Does Anyone Know About "Smart Meters"? - Page 1

This is easy. The city or utility owns the meters on your house and the homeowners have no right to stop them from changing out meters, reading them or checking whether they are in working order. If you don't want a new meter don't take one and live without electricity, gas or water. Simple.

Smart meters don't require you to go right up to the meter to read it.

You can drive down the street and actually read them from your vehicle.

Kind of like a wireless connection to the meter.

Yeah but the paranoids are afraid of them.

No, they don't interfere with your privacy. All they do is provide accurate readings and do away with estimates. I have found the estimates are usually higher than the actual usage. So no problems here. And the meter readers don't have to worry if there is a German Shepherd patrolling the perimeter.

No, the utilities can come on your property to check their property, it doesn't matter if they are the only company. If the people don't want it then don't have the utility. The homeowner does not own the meter. I read meters for awhile and just because a homeowner used 50.00 worth of electricity one month doesn't mean they will use that same amount every month of the year. Only time in my area that an estimate is done is if the meter reader couldn't get to the meter.

What is the difference if there is 1 company or 6? If it is their property they own it so they can change it, read it or check on it and they don't have to tell you a thing. Again the home owner doesn't have to take the service if he is so worried about the harmful effects of the meter (as they have a cell phone plastered to their ear half the day).

If there were 6 companies competing, maybe at least one would offer the monthly meter reading or estimated billing some of these customers would prefer.  As far as estimates go,  I can get yearly estimates of usage divided into 12 balanced payments for my oil, electric and gas usage.  This is useful for people on fixed incomes who can't easily handle the seasonal fluctuations in utility costs.  It doesn't hurt the utilities since they can overcharge slightly and just credit the difference forward without refunding any money already collected. 

Come to think of it, why can't utilities measure my power usage on their computers they way the phone company knows my phone records without coming to my house?!

ugh.

Well, with a Smart Meter they can! LOL.... oh dear.... the point is to AVOID estimates!   The point is to pay what you use! The number of companies have nothing to do with reading your meter..... it is the rate that is set by any one or six companies providing energy services that will make a difference.