My little rant

[Possom]

Yesterday I discover the reason I need to get my family more off the grid. My electric bill averages around $230 a month most months. This month (from dec 23rd to jan 24th) my bill is $440. I didn't change anything I have been doing. No new appliances pulling mass power. I went to the electric company office to find out why it was so high. While I am there 2 other people come in wanting to know why our damn bills have doubled this month. They tell us all the same thing "because it has been so much colder you are using more to heat your house." I heat with a pellet stove and offset with central heat. I have done this for years and never had a bill over $300.

After I left there I stopped by the feed store to pick up some stuff. Talked to the lady working in there. Her bill is $529 this month. Normally it's around $250. Called my sister. She doesn't heat with electric at all. Pellet stove only. No new purchases. Her bill doubled as well for no reason. Her fiancé is out of town on a business trip. Has been for better then a month. His bill is the same this month as it was the month before and he hasn't even been here. Everything is shut off at the breaker box until he gets back.

So I get on Facebook and post something to the effect of "is it just me or is everyone getting screwed by the electric company this month? Within an hour I had 15 or so people telling me their bill had doubled as well for no reason. Some as high as $700. My neighbor posted that his camp trailer (which he stays in some weekends at a permanent spot on the lake) was $139 this month. For a damn camper that has been stayed in maybe 6 days out of the month.

Now for the interesting part. My mom and dad's bill only went up by about $15 this month as well as a few other people I talked to. Turns out everyone's bill that doubled has one of the new digital meters at their house and the ones who didn't see an ungodly increase have the old analog style meter with the wheel that spins and roller type numbers.

Things that make you go humm and realize we are getting anal raped and they won't even use lube.

If this keeps up I will go completely off grid and to solar and/or wind.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

WTFO? I'd be having a town hall meeting with the mayor like ASAP! Call all your neighbors round up a posse! Time for a lynching! They are out of control, seriously you need to call them out Possum.

[bacpacker]

My bill which was due on the 1st went from $107 to 220. That is the highest bill i have ever had. Normally no more than 150.
I wonder how much it has to do with all the coal plants getting closed and this pushing up rates? Smart meters probably plays right along with it to.

[greg48]

One of the fellas i work with has went total solar, he has to sell power back to the electric companies, he's trying to put together enough battery storage capacity he won't have to sell.

[Possom]

I think you may be on to something bacpacker. According to the cooperative we haven't had a rate increase since last October. Before that it was 1987. However, our bills have gotten higher and higher regardless of rate increases.

I think shutting down the coal fire plants may have something to do with the price gouging nationally. Power companies are going to make a profit one way or another.

[2die4]

Here's a fun thing to make your blood boil. Read the fine print explaining all the surcharges and taxes on your bill. You will see you are helping to pay electricity for low income people too.

[ak474u]

Yesterday I discover the reason I need to get my family more off the grid. My electric bill averages around $230 a month most months. This month (from dec 23rd to jan 24th) my bill is $440. I didn't change anything I have been doing. No new appliances pulling mass power. I went to the electric company office to find out why it was so high. While I am there 2 other people come in wanting to know why our damn bills have doubled this month. They tell us all the same thing "because it has been so much colder you are using more to heat your house." I heat with a pellet stove and offset with central heat. I have done this for years and never had a bill over $300.

After I left there I stopped by the feed store to pick up some stuff. Talked to the lady working in there. Her bill is $529 this month. Normally it's around $250. Called my sister. She doesn't heat with electric at all. Pellet stove only. No new purchases. Her bill doubled as well for no reason. Her fiancé is out of town on a business trip. Has been for better then a month. His bill is the same this month as it was the month before and he hasn't even been here. Everything is shut off at the breaker box until he gets back.

So I get on Facebook and post something to the effect of "is it just me or is everyone getting screwed by the electric company this month? Within an hour I had 15 or so people telling me their bill had doubled as well for no reason. Some as high as $700. My neighbor posted that his camp trailer (which he stays in some weekends at a permanent spot on the lake) was $139 this month. For a damn camper that has been stayed in maybe 6 days out of the month.

Now for the interesting part. My mom and dad's bill only went up by about $15 this month as well as a few other people I talked to. Turns out everyone's bill that doubled has one of the new digital meters at their house and the ones who didn't see an ungodly increase have the old analog style meter with the wheel that spins and roller type numbers.

Things that make you go humm and realize we are getting anal raped and they won't even use lube.

If this keeps up I will go completely off grid and to solar and/or wind.

Smart meter doubled us up on the bill when we lived in an apartment. Here's what really happened... It wasn't the meter, it was the moron that read the OLD meter as he installed the NEW meter, and didn't set the new one to the reading of the old one. In other words, he guessed at it. It was later revealed, that the electric company had NOT TRAINED the installers to read the old globes removed during the swap out.

[helomech]

We have a smart meter and all is good here. My bill was a lot less this winter than last, but we made some changes.

[Gunfixr]

When they announced the "smart meter" here, and said they could use it to remotely turn off your power based on their perceived needs, we knew we didn't need one.

Therefore, so far, we don't have a "smart meter".

[helomech]

No choice here. Either get it, or turn off the electricity, plus there is no meter reader coming around. They read it from their office.

[msomnipotent]

Our bills are up between 20% or 30% after getting the smart grid with no changes in what we do. It is really a big issue in my town. Two protesters were arrested over it, and there was a police escort when the technician came to install mine. We were initially told there would be a $60 surcharge plus a $30 monthly charge to pay someone to read the meter if we didn't want a wireless one, but when the time came I was told I was getting a wireless smart meter and that was that. Needless to say, a big reason why I haven't been on here lately is that I am preparing the house for sale this summer.

[Possom]

It really is enough to make you want to move up into the mountains and become a hermit isn't it. I have no choice but to have the smart meter as well. I will deal with it for a few more years while I finish up our cabin. I will be completely off grid in the cabin. Solar and wind power only. It is time to get back to the basics for us.

[ladyhk13]

We haven't had to deal with it yet in our small town but up near Nashville I saw on the news that 69 people got bills upwards to $2,000. For their water because when the new smart meters were installed the wires were crossed with their neighbors and for over a year the bills have been messed up. The company just figured it out and contacted everyone and hit them with the bills. Needless to say the old people on SS are very upset and shocked that they are paying for the city's screw up.
I'm going nuts over us using a full tank of propane every month for the past 3 months (500 gallon tank) we've never used so much to heat this place! And yeah, the price increase has just hit us here...almost 4 bucks a gallon. Insane!

[ak474u]

We haven't had to deal with it yet in our small town but up near Nashville I saw on the news that 69 people got bills upwards to $2,000. For their water because when the new smart meters were installed the wires were crossed with their neighbors and for over a year the bills have been messed up. The company just figured it out and contacted everyone and hit them with the bills. Needless to say the old people on SS are very upset and shocked that they are paying for the city's screw up.
I'm going nuts over us using a full tank of propane every month for the past 3 months (500 gallon tank) we've never used so much to heat this place! And yeah, the price increase has just hit us here...almost 4 bucks a gallon. Insane!

My water meter is read wirelessly, BUT... It has a cast iron lid on the meter well, and they can't read it wirelessly. Lol. They can't replace my well box, because its in the driveway, so they have to stop by, open the box, and read it with some kind of sensor on a stick. Fortunately, the meter can onto be read wirelessly, and can't be turned off like the electricity on our smart meter can.

[helomech]

Why is everyone worried about them turning it off? I don't get this. They can turn off your power with the old meter and there is nothing you can do about it. Also why would they turn off your power unless it was to save the entire grid from failing? And if they didn't turn it off it would go off anyways. If they turn it off they loose money, that is not how business works. My bill has stayed the same and I had my smart meter for many years now. Probably at least 5 years. It saves them money by not having to send out a meter reader.

[ak474u]

Why is everyone worried about them turning it off? I don't get this. They can turn off your power with the old meter and there is nothing you can do about it. Also why would they turn off your power unless it was to save the entire grid from failing? And if they didn't turn it off it would go off anyways. If they turn it off they loose money, that is not how business works. My bill has stayed the same and I had my smart meter for many years now. Probably at least 5 years. It saves them money by not having to send out a meter reader.

I'm less concerned with their ability to turn it off, than I am with their future motivations for turning it off. "You use your air conditioner too much on Tuesdays" for example. For grid preservation they can shut down a substation. I am less concerned about the actual smart metering than I am about why google would want to purchase an Internet enabled thermostat manufacturer that puts cameras in their product, (and I've heard, a microphone). Other than this interweb thingy, I like my electronics dumb.

[helomech]

I'm less concerned with their ability to turn it off, than I am with their future motivations for turning it off. "You use your air conditioner too much on Tuesdays" for example. For grid preservation they can shut down a substation. I am less concerned about the actual smart metering than I am about why google would want to purchase an Internet enabled thermostat manufacturer that puts cameras in their product, (and I've heard, a microphone). Other than this interweb thingy, I like my electronics dumb.

Then those are different matters. The smart meter is nothing more than a way to read meters without sending someone out to actually do it. Which saves cost and has less inconvenience on us the consumers. The smart meter does not monitor ANYTHING other than the usage. Just like the old meter, just now they don't have to drive out to your house walk across your yard to read it. It does nothing else different.

Nothing inside your home is going to happen like those things you mention. There is no way a outside company can put a mic, or a camera in your home. But many people (not me) like to have the ability to monitor and control their home when they are away. A few guys I work with can control their home and car from their phones. That is their choice, things like you mention will make it easier for them to do that. I really doubt the camera and microphone have much truth to them. Probably just more internet rumor to try to scare people.

Like I said I have had a smart meter for at least 6 years now and I have no issues with it. It keep the employees of the power company off my property, and I don't have to worry about my dog biting one of them. Or one of them seeing something and coming back later to steal it. It can not meter what you are running, it only monitors the amount of electricity used. And like I said it does not give them any more ability to turn off someones power than they have always had. Also again they are in the business to make money, why would they cut power unless it was an emergency?

[ak474u]

Then those are different matters. The smart meter is nothing more than a way to read meters without sending someone out to actually do it. Which saves cost and has less inconvenience on us the consumers. The smart meter does not monitor ANYTHING other than the usage. Just like the old meter, just now they don't have to drive out to your house walk across your yard to read it. It does nothing else different.

Nothing inside your home is going to happen like those things you mention. There is no way a outside company can put a mic, or a camera in your home. But many people (not me) like to have the ability to monitor and control their home when they are away. A few guys I work with can control their home and car from their phones. That is their choice, things like you mention will make it easier for them to do that. I really doubt the camera and microphone have much truth to them. Probably just more internet rumor to try to scare people.

Like I said I have had a smart meter for at least 6 years now and I have no issues with it. It keep the employees of the power company off my property, and I don't have to worry about my dog biting one of them. Or one of them seeing something and coming back later to steal it. It can not meter what you are running, it only monitors the amount of electricity used. And like I said it does not give them any more ability to turn off someones power than they have always had. Also again they are in the business to make money, why would they cut power unless it was an emergency?


I did a little more looking into the nest thermostat. It has some form of IR sensor to detect whether there is activity in the home to decide when to activate "away" mode and reduce energy usage. However, I suspect that google wants that info to help sell info on people's habits to marketing firms. Does your nest thermostat always sense that you're home between 3 and 5pm 7 days a week? Perfect time for a telemarketer to contact you and catch you at home! Does you ac run constantly? I'll bet the HVAC guy in town would love to know that you need a more efficient system, the window guy might like to know your home is an energy hog or a guy like me needs to sell you some insulation! I don't suspect it's an NSA bug, but they were putting cams in digital set top boxes for tvs for a future technology that would determine if a child, or an adult was watching tv so they could individually focus marketing like in minority report.

[helomech]

I did a little more looking into the nest thermostat. It has some form of IR sensor to detect whether there is activity in the home to decide when to activate "away" mode and reduce energy usage. However, I suspect that google wants that info to help sell info on people's habits to marketing firms. Does your nest thermostat always sense that you're home between 3 and 5pm 7 days a week? Perfect time for a telemarketer to contact you and catch you at home! Does you ac run constantly? I'll bet the HVAC guy in town would love to know that you need a more efficient system, the window guy might like to know your home is an energy hog or a guy like me needs to sell you some insulation! I don't suspect it's an NSA bug, but they were putting cams in digital set top boxes for tvs for a future technology that would determine if a child, or an adult was watching tv so they could individually focus marketing like in minority report.

Some A/C's have a Ir sensor, and they are used to detect warm spots in the room. When it detects the warm spot it directs the vents to cool them off. They do not have a transmitter, so they can not transmit any information. You are in complete control over anything that enters your home. I don't want a computer controlled A/C thermostat, and wont have one. Heck we rarely even use our central air system and prefer to run window units in the rooms we are in. Heck a IR sensor can't tell the difference between a dog and a person. It just detects a heat source. I just don't see any of this happening inside our homes.

[greg48]

We are having a war so to speek around my neck of the woods over the price of LP gas. We have companies refusing to deliver to customers they have contracts with because the contracts were at a much lower price. We have companies filling up tanks for customers that didn't even order gas, I believe to charge the high price because as soon as the weather breaks prices will drop dramatically. We have over 100 companies being investigated by the way Indiana attorney General for price gouging.