Saturday, October 22, 2011

"Smart" Power Meters

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12 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 23, 2011 at 5:29 AM

    This is the most outrageously paranoid, conspiracy theorist bull crap I've ever seen. I'm cancelling my subscription to your blog.

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  2. Kevin ReadOctober 23, 2011 at 7:44 AM

    Totally agree with "Anonymous". But despite the fact that Croft and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things, I have an open mind and I am accepting of people who have an opinion different than mine. It's what makes the world go 'round!

    But Croft, when you are getting bored enough to start posting things like this, it's obviously time to get on the road!

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  3. ContessaOctober 23, 2011 at 1:39 PM

    But Kevin you don't live here in BC where they are being installed. What is wrong with the meters we already have? Why pay 73 million to someone to 'fix' something that isn't broken? I 'm mostly concerned with the unproven health aspect. Google Smart Meters and BC.

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  4. Kevin ReadOctober 23, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    Contessa, smart meters have been installed in Ontario before BC.

    There was nothing "wrong" with the old meters, but if I were a homeowner I would welcome the opportunity to save money, and the research I've done says that I would be able to use the new meters to my advantage.

    The health aspect? Seriously? I am to assume you don't have or use a cell phone then?

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  5. living.boondockingmexicoOctober 23, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    I've never had a problem with Big Brother watching me. I have nothing to hide.

    However, I knew it was just a matter of time. Good info.

    If I canceled someone's blog everytime I disagreed, I wouldn't have any friends or blogs to read.

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  6. CroftOctober 23, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    The cell phone aspect is that unlike a cell phone that you may only be on a few minutes per day, these are transmitting pretty constantly. Our power meter is on the wall right outside our bedroom window, about three feet from our heads.

    I know there is a lot of disagreement on the effects of this radiation and I did work in the industry. One of my jobs every year was to inventory the environmental radiation in all of our workplaces. The figures were always lower than the maximum allowed by the government but they were still many times higher than workers in most other industries are exposed to.

    One friend of mine was working on a microwave radio transmitter when another worker turned the transmitter on, hitting my friend in the head with the beam. Within two years he was disabled and a few years after that died of brain cancer. Workers Compensation paid out a death claim so they agreed it was the microwave radiation that killed him.

    I know the power of a cell phone or power meter cannot be compared to that of a radio transmitter but the length of exposure comes into play as well.

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  7. ElaineOctober 23, 2011 at 6:12 PM

    I see nothing paranoid here. Even if there weren't any health risks, I resent my privacy being invaded and I really don't like big brother getting so involved in everyone's lives.

    Elaine in Saltair BC

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  8. Kevin ReadOctober 23, 2011 at 8:56 PM

    From the BC Hydro website...

    Fact 8: Smart meter signals are short and last less than one minute per day. The exposure to radio frequency from a smart meter over its entire 20-year life span is equivalent to a single 30-minute cell phone call.

    Now, I guess you can choose to not believe them, or you can choose to think that maybe they are purposely lying to you in order to assimilate you into their plan.

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  9. CroftOctober 23, 2011 at 9:32 PM

    Plus the old meters require the services of a meter reader who buys a house,groceries and maybe even a new car in our city. He/she raises kids and becomes someone's good neighbor. He has a good, long term job.

    The "smart" meter employes a Chinese factory worker for an hour or two and a local installer for another hour or so. Which is better for our economy? Campbell River does not need another house for sale.

    I also see Ontario just raised their "off hours" electric rates once they realized people were using the system to their advantage. The promised "savings" were smoke and mirrors.

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  10. AnonymousOctober 24, 2011 at 4:45 AM

    In terms of the smart meters saving money, I checked the new smart meter hydro rates here in Ontario and surprise surprise they threw in a rate increase! If you put the rates on a spread sheet and run a sample steady state load over 24 hours, then compare it to the old rate then you pay more.

    I hate it when you get cheated by the folks that are supposed to be upfront with the people that elect them.

    Al.

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  11. ContessaOctober 24, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    Kevin, I actually do not own a cell phone but use one perhaps once a week while in Mexico.

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  12. Kevin ReadOctober 24, 2011 at 7:41 AM

    Contessa, now that I've posted the facts regarding the "unproven health aspect", and this is what you were mostly concerned about, then most of your worries are now gone!

    And, ALL of you have an easy option anyhow if you don't like these smart meters...solar panels and batteries have come WAY down in cost. If I owned a house, that's the way I'd be going. I wonder how many of you will actually do something about it rather than just complaining about it...

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