Thanks for the info. Have also been hearing of these “smart” meters and about same time our Elect. provider began “offering” some “smart thermostat” or somesuch. I think many, include self, have smart meter confused with the smart thermostat thingy.
Couple of years ago ONCOR replaced our analog meter with one they can read over the powerline, their reasoning was to quit the meterreaders.
I seriously doubt the smart meter has any way to cut power or reduce power to us and as you say is to report usage every 4 hours. Interrupting 200 amps is not something that could be done in that small smart meter package. Right?
That “smart thermostat” thing is a remote operated cutoff for your AC / heat and water heater ... could also control heavy motors like a pool pump , they state xx minutes off in a xx hour period but they always seem to exceed the promise when they’re short on power, the purpuse is to let the electric utility run their main generator (coal , nat gas , oil ) up to VERY near full capacity and then spike demand when it gets critical long enough to fire up their secondary generators (basically jet engine driven), it keeps them from having to fire up the jet engines as often saving them fuel.. typically they offer peanuts ... not worth it ... I tried it maybe 20 years ago and had the box go bad ,, lost AC and hot water for a few days .. not cool...
I don't confuse the two but I know smart meters are simply the "camel's nose under the tent" for Big Brother thermostats. Once ratepayers are comfortable with that concept, centrally-controlled thermostats will follow like night follows day.
Utility companies and state PUCs have happily jumped into bed with Obama's energy program. When he says under his plan energy prices "will necessarily skyrocket," that's music to their ears. My electricity rates have more than doubled in the past 3 years and "smart meters" will increase them even more. My "smart" water meter has caused my bill to jump about 20% even with a decrease in usage. I trust the utility companies as much as I trust the EPA.
Uh, no. All of our electric meter models can be ordered with internal disconnect contactors. We have a patented method that reduces arcing on disconnect.
Power is disconnected, of course, if you don't pay, and every state has different laws on when power can be disconnected by a utility.
As to the load-shedding functions (e.g., air conditioning compressor or pool pump disconnect), you have to opt in to that. It doesn't make sense at my house (we homeschool and someone is always here), so I didn't opt into it, even though we have a smart meter. Even if you do, you can go out and push a button, and the pool pump or whatever will come back on.
Ironically, the smart meter at my house is made by my competitor. Uggh.