Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

BGE to begin smart meter installation in May
The Baltimore Sun ^ | March 18, 2012 | Hanah Cho

Posted on 03/18/2012 3:01:05 PM PDT by RedMDer

Starting in May, Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. will begin installing "smart meters" in a huge undertaking intended to modernize Central Maryland's electricity grid and save customers money by helping them control energy use. ...

"We look at this as the most transformational change in the electricity grid in the last 100 years," said Mark D. Case, BGE's vice president of strategy and regulatory affairs. "It is really not overstating it to describe it in those terms."

(Excerpt) Read more at baltimoresun.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Maryland
KEYWORDS:
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last
Snip:
BGE customers who still have concerns currently cannot opt out of the smart-meter project. The Maryland Public Service Commission, however, plans to consider at a hearing in May whether to require the state's utilities to have an opt-out provision.
1 posted on 03/18/2012 3:01:11 PM PDT by RedMDer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: All

More transformational change where we can’t opt out.


2 posted on 03/18/2012 3:04:02 PM PDT by RedMDer (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=93)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RedMDer

“..save customers money by helping them control energy use...”

Gee, I wonder what ‘control energy use’ means.


3 posted on 03/18/2012 3:11:19 PM PDT by lacrew (Mr. Soetoro, we regret to inform you that your race card is over the credit limit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: lacrew

>>>Gee, I wonder what ‘control energy use’ means.

It means they can “pull the plug” on you at their will by sending a signal to the meter.


4 posted on 03/18/2012 3:14:32 PM PDT by Keith in Iowa (Willard Romney, purveyor of the world's finest bullmitt. | FR Class of 1998 |)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: lacrew

Exactly. They already know what the usage is for each customer.


5 posted on 03/18/2012 3:15:52 PM PDT by RedMDer (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=93)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: RedMDer

More government takeover of people’s lives. Denying people the right to set their thermostats to what is comfortable to them.

I wonder if Obama still has the Whitey House at 80 degrees in the winter?

Cause he is from Hawaii dontcha know.


6 posted on 03/18/2012 3:16:58 PM PDT by dforest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dforest

He can do WHATEVER he WANTS, and don’t you ever forget that, you unruly peasant!!;)


7 posted on 03/18/2012 3:19:56 PM PDT by Frank_2001
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dforest

You mean, the White Shack, no?

Or as other FRpers put it, the White Hut.


8 posted on 03/18/2012 3:20:25 PM PDT by Levante
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Keith in Iowa
".........they can “pull the plug” on you at their will by sending a signal to the meter."

They've been able to do that for years. These new meters are digital and the user is able to "track" their power use daily, keep a log of it. I've had one for years, and it's been very helpful. But now they want radio transmissions to track it from their headquarters. My big objection is the radio waves it introduces to your home.

9 posted on 03/18/2012 3:25:59 PM PDT by EggsAckley ( There's an Ethiopian in the fuel supply ! ! ..)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RedMDer

Florida Power and Light is also deep into the installation project. Over 500 unskilled jobs will be lost as a result. It makes economic sense but the unprecedented automation - e.g. rubbish pickup has gone down from a truck with three men to only one operating the truck and barrel lift - is quickly making unskilled labor a thing of the past. Heaven help the unschooled inner city youth.


10 posted on 03/18/2012 3:26:34 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Limbaugh: Tim Tebow miracle: "He had atheists praying to God that he would lose.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NonValueAdded

I opted out here in SoCal, at least until they do whatever the heck they want. They’ve done our neighborhood but mine has opt out tag on it. I just don’t trust anything this government says will “help me.”


11 posted on 03/18/2012 3:31:39 PM PDT by RGF
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Levante

“Or as other FRpers put it, the White Hut.”

I thought it was “The White Crib.”


12 posted on 03/18/2012 3:31:55 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: RedMDer
When I live in MD some years ago, I voluntarily agreed to have BGE install a smart meter. It did actually save me a lot of money over time in usage and I got a monthly rebate for participating as did the programmable thermostat that I installed myself. I never noticed any down side. But that was as I said, voluntary at the time.

I also installed programmable light switches that turned off and on according to my schedule whether I was at home or not. Being a single woman, I liked coming home into a house with some lights on especially in the dark winter months without having to burn electricity all day long when I didn’t need to.

13 posted on 03/18/2012 3:33:12 PM PDT by MD Expat in PA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Heh, heh, good one!!!


14 posted on 03/18/2012 3:40:43 PM PDT by Levante
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: RedMDer
While stationed at Ft. Benning in early 1990’s I remember the base purchased power at a discounted rate for the year. The caveat was that if the base came close to exceeding their power usage they would cut power to the AC in the Enlisted Housing. This would last for up to nine hours on some really hot days.
Some of the Enlisted Wives confronted the Housing Office and were told everyone was sharing the hardship. During one such outage the Wives went around and found out that Officer Housing still had power, and that caused a big stink. When confronted a new policy was adopted that power would only be off for up to four hours and all Base Housing would share the burden.
I wonder if this smart metering is a way to force people to not exceed their allowed maximum power usage. Of course exceptions will be applied to those who have been deemed important.
15 posted on 03/18/2012 3:42:28 PM PDT by soupbone1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RGF

We went on a delayed installation list, but that will go away after April. If we want to opt out after that, we get a one time fee of $75 and $10 a month charge for the privilege of not having a smart meter. Seems they are better as tracking parasitic useage and most bills go up. I detest SCE because they shorten and extend our days between readings, and because we are three tiered, we inevitably get to pay more per kilowath hour on the 35 day readings. If the smart meters eliminate that problem it’ll be a small miracle.


16 posted on 03/18/2012 3:42:33 PM PDT by pacpam (action=consequence and applies in all cases - friend of victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: RedMDer

It appears as though the electric companies have figured out that people are going to be able to afford and pay for the energy rates we are going to get from Barry the Kenyan Guy and his EPA energy gestapo. Whatever happened to America? The Obama voters sure need their asses kicked for causing this crap.


17 posted on 03/18/2012 3:43:44 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (The first lesson you learn as a pollster is that people are stupid. - Dem pollster, Tom Jensen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dforest

I was talking with a local HVAC guy here. He told me of a NEW regulation that is going into effect later on this year. Before the inspector can sign off on an installation he MUST install a programmable thermostat and is SHALL be programmed for certain temperatures. I think it was 65 for heat and 78 or 80 for cool. I’m not really sure about the settings.

He was angry about it because many of his customers will balk at a new installation if they can’t keep their old thermostat. He said he could teach them how to program it after the inspection but not before hand. Just another set of intrusive regulations as far as he was concerned.


18 posted on 03/18/2012 3:45:52 PM PDT by The Working Man (No child left behind should be: No Child left a dime.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Levante

Well,,,, all my Black buddies refer to their domicile as their “Crib.” That’s old slang, going back at least 40 years.


19 posted on 03/18/2012 3:47:30 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: MD Expat in PA

There is almost always someone at home here and I really don’t like the idea of a radio transmitter attached to our house. Besides it should be none of the energy company’s business how much I want to spend in electrical or gas power. Evidently they now want to make their business.


20 posted on 03/18/2012 3:55:55 PM PDT by RedMDer (https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=93)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson