We even tag the appliances that we see being used in the home.
I have a problem with that. But the rest of it, meh. I don’t want them sharing how much power my particular meter uses, but if they want to share how much power my neighborhood uses, they can have at it.
I can always grow the illicit drugs with solar. ;)
Smart appliances might do that, but more likely, they are just making inferences based upon power draw, duration, and perhaps signature if their detail is fine enough.
The term ‘smart appliance’ means a product that uses electricity for its main power source which has the capability to receive, interpret and act on a signal received from a utility, third party energy service provider or home energy management device, and automatically adjust its operation depending on both the signal’s contents and settings from the consumer.The smart meter and smart appliances can send signals along the power line, turning your home wiring into an ethernet network. The appliance can send data to the meter, and the meter can send signals back to the appliance.
One of the major early applications was controlling your central air conditioner so the utility can shut it down if the power system is under stress.
They'll decide you may be using your furnace too much - and they CAN, thru' the Smart meter, Limit you.
It's is NOT about power usage - it's about control. If it were for usage, only, they can get that from your monthly bill.
If you don't want it- you need to send a certified letter to your company demanding "NO". Even then you need to be vigilant. nail a notice by you meter - "NO smart meter".
If they still install, you have recourse to have it removed, citing your previous demand.
they tried to sneak one in on me - but luckily I spotted him coming across the yard with it under his arm. I said:"Can I help you?"
"I'm here to put your Smart Meter on"?
"No, you're not."
(confused look) "Yes, it's right here" and took steps to continue.
Excuse me. You are NOT going to put that on my house...." (interrupting me "Yes, that's what I'm here for."
"You haven't been hearing me. Take your Smart Meter and yourself and LEAVE- NOW."
"But why?"
"Because I said so."
He left.
So they impose a $15 monthly fine on me for not having it. (I make separate checks, one for the bill and one for the $15, marked 'for fine."
They objected and said it's a fee, not a fine."
I said. "No, a fee is something you pay for something you get. this is a fine."
All that said, it's the radiation signature that I am the mot adamant against. It radiates in a 6'area around it- kills plants etc, and my head, when sleeping, is one foot away from the meter on the outside wall. Research YouTube for Smart Meter radiation...
If you DO have a Smart meter - you can deflect some of the radiation danger with a copper screen- but I'd put on the Inside of your house opposite the meter - to deflect the radiation from the back side...
Might be as simple as each appliance has a particular electrical noise signature in operation, and this alone acts as an identifying trait when used in correlation with a change in electrical draw. This presumes the meter monitor system can sample / analyze the electrical noise.
Computational devices have unique signatures beyond IP or MAC address considerations. The motherboard, video processor system, network card, etc. of a PC for instance, produce a unique pattern of time based interaction. The combination of resident software and hardware adds another layer of identifying character. Software with functional but variant code can, in combination with server interaction, act as an identifying beacon.
This is similar to having multiple sonar profiles of the same class of submarine, allowing identification of a specific ship, based on minor variances in the acoustic signature.