to think Smart Meters are just an invasion of privacy?

[evrybuddy]

Just had a letter from NPower saying they want to install Smart Meters.

The basic premise seems to be they will collect all data on my gas and electric usage - and in exchange for that...

They will then tell me what my gas and electric usage is and when I'm using it!!!

And I can make of that what I will - and get up earlier and boil the kettle at a different time or get the kids up at 3 in the morning for cheap electric baths or whatever.... in other words I already live a way that suits me, at a gas and electric cost that suits me and I use gas and electric at times when I have to.

Okay, I understand that this may clear up the situation about the man living secretly in my loft and coming out when I go to work and watching TV infrot of the gas-fire all day...

Just what is the point of this huge endeavour?

Just more snooping or what?

Anybody rejected a meter?

You making a cup of tea wouldn't become data though smart meters don't show what appliances are in use, just that something is in use.

And like I said above, you don't have to have them set to report every half hour. You can set it to be less frequent and just show how much energy has been used, which is basically just what they'd get from a standard meter reading anyway.

Ah. Sadly, wrong on both counts. See my thread linked above...

The original govt docs I referenced in that thread have annoyingly been moved, so it takes a bit of googling to find them now. But I've just found and scanned quickly through this one from DECC: Smart Metering Implementation Programme: A call for evidence on data access and privacy

As you can see, the energy suppliers were keen in 2011 when that was published to have half-hourly data made mandatory (I think Brit Gas even lobbied parliament for it, but I'll dig for that in a mo). The Dept of Energy and Climate Change were unconvinced they'd made enough of a business case to balance the loss of privacy, but, and I quote:

"20. There are also questions about how this balance might change over time. In the initial stages of the roll-out, it will be particularly important to ensure that consumer confidence is maintained. Moreover, the value to suppliers of having access to data for different purposes may change over time, for example. as settlement rules change. It will therefore be important to allow for the policy to evolve over time."

So, even if you have the ability to opt out of half-hourly sharing now, DECC anticipate they may change these once the meters are installed.

OK, I tell a lie, Brit Gas were just lobbying for the half-hourly sharing to be set as default, and consumers would have to actively opt-out.

Here's their written submission to Parliament on 28 Oct 2011:

"Secondly, default access to half-hourly data is needed for maximum understanding and management of energy use. Without this data, tailored bills are difficult; appliance-by-appliance level analysis over how to cut bills is impossible, and Time of Use Tariffs will be ruled out. We therefore advocate default access to data, but with clear opportunities for "opt-out" for customers who wish to (less than 19 out of 100,000 we wrote to recently have done so)."

And as you see, they told Parliament they plan to do "appliance-by-appliance level analysis" on your Smart Meter data - which means exactly what it says.

BTW it's possible some things have changed - in either direction - since 2011. I haven't been keeping up at the very detailed level.

I'll be happy to hear of any material changes (soothing PR fluff need not apply).

I have a time delay plug on my washing machine & dryer that turns them on in the middle of the night; DH has set it to finish as the cheap electric finishes as people tend to sleep more lightly as the daylight starts, which combined with smoke alarms protects us as much as we can ever be protected from fires.

I also have underfloor heating which is on at night & less during the day

I consistently use less electric than the electric company anticipates & today had to phone as they had estimated my meter reading as 00909 & it was 99775 and I didn't want to be charged 98866

I don't have any gas supply where I live, so everything is running on electric. To switch to single rate would cost me much more than eco 7 because I would still need my hot water tank to be filled each day and storage heaters to be heated up. I did look into it a couple of years ago but making all the changes necessary to my house would be seriously expensive

Just seen this article - it seems I was wrong - Smart Meters aren't just an invasion of privacy they also enable the energy companies to shaft us on pricing - whenever it suits...

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3322658/The-great-smart-meter-rip-UK-energy-giants-use-devices-DOUBLE-cost-power-need-most.html#ixzz3tBMIdVLP

No surprises there though.