by Warren Woodward
Industry mouthpiece SmartGridNews finally admitted that “smart” meters are surveillance devices. Of course they didn’t quite put it that bluntly. In fact, they celebrate the ability of utilities to know what appliances people use as another tool to help craft the wonderful world of the future.
Below is my letter to the Arizona Corporation Commission pointing out that industry has finally come out and admitted what I and others have been saying for years. [Note from TBYP: It’s important that you send your utility your notice of Non-Consent via registered mail. Subscribe to our Newsletter for forthcoming document templates, solutions & news — and see our Solutions page for current links to templates.]
The SmartGridNews article, entitled “Now utilities can tell customers how much energy each appliance uses (just from the smart meter data),” is here.
May 15, 2014
Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC)
Docket Control Center
1200 West Washington Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85007Re: Docket # E-01345A-14-0113
Ladies and Gentlemen;
Here is breaking news. SmartGridNews has just come out of the closet and admitted what I and others have been saying all long: “Smart” meters are surveillance devices.
APS and utilities nationwide have been denying the surveillance capability of “smart” meters but here is one of the foremost “smart” meter cheerleaders in the world finally admitting the truth.
SmartGridNews calls such “smart” grid industry names as Telvent, Silver Spring Networks and Lockheed Martin its “major sponsors”. So of course the news story attempts to put a positive spin on the surveillance, hyping such nonsense as an “over 4% conservation [of energy] after just a few months”.
Wow, that means I might save four whole dollars and change on a one hundred dollar electrical bill. Where do I sign up to be spied on?
Enclosed is the SmartGridNews article, Now utilities can tell customers how much energy each appliance uses (just from the smart meter data).
Sincerely,
Warren Woodward
PS – In the article, note the creepy picture of a guy dressed in black and using binoculars. SmartGridNews is shameless to promote Peeping Toms as cool. Note also Orwellian phrasing such as “behavioral science“ and turning ratepayers into “willing partners“. It’s not a “smart” grid; it’s a sick grid.
Warren Woodward is a conscious activist in Arizona.
This is nothing new. The concept of data dis-aggregation has been around for at least the last 15 years. I did a project in Thailand w/ EPRI years ago around this very premise. You don’t need an AMI (aka SMART) meter to do this, you only need a meter that records intervals and you need a general understanding of typical loads. For example, MOST (not all) refrigerators in homes use the same general amt of power. MOST (not all) AC and/or heating units use the same general amount of power on a comparably sized home. You can look at patterns and figure this stuff out. Then again, if you want to know when my AC is running, you can also ride by the house and listen for the compressor. Don’t get all ‘conspiracy theory’ crazy w/ this concept! If you want to know when I am using lighting loads, you can probably ride by my house and see if the inside of the house is lit up or not. Same old story, different approach. This has absolutely nothing to do w/ AMI other than the fact that the data is easier to compile when it comes in via an AMI source. NOTE that my opinions in this article are my own and do not represent the views of my employer in any way.
Consider the development of Broadband Over Powerlines (BPL), an emerging technology that enables network connectivity to computers and other devices using your home’s electrical wiring.
SMH and rolling my eyes. People who use smart phones, credit cards, and the internet and complain about “smart meters” (that are dumber than most people think) crack me up.