Octopus insisting we change old meter for smart meters - can we insist they put meter outside?

BellaBlondykeTheThird

Spoonie_Turtle said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

Qyburn said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

MeteredOut said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

On this subject anyone watch the channel 5 smart meter programme. It was all going well til they left the door open at the end to the conspiracies about data and what it can show if it gets sold on. 

And the guy who apparently reduced his *monthly* bills from around £500 to £150 due to his smart meter, but didn't know the difference between kW and kWh...

The show was more about entertainment than education.

Like 99% of people then. So the program will influence 99% of viewers which means lots more smart meter conspiracy here?

According to some of the press reports there was a guy on the program claiming that his outfit can identify which appliances are being used, and when. That sounds far fetched. I don't want to say impossible, but can you really pick out use of a kettle or washing machine just from the half hourly consumption data?

Yes this was at the end of the program and the shock factor ending.

I would suggest something like a kettles which draws a lot of power instantly and for a short time (spike) could be determined. They kept referencing the end of popular programs on TV for such activity. But other things such as air fryers may not be a different power draw to a hair dryer for example but I guess the time of use at dinner time you could infer a cooking device.

So we've established it's not actually possible, and this is not directed at you (just quoting for convenience) but my constant confusion whenever people bring it up as a concern is:
even if it were possible, WHY?  Why would that be a problem?  What could anyone possibly gain from it other than maybe helping them predict future demand?  How could anyone do anything nefarious with the hypothetical knowledge of when you're boiling the kettle or blow drying your hair???  I mean in a very literal sense, who cares?

Well educated guess even on 30 mins you could guess electric shower time, cooking times and then baseline sleep times.

So some things are possible but not exact (unless we all get Octopus minis as an example)

I am with you in that "who cares* our smart water meter was installed before Christmas, we didn't have a choice, no riots in the streets yet even I can tell when we have been to the toilet on the graphs lol

Spoonie_Turtle

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

Qyburn said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

MeteredOut said:

BellaBlondykeTheThird said:

On this subject anyone watch the channel 5 smart meter programme. It was all going well til they left the door open at the end to the conspiracies about data and what it can show if it gets sold on. 

And the guy who apparently reduced his *monthly* bills from around £500 to £150 due to his smart meter, but didn't know the difference between kW and kWh...

The show was more about entertainment than education.

Like 99% of people then. So the program will influence 99% of viewers which means lots more smart meter conspiracy here?

According to some of the press reports there was a guy on the program claiming that his outfit can identify which appliances are being used, and when. That sounds far fetched. I don't want to say impossible, but can you really pick out use of a kettle or washing machine just from the half hourly consumption data?

Yes this was at the end of the program and the shock factor ending.

I would suggest something like a kettles which draws a lot of power instantly and for a short time (spike) could be determined. They kept referencing the end of popular programs on TV for such activity. But other things such as air fryers may not be a different power draw to a hair dryer for example but I guess the time of use at dinner time you could infer a cooking device.

So we've established it's not actually possible, and this is not directed at you (just quoting for convenience) but my constant confusion whenever people bring it up as a concern is:
even if it were possible, WHY?  Why would that be a problem?  What could anyone possibly gain from it other than maybe helping them predict future demand?  How could anyone do anything nefarious with the hypothetical knowledge of when you're boiling the kettle or blow drying your hair???  I mean in a very literal sense, who cares?

Well educated guess even on 30 mins you could guess electric shower time, cooking times and then baseline sleep times.

So some things are possible but not exact (unless we all get Octopus minis as an example)

I am with you in that "who cares* our smart water meter was installed before Christmas, we didn't have a choice, no riots in the streets yet even I can tell when we have been to the toilet on the graphs lol

But again, apart from showing when the house is empty and thus possibly a target to consider for burgling*, I am curious what people fearful of this scenario actually think people might do with that data.  Anyone smart enough to hypothetically get hold of the data is too smart to think breaking in whilst you're in the shower or asleep is a good idea.

(*I know that won't happen either, due to security of the data.  Just hypothetically, in the imaginary scenario that the data isn't secure.)