Smart Meters - general consensus?

[Spanrz]

Originally Posted by ESP

so smart in fact that ever since ours was installed in March/ April this year, we have yet to see our Bill !!!!!!

They can only bill you for the 9 months prior to the next bill.
Pretty certain that it works that that if you miss 12 months and they try to bill you for the 12 months prior, you are in bonus of 3 months free electricity.
But check that regulation first before demanding it.

I was in the same boat. Demanded a bill, they said an issue with the people who read meters and the software they used.
I got a bill for 6 months. I had to pay it.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by naughts

Like having a mobile phone next to your head!!!!

This is proven to be bad ??

Originally Posted by ESP

We are calling these idiots monthly asking for the Bill and they keep telling us they haven't yet had a reading provided to them...........so they don't know how much to Invoice............

Dont complain too much or they'll use the Syd method...they just guess (average of past usage,) without anyone actually physically reading the meter .

[michael_ozzie]

In regards to a mobile phone next to your head, how many of the people will work within 5m of the meter, 24/7? It's all about exposure rates, and there is certainly more radiation from the phone roaming in your pocket, right beside your nether regions, than in the 30 seconds per 1/2 hour they use to connect to your meter.

[ute83]

I have gone solar so didn't have a choice. The rates my retailer charges have gone up a bit but i now have offpeak rates for all power i use instead of just the hot water, plus off peak all weekend. So if you use power smartly you will come out saving a fair bit of cash i would think. As i said i'm on solar now so i shouldn't cop a bill at all.

[Matty4]

Originally Posted by Jason[98.EL]

you can not refuse anymore

Incorrect..
I did a bit of hunting around on a couple of the websites listed on the notices and found this on the SP Ausnet site

Do I have to have a smart meter?

SP AusNet makes every effort to work with customers to ensure they understand the requirements of the program and to resolve any issues and concerns they may have about their smart meter installation.

This is a Government mandated program and simple opposition to having a smart meter installed is not grounds for removal from the rollout. However, as the Government is currently undertaking a review of the program, a customer can choose not to have a smart meter installed. These customers will be placed on a deferred customer database list until the government review is complete.

So I called them and they said "no problems".
Whilst it's not a refusal, you can delay its installation for quite a while

[ltd_on20s]

Originally Posted by Matty4

Incorrect..
I did a bit of hunting around on a couple of the websites listed on the notices and found this on the SP Ausnet site


So I called them and they said "no problems".
Whilst it's not a refusal, you can delay its installation for quite a while

or have an older house, where all the meters are inside

[GK]

Ours was due to be installed, but I asked them not to.

They said "You'll end up with one down the track", so I guess that's true, but for now, I've got the sign on the meter box which says..

"Please do not install dumb meter!"

GK

[SPArKy_Dave]

Originally Posted by naughts

Cant believe nobody has mentioned the radiation these things emit. They have been banned in other parts of the world due to the radiation. Like having a mobile phone next to your head!!!! I have padlocked my meter box and put in a perspex windo so they can read the existing meter.

Yessir....... the smart meter radiation thing is big business in the USA at the moment...
You can find heaps of clips on youtube.
There are mobs who will come around, and measure the radiation output, of the smart meter.
Whole countys/states have put bans on the things over there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsuP_WBBr2c

A big electricity distribution Co in America - PG+E, who installed masses of them, has even begun to UN-install them now..... returning people to the old analogue meters.



With a mesh radio network smart meter, whilst your house itself may only have the data collected for 30secs in every half hour,
your meter is constantly being used as a link in the chain, to 'leap frog' other peoples data back to the central collection point.

Because of the above fact, the true transmission times of a meter, can be nearly 100% duty cycle..... depending on the number of other data packets it has to 'pass down the line'.

I for one, am choosing to fight till the death, against havng one of the things....
there's waaay too much uncertainty surrounding them..... and I don't just mean the radiation concerns.

(I'm in Victoria by the way.)

My sis rents a two bedroom unit, and got a smart meter installed
un-beknowns to her....
the only way she found out, was when she came to me for help,
because she'd gotten a bill for over $800, for just 1 month.

She'd tried to get it sorted, but the retailer just couldn't, or wouldn't fix it. Her previous bills were around $120 for 3 months.

As soon as I saw the smart meter, I just groaned....... oh no......

It still hasn't been sorted, some 4mths later.

[SPArKy_Dave]

Here's some good info on smart meter radiation -

go to the 23min point, for the interesting part

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-nmaYU6kek


an Aussie smart meter information clip -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYsAFxU3BaY


And a few more smart meter eye openers for the road......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYsAFxU3BaY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC-Nl8gGWQk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNrRIFkiHKM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCzI0R7M9To

[Dodd]

Just got my first "Smart metered" bill.... $250 cheaper than the one before!

Im guessing its due to the "correction" from them guessing my meter previously, and now its actually reading correctly.

The next bill will be more telling, considering the smart meters read accurately. I also dont have electric hot water, which is where i have heard alot of the costs can go up.

[joolz]

The old man in the country was the first to get a smart meter as he has solar. Its still not connected so they can read remotely so every billing period a guy has to plug in and download all the info (takes around 15min) So him being semi retired and used to work at PMG (Telstra) in R&D he has conducted several tests on the accuracy and has found they are out on average 5% in the power companies favor. Doesnt bother him as he hasnt had to pay a bill for the past 3 years but only credits which he still has to pay GST!