smart meter

[HolaWeenie]

I'm totally fascinated by the smart meter we just set up. 10p a shower 4p to dry and straighten my hair, and 2p a cuppa.

Just noticed the washing machine is energy hungry. So it got me wondering is there a cheap time of day to do the washing?

Does anyone else have a meter? What do you notice goes through a lot of energy?

We had a smart meter installed then my mom filled me with dread with stories about headaches and illnesses from the waves. I'd just had DS2 so was a bit emotional so we had the smart 'dumbed' down. I did like looking at the energy use change every time I turned the kettle on!

Have you had it 'turned up' again?

No not yet but I am back to my normal self now so feel a bit daft! It was the same man who came both times, bet he thought I was a nutter going on about rays!!

He's probably used to it - I wouldn't worry.

Does your Mum have a problem with wifi and radio waves by the way?

No I don't think so... just the smart. She means well but can be a bit dramatic at times. Normally just nod and ignore but post baby I was too emotional to see sense!

Pretty sure the 'waves' are just WiFi ...and we are surrounded by that constantly anyway...
Dons tin foil hat -
We don't actually know the long term affect on our health of constant WiFi - but even if you don't have WiFi in your house you will be being exposed to your neighbours (unless you live in the middle of a field somewhere)
Takes hat off...
This is what Cancer Uk say about it (and mobile phones) -scroll down for WiFi www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-controversies/mobile-phones-wifi-and-power-lines
I guess people could have said the same about the Radio waves (as in Radio 4) and TV signals at one time ...

What I think is more worrying about Smart meters is the Energy companies knowing about our individual usage and maybe charging higher rates at peak times.
www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/bills/article-3322658/The-great-smart-meter-rip-UK-energy-giants-use-devices-DOUBLE-cost-power-need-most.html

And the fact that it contains a remote off switch -so could be a cyber attack by terrorists or even the Energy companies themselves to conserve power if we start to suffer severe energy shortages. They could just pull the main plug for that - except that would affect hospitals, schools etc - this way they could just target domestic customers - maybe make exceptions for people with special needs (like medical equipment)
www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/meters-offswitch.pdf

I don't have one!!! Have chosen not to - but I did have an energy reader that measured just electricity usage - it clips on to the mains feed . Not a fancy colour one but it works. I still have it but have a pretty good idea now how much electricity everything I have uses so don't bother at the moment - but would get it out if I bought eg a new appliance - or my energy usage suddenly shot up (I do monitor my bills/usage). So I do totally get the initial fascination of seeing how much power everything uses...

On a similar note - I had a new condenser boiler fitted last Oct - replaced a 15 yr old dodgy non- condenser - and even though we have had a mild winter and I haven't changed the heating settings etc -it is on for the same amount of time - I don't think it is actually 30% more efficient than the old one - or at least my usage hasn't gone done by that much! Guess I should give it a year though to be fair...

I am resisting smart meters, because they could be hacked, and because I don't want anyone to be able to turn off my power remotely; even if they think they are entitled to do it, and have not got the wrong house, or the wrong person of the same name, or an account number with a transposition, or have not lost track of my payments and think I have an overdue account, or any of the other mistakes that happen. There is an advantage to the supply company, but there is no advantage to the consumer. It only becomes a significant advantage to the supplier if they can turn you off, or charge you higher prices at different times.

I use Owl energy monitors, which are often available slightly used in fleabay for a modest price. The sensor just clips round the meter tail, and it sends a wireless signal to the battery-operated display. I use the model that connects to the PC with a USB cable and draws graphs and charts. It is not very accurate below 500W. You can run several displays off one sensor if you want, provided the model is the same.

coconutoil go tell your mum to read the simple explanations on sense about science, and to take off her tinfoil hat.

decades of crap energy policy means the UK no longer has enough generation capacity for peak use. Demand management is coming, suck it up.

I don't think she was worried about them knowing our energy use. She uses less than anyone I know... Heating only on December and January, no tumble drier, only full loads of washing, no dishwasher or electric shower, all energy saving light bulbs, all electrics/lights off when not in use.
She was more worried about health concerns. Think she had read or heard something, like I said normally I take it with a pinch of salt but a brand new baby had my head all over the place.

Our smart meter only showed whether usage is high or low by turning red, Amber or green. After awhile we unplugged it as I needed the plug for something else. We were not having a cost displayed.