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Smart meter diatribe

What does the panel think about this?

Smart meter scam?

I'm interested in a professional qualified view as this character is pretty ruthless regarding the energy suppliers

Legh

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0 Roy Bowdler over 5 years ago

Let’s generously assume that guy explaining the French system understands the operating characteristics of circuit breakers , the difference between a breaker and a meter, reactive power etc and that perhaps a little is lost in translation? A quick bit of googling led me here https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/utilities/french-electrical-systems/ which provides some context such as standing charges being set by maximum demand with options for 30,45,60 & 90A. I’m inferring that the supply cable will in many cases be capable of 90A, but that the main breaker can be set to a lower value? Some member will I’m sure have in depth experience of all this, which I lack.

Turning to electromagnetic radiation, this seems to be a complete red herring to me. Much higher levels of electromagnetic radiation have been studied and managed safely for a couple of generations. We don’t constantly hold meters to our ears either. I spent a period earlier in my career working in high voltage open substations (up to 400KV) including membership of the Health & Safety Committee. There were concerns and research about whether long-term exposure to significant levels of electromagnetic radiation had negative health effects. Such effects could take decades to become apparent , such as asbestos related illness, which was only belatedly understood. I’m no longer close to this subject, but it is a legitimate avenue for a technical discussion, perhaps someone else has expertise and familiarity with more recent research?

In response to Andy’s sensible answer, I agree that the potential is there and I might even ask for one to be fitted in future, but right now there wasn’t an obvious benefit. Regulatory action seems to forced consumers to become “early adopters” which as anyone who has ever purchases a consumer electronics product will testify, is often a costly approach. Perhaps we should have waited for the technology to mature? Is it mature now? Can they be “hacked” to create a disconnection? The last pre-payment meter that I was familiar with took two-bobs! A Smart Meter going “dumb” negates any benefits, but isn’t a particular hazard is it? Twenty years ago we had the dotcom bubble, when the hype of technology got the better of the reality, but on-line shopping eventually began to displace bricks and mortar, so we are in a different place now. We are in no state now to move en masse to electric vehicles, but we may be in future.

I still have a functioning VHS machine, an “ultra-modern” (15 years ago) expensive DVD-RAM and Hard Disk machine, an 8mm Camcorder, 35mm & 60mm camera equipment, a USB Floppy Disk reader, a vinyl record player and an audio cassette player. The electromechanical electricity meter has seen many of these come and go. Much of our electricity transmission infrastructure is over 60 years old and will still function effectively in another 60 , with only selective targeted investment needed. De-carbonisation has removed much low-cost electricity generation which is a political decision with enormous costs, based mainly on climate change models. Demand management at the consumer end via smart meters is another part of this. The issue creates some strong opinions, which only the course of history can definitively validate. My career began in a “cathedral of power” packed full of the latest technology and the teething troubles that this creates, now it and its brethren are empty shells, called dirty, outdated and scheduled for demolition.

At a strategic level it always difficult to decide when to adopt the latest technology and when to wait, because you are potentially damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Plus ca change?
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0 Roy Bowdler over 5 years ago

Let’s generously assume that guy explaining the French system understands the operating characteristics of circuit breakers , the difference between a breaker and a meter, reactive power etc and that perhaps a little is lost in translation? A quick bit of googling led me here https://www.frenchentree.com/living-in-france/utilities/french-electrical-systems/ which provides some context such as standing charges being set by maximum demand with options for 30,45,60 & 90A. I’m inferring that the supply cable will in many cases be capable of 90A, but that the main breaker can be set to a lower value? Some member will I’m sure have in depth experience of all this, which I lack.

Turning to electromagnetic radiation, this seems to be a complete red herring to me. Much higher levels of electromagnetic radiation have been studied and managed safely for a couple of generations. We don’t constantly hold meters to our ears either. I spent a period earlier in my career working in high voltage open substations (up to 400KV) including membership of the Health & Safety Committee. There were concerns and research about whether long-term exposure to significant levels of electromagnetic radiation had negative health effects. Such effects could take decades to become apparent , such as asbestos related illness, which was only belatedly understood. I’m no longer close to this subject, but it is a legitimate avenue for a technical discussion, perhaps someone else has expertise and familiarity with more recent research?

In response to Andy’s sensible answer, I agree that the potential is there and I might even ask for one to be fitted in future, but right now there wasn’t an obvious benefit. Regulatory action seems to forced consumers to become “early adopters” which as anyone who has ever purchases a consumer electronics product will testify, is often a costly approach. Perhaps we should have waited for the technology to mature? Is it mature now? Can they be “hacked” to create a disconnection? The last pre-payment meter that I was familiar with took two-bobs! A Smart Meter going “dumb” negates any benefits, but isn’t a particular hazard is it? Twenty years ago we had the dotcom bubble, when the hype of technology got the better of the reality, but on-line shopping eventually began to displace bricks and mortar, so we are in a different place now. We are in no state now to move en masse to electric vehicles, but we may be in future.

I still have a functioning VHS machine, an “ultra-modern” (15 years ago) expensive DVD-RAM and Hard Disk machine, an 8mm Camcorder, 35mm & 60mm camera equipment, a USB Floppy Disk reader, a vinyl record player and an audio cassette player. The electromechanical electricity meter has seen many of these come and go. Much of our electricity transmission infrastructure is over 60 years old and will still function effectively in another 60 , with only selective targeted investment needed. De-carbonisation has removed much low-cost electricity generation which is a political decision with enormous costs, based mainly on climate change models. Demand management at the consumer end via smart meters is another part of this. The issue creates some strong opinions, which only the course of history can definitively validate. My career began in a “cathedral of power” packed full of the latest technology and the teething troubles that this creates, now it and its brethren are empty shells, called dirty, outdated and scheduled for demolition.

At a strategic level it always difficult to decide when to adopt the latest technology and when to wait, because you are potentially damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Plus ca change?
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Smart meter diatribe

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