zonal electricity prices will be hiked dramatically to make electricity too expensive for you to use.

As the article admits, instead of building enough power stations and grid capacity to meet everyone's energy needs, you'll have to organise your life and do as you're told to suit the suppliers' shortcomings.  The servants want to become the masters.

I've been saying this for yonks (it's all part of Demand Side Response) but the industry shills always shoot me down and shout 'scaremonger' !

Yes, you have been saying it for a while.

But you never give a solution.

Is there one?

Do you think this will only apply to consumers with smart meters?

You think those without smart meters will carry on as normal?

Yes they can be switched off remotely where others can’t 

matt_drummer

MikeJXE said:

matt_drummer said:

Gerry1 said:

MikeJXE said:

Rates and standing charges vary for gas depending what zone you are in so why not electric too ? 

Standing charges don't vary from hour to hour.

When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, zonal electricity prices will be hiked dramatically to make electricity too expensive for you to use.

As the article admits, instead of building enough power stations and grid capacity to meet everyone's energy needs, you'll have to organise your life and do as you're told to suit the suppliers' shortcomings.  The servants want to become the masters.

I've been saying this for yonks (it's all part of Demand Side Response) but the industry shills always shoot me down and shout 'scaremonger' !

Yes, you have been saying it for a while.

But you never give a solution.

Is there one?

Do you think this will only apply to consumers with smart meters?

You think those without smart meters will carry on as normal?

Yes they can be switched off remotely where others can’t 

So you really think those people with smart meters will be `punished' whilst those without will be able to continue as normal?

I really cannot see that happening.

MikeJXE

matt_drummer said:

MikeJXE said:

matt_drummer said:

Gerry1 said:

MikeJXE said:

Rates and standing charges vary for gas depending what zone you are in so why not electric too ? 

Standing charges don't vary from hour to hour.

When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, zonal electricity prices will be hiked dramatically to make electricity too expensive for you to use.

As the article admits, instead of building enough power stations and grid capacity to meet everyone's energy needs, you'll have to organise your life and do as you're told to suit the suppliers' shortcomings.  The servants want to become the masters.

I've been saying this for yonks (it's all part of Demand Side Response) but the industry shills always shoot me down and shout 'scaremonger' !

Yes, you have been saying it for a while.

But you never give a solution.

Is there one?

Do you think this will only apply to consumers with smart meters?

You think those without smart meters will carry on as normal?

Yes they can be switched off remotely where others can’t 

So you really think those people with smart meters will be `punished' whilst those without will be able to continue as normal?

I really cannot see that happening.

I am not saying they will I’m saying they can 

matt_drummer

I know they can, in theory.

But they really can't do that, can they?

To avoid any public uproar, any restrictions or 'punishments' would have to be be applied globally (between smart and non smart meters) and it will be at least as `bad' for those without smart meters, and in all likely hood, worse.

Gerry1

matt_drummer said:

Gerry1 said:

MikeJXE said:

Rates and standing charges vary for gas depending what zone you are in so why not electric too ? 

Standing charges don't vary from hour to hour.

When the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine, zonal electricity prices will be hiked dramatically to make electricity too expensive for you to use.

As the article admits, instead of building enough power stations and grid capacity to meet everyone's energy needs, you'll have to organise your life and do as you're told to suit the suppliers' shortcomings.  The servants want to become the masters.

I've been saying this for yonks (it's all part of Demand Side Response) but the industry shills always shoot me down and shout 'scaremonger' !

Yes, you have been saying it for a while.
But you never give a solution.
Is there one?
Do you think this will only apply to consumers with smart meters?
You think those without smart meters will carry on as normal?

There needs to be an honest discussion and debate.

• We have to make sure that the generating capacity is up to the job, but instead the authorities have penny pinched and let our power stations crumble away and be closed without replacements being built.  Correcting all this creaky infrastructure won't come cheaply.

• Or we can accept that our lifestyles will change forever: rationing by surge pricing, load limiting and ultimately load shedding will become the norm.

It may be that only the rich will be able to switch on as they please and the rest of us will have to do as we're told when the Smart Meter Says No.  But it shouldn't be introduced and imposed by stealth, that's what grinds my gears.

matt_drummer

Gerry1 said:

.  But it shouldn't be introduced and imposed by stealth, that's what grinds my gears.

Me too!

Smart meters should have been mandatory and installed on a street by street basis.

MikeJXE

Citizens Advice 

If you have a ‘smart meter’

If you have a smart energy meter in your home, your supplier could potentially disconnect your supply remotely without needing access to your meter. However, before they do this, they must have:

• contacted you to discuss options for repaying your debt, eg through a repayment plan

matt_drummer

MikeJXE said:

Citizens Advice 

If you have a ‘smart meter’

If you have a smart energy meter in your home, your supplier could potentially disconnect your supply remotely without needing access to your meter. However, before they do this, they must have:

• contacted you to discuss options for repaying your debt, eg through a repayment plan

What is your point here?

That advice is about debt.

Suppliers can also disconnect a non smart meter, they just have to come to the property to do it.

It says quite clearly that they have to contact you first, they can't just switch anything off just because they feel like it.

MikeJXE

The point I am making is 

Smart meters can be switched off remotely en mass 

Others can’t unless they come to your door 

Yes I know there are regulations and we all know how secure they are NOT 

matt_drummer

MikeJXE said:

The point I am making is 

Smart meters can be switched off remotely en mass 

Others can’t unless they come to your door 

Yes I know there are regulations and we all know how secure they are NOT 

They can turn off whole areas at the substations.

What do you think will happen if they just turned off properties with smart meters fitted and left all the others connected?

It will never happen.

It would be commercial and political suicide.