Refusal to Allow Smart Meter cause for Arrest

The Blaze ^ | 1/24/13 | Pleistarchos

[Pleistarchos]

This is one brave woman, People like this put many of us to shame for our failure to act. Appropriately her last name means 'steel' in German.

"Jennifer Stahl has been a strong advocate against the smart meter program in Naperville, Ill., for the last two years. The issue came to a head Wednesday afternoon when she was arrested while refusing to let the utility workers install the controversial device....

Stahl was at a friend’s house when she received the call from her husband that the utility workers had arrived. She was home within 15 minutes and saw they were at a neighbor’s house. Her neighbors were not home, but they had signs stating they did not permit the new meter to be installed......

[Jonty30]

If it were forced upon me, I’d probably discontinue my relationship with the power company, and force them to take their property with them. I’d power my home in some other way.

[rockinqsranch]

All the alleged “Smart Meter” does is send the readings to the power company instead of a meter reader once a month. What is it you think the “Smart Meter” does?

Granted they know your useage in current time opposed to once a month, but so what.

I think this stuff about “Smart Meter” is contrived tin foil hat crap. Only negative thing I can see about it is some poor guy/gal lost their meter reading job.

[warsaw44]

What exactly does this thing do? I read the article but it never really mentioned.

Is it just a replacement for an older style of electric usage meter?

[Jonty30]

I don’t think the power companies are so insistent on installing them because they are good for us. I’d rather ante up $60000 for solar power, rather than be tracked.

[Mastador1]

Well if you have natural gas and can afford it, you can always go with your own generator and opt out of the system, just be prepared to spend the money on maintenance,repair and replacement as I don’t believe the systems are rated for non stop year round use.

[apillar]

It’s my understanding these “smart meters” work on wireless transmission similar to cellular that allows them to be in constant contact with the power company. I imagine some heavy metallic “remodeling” in the area of the antenna would render them useless.

[Ellendra]

It’s supposed to allow the power company to shut down power to your house remotely, among other things.

But, they have issues. The readings can be way off, there’s a chance the shut-off signal could be hacked. but mainly, it’s about who decides what goes on your property, you or them?

[Rex Anderson]

One of the problems to homeowners is that the power company will have ability to control your thermostat.

[Kirkwood]

Good luck with that.

[Ellendra]

From the comments section:

Why be a martyr? This isn’t the civil rights movement where you have the tide of society and the media in your favor. There will be no university hunger strikes, or long 60 minutes episode on you, the jailed. As far as the global enthusiasts and the media are concerned, going to jail for a smart meter means your an unenlightened right winger that deserves to rot there.

Instead let them put the meter on your property. Say nothing. Then go buy 200,000 volt stun gun. When the stun gun is placed at the meter’s metallic base and triggered it takes about 2 seconds to turn an expensive smart meter into a pile of non-functional junk. After the meter mysteriously shorts out every month, they will go back to the old meter. If they do an investigation…consider your activities good training in subterfuge.

[Jonty30]

Him, I like.

[piytar]

Every effective political movement has two parts: those who protest openly and those who subvert covertly.

[Paladin2]

The new meters, among other “features”, allow anyone in control of the meter to remotely turn off the electricity to your house.

[apillar]

One of the problems to homeowners is that the power company will have ability to control your thermostat.

I have heard that before but I don't see how it would work, nothing on an outside "smart" meter could affect only your central heat, short of cutting all power to your residence. Now if there is a special thermostat they want to install that would an entirely different issue (and easy enough to circumvent as you can override the thermostat entirely by fiddling with a couple wires in your furnace - I had a bad thermostat once and being too cheap to replace it I wired up a simple $2 Radioshack on/off toggle switch). Not to mention you could always easily circumvent any power company meddling just by purchasing a couple plug in space heaters.

[Paladin2]

" ...rather than be tracked. "

And controlled.

[dalereed]

In San Diego you can refuse them but you have to pay extra for their power.

I personally like it, I have a rental and when a tennant moves out I call SDG&E and with a computer entry they are billed and the bill is shifted to my account.

[glasseye]

I think the end game here is to make you pay more for power when demand is high, like on hot days, when you need it.

And when it is more expensive for the utility.

Follow the money.

[Paladin2]

The more sophisticated Smart Meters have a second wireless system designed to be used to communicate with “smart” devices in your house, like the thermostat (or the gov’t microphones).

[Dallas59]

Need AC? Don't want "smart meters"?