Editor’s note: The article below is a guest contribution to www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz sent in by Andrew from Nelson. If you would like to contribute an article or share a personal experience related to a smart meter. you can contact us via this link.
Information risk
There’s been a lot of concern about these proposed ‘smart meters’ and the microwave radiation they produce. It’s not been proven dangerous but not proven entirely safe either.
The only certain thing about it is that the risk – whatever it may be – is to customers, for the benefit of power companies, who are promoting the things.
There is another undeniable risk. These meters collect and send away a disturbing amount of information about every household’s habits. A normal meter adds up the total you use and the reader comes once every two months. There’s not much you can find out about a customer from that, except the intended thing, namely what their bill should be.
But these smart meters measure how much your family uses every half hour of every day, and hand it to your power company, via the network company. This is called ‘time of use metering’. And it’s completely new for household users. A few years ago these meters measured the power you use each half-hour down to the nearest 1/000th of a unit. To put this in perspective, if you get up at night, turn on one lightbulb and are not back in bed within 36 seconds, it’s got you logged. Electronics will only have got more powerful since then.
Whether your particular meter has a radio modem or the meter reader comes at the end of the month with a ‘smart’ reader and hooks it onto your ‘smart’ meter so it can suck out the whole month’s half-hourly readings, the data collected is much the same.
When the network company came to promote ‘smart’ meters they were asked “Who owns the information you intend to collect, what will it be used for and who might it be handed on to?” The answer was “That’s a good question. You’d better consult your power company’s terms and conditions.” So here’s a selection from various power companies’ terms and conditions. Look it up if you don’t believe it!
“We may, at any time, replace the meter on your premises with a smart meter or install a remote meter reading device on your existing meter.
“You agree that we own all metering data and any other data collected by the meter.
“We will use any personal information collected …for the purposes of… * conducting data analysis to identify particular products and services that may be of interest to you; * to avoid prejudice to the maintenance of the law by any public sector agency, including the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution and punishment of offences
Welcome to 1984! Of course nobody’s going to look through your time-of-use power bill to see what they can sell you. But they will use specialist companies who program computers to do exactly that – to the whole customer base. It’s called ‘data mining’ and it’s routine.
Time of use data can already suggest when you’re on holiday, whether there are school kids in the house, when you get up and go to bed, how much TV you watch, whether you cook at home or buy fast food, and what you do at the weekend. Think about it a bit and you will see how. And it’s only going to get worse as our houses fill up with ‘smart’ appliances that talk to each other.
What about the security of your data? It’s probably protected by ‘128 bit encryption’ which nobody hacks by brute force, and your power company will hold it in accordance with the Privacy Act. Sounds reassuring. Except accidents with huge amounts of people’s data are all too often in the news. And there’s always a criminal element lurking. It could be high-tech hacking but it doesn’t have to be. Bribery and blackmail work just as well in ‘big data’ as anywhere. Your time-of-use data could slip through the internet unseen, and it would be a godsend to burglars.
It’s worth stating the blindingly obvious: the purpose of having an electricity meter is to calculate our bill, not to target advertising at ourselves. And the last thing we need is to have our metering data taken from us, analysed, and turned back on us insidiously to make us dissatisfied with what we have so that we buy more stuff.
In Silicon Valley they say ‘SMART’ stands for ‘surveillance marketed as revolutionary technology’, and they have a point. Once again, the only certain thing is that the risk – whatever it may be – is to customers, for the benefit of power companies, who are promoting the scheme.
In the end, what is in it for us customers to have a ‘smart meter’ in our house? We’ve used electricity and paid our bills according to normal meters since forever, and it works. If you have a huge solar panel that generates for the grid, you may need a high-tech meter. But for the rest of us – and that’s nearly everybody – the best way to know our time of use data is not being abused is not to create it in the first place.
Just tell your power company that you do not consent to having any kind of ‘time-of-use’ meter or ‘smart’ meter. If necessary, change to a company that doesn’t insist on one. They’ll get the message pretty quickly.
Value your privacy? You may want to refuse a smart meter…
Smart meters are NOT compulsory in NZ and many NZers are refusing smart meters- and not just because of the privacy risks. You can find a good summary of some of the other reasons that people are refusing smart meters at this link.
Please note that if you would like to receive email updates on the smart meter issue for NZ, you can sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
The NZ electricity industry doesn’t say much in public about smart meter data, but as www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz reported back in 2014, even at that time, two electricity companies (Genesis and its subsidiary EnergyOnline) claimed to own the data obtained by “smart meters” in their customers’ homes and to have the right to supply this data to “third parties”. (See this link for details: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/is-your-smart-meter-spying-on-you/)
Perhaps more NZ companies are also taking this attitude now. If you value your privacy, check the terms and conditions in your electricity supply contract – and/or insist on a type of meter that simply measures the electricity you use and cannot collect or store data.
This morning www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz received an email from a concerned resident of Huia Street in Waiuku to say that on Monday (February 29, 2016) she found a card in her letter box informing her that a smart water meter had been installed for her home as part of a trial.
This home owner did not consent to the installation of this device which is designed to produce microwave radiation to send data about water use. In fact just the previous Friday she had received notification from the company that her “water meter did not need to be replaced.”
According to Watercare’s website the smart water meters that it is installing will transmit only once per day; however this information cannot be independently verified at this stage as the company did not state the make and model of the meter on its website. (The type of smart water meter trialed in Tairua transmits every eight seconds.)
The type of radiation produced by smart water meters (and smart electricity meters) has been classified as possible carcinogen (class 2B) by the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer.
More information about the situation in Waiuku will be posted on this website (in the smart water meters section) soon as it is available.
If you are in Waiuku(or live anywhere in the Auckland region as a whole, since if the Waiuku trial is considered to be successful, the smart water meters may be rolled out to other parts of the area administered by Auckland Council) and wish to refuse to have a smart water meter installed at your home,there is a template letter you may like to consider adapting for your own use at this link:
NB: If you would like to keep up to date with the smart meter issue in NZ, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you
There are about as many reasons why people are saying “no” to smart meters as there are people who oppose smart meters, however some of the more common reasons are listed below:
1) Health reasons, including a possible increase in the risk of developing cancer.
Smart meters produce microwave (also called radiofrequency or RF) radiation which has been classified as a “possible carcinogen” (type 2B) by the World health Organisation’s International agency for Research on Cancer. (Please see this link for more information about smart meters and health.)
2) Many people have reported unpleasant symptoms after moving into a home with a smart meter, or after a smart meter has been installed at their home.
Two examples of how NZers have been adversely affected by smart meters may be read at this link and this link.
(If you go to www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz and type “bills” into the search box you will find a few articles about this aspect of smart meters.)
There are a few different ways by which smart meters may increase electricity bills. These include the fact that electronic meters measure electricity differently from the traditional electromechanical (Ferraris) “analogue” meters. (You can read about this here.)
Smart meters can also allow for Time of Use (TOU) pricing which electricity companies may use to charge more for power at times of the day when it is most needed (like winter afternoons and evenings.) This can result in an increase in bills with no change in electricity use. (Please see this link for details: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/what-is-time-of-use-tou-pricing-and-how-could-it-affect-you/)
Smart meters can also measure a contaminant on the electricity lines known as “reactive power” or “reactive energy” and although “reactive power” cannot be used by lights or appliances, a recent request for information made to the Electricity Authority under the Official Information Act showed that companies are legally allowed to charge for this useless electricity.
If useless reactive power is added to bills, bills can increase significantly.
4) Reported fires and electrical problems
There have been problems with fires and reported electrical problems after some smart meter installations in NZ. For more information about this, please see the following links:
Many people who are concerned about privacy oppose smart meters because the data collected by smart meters can be “de-aggregated” by computers to provide information about what appliances in a home are in use and when. (For more information about privacy and smart meters, please see this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/category/privacy-2/ )
In NZ smart meters have been installed without prior notice; if you do not want one it is important to take action
Please share this link if you have found it helpful. Thank you. NB: If you are in NZ, to get updates on the smart meter issue you can sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
“Could smart meters be used to spy on your home? Devices could be used to create ‘honeypot’ of data to sell onto marketing companies, privacy campaigners warn”
The article goes on to explain how data from smart meters represents a “honeypot” for companies and could be used by marketing firms to target consumers.
The article states:
“Gas and electricity firms will be able to use smart meters to collect information about how customers use energy as frequently as every half hour.
“This could reveal details such as which rooms and gadgets clients use most regularly, as well as when homeowners are in or out and even what time they are going to bed or how many cups of tea we make.”
Environmental lawyer Sue Grey was recently a guest on Mainland News where she discussed some of the health and privacy issues with smart meters.
You can see Sue Grey at the link below. (The interview is second in the broadcast; the first story features South Island businesses that have been nominated for awards…Another interview on the subject of smart meters follows the interview with Sue Grey.)
NB: To sign up for a free email list to keep updated on the smart meter issue from a New Zealand perspective, please visit www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you.
On 14 August 2015 Consumer published an article about smart meters on its website.
This post discusses some of the factual errors and important omissions in this article, commenting on text from the article. My text is in italics. The quotes from the article are in standard font.
The article began with a sensible statement to the effect that when Consumer had last covered the smart meter issue in 2008 the organisation predicted that smart meters would be great for the electricity industry but that it was “sceptical about the benefits for consumers”.
The author wrote: “Unfortunately, we were right – they’ve saved power companies money, but most of us are yet to enjoy lower costs or increased control over our electricity use.”
He also wrote that smart meters “remain the focus of health and privacy concerns.”
Yes, smart meters are a focus of health and privacy concerns, and for very good reasons, as detailed below.
Under the heading:
“What’s a smart meter?”
The author explains that homes have electricity meters and that“Smart meters send your electricity usage back to your power company throughout the day, removing the need for meter readers and making your bill far more accurate compared to the old analogue models.”
It is debatable whether smart meters are more accurate; in fact billing complaints soared after the widespread introduction of smart meters in Victoria, Australia.
He goes on to write that 1.2 million smart meters have been installed in NZ and “If you haven’t got one already, chances are you will soon – most meters have certification that expires in 2015, and many electricity retailers are using this as an opportunity to fit smart meters rather than re-certifying existing ones.”
NB: A new smart meter costs a lot more than a new electromechanical (Ferraris) meter.
He accurately comments that “Power companies like [smart meters] because they don’t have to pay meter readers and they make billing easier and more accurate. In theory, they could benefit consumers by offering real-time information about energy use, and enabling the use of ‘cost-reflective tariffs’, allowing you to save money by shifting your power use to cheaper off-peak periods.”
Please note that when “cost reflective tariffs” are used widely, people pay more for electricity depending on how much it costs to generate it at the time (whether the time concerned is a time of day or time of year).
In practice this could mean that people may pay up to double the price for electricity atpeak times (when electricity is most in demand) relative to the off peak time price for electricity. This can lead to an increase in bills with no increase in consumption.
Theoretically, if the price of electricity varies throughout the day, people could save on their power bills by doing high-electricity demand tasks at off-peak times of the day, but for working age people who are not at home during the day and who need to go to bed reasonably early at night on week nights, this may not be possible.
There are new appliances that can be programmed to start later in the day/night; however, it is debatable whether people who would be most financially stressed by an increase in power bills could afford to buy new appliances in the hope that they will be able to save money on their electricity bill.
The author of the Consumer article comments that spreading electricity demand more smoothly over the day and night has “environmental benefits” as well as it potentially reduces the need for burning “fossil fuels”.
He also writes:
“Unfortunately for consumers, the majority of installed smart meters are basic models that only send data back to the power companies and display aggregate energy use (just like the old analogue meters), which means consumers miss out on many of the potential benefits like cost-reflective tariffs and real-time monitoring of their power use.”
As noted above, “cost reflective tariffs” could easily be seen as a greater disadvantage for consumers than an advantage.
Health and Safety Issues
Smart meters have been in the cross hairs of some groups both here and overseas, often relating to claims the radio frequency electromagnetic radiation they use to communicate is unsafe.
This type of radiation is also emitted by phones, microwaves and TV towers, and while it can’t damage living cells, it can heat body tissue.
Radiofrequency radiation in the microwave range (or microwave radiation, for short) has been shown to cause damage to cells.
While the above link relates to cell phone radiation, it is relevant to smart meters because many smart meters in NZ use the Vodafone GSM network.
“As a result,” says the Consumer writer, “New Zealand set maximum exposure limits for electromagnetic radiation.
The national standard that applies to microwave radiation (NZS2772.1;1999 is based on the assumption that if the level of microwave radiation is not sufficiently intense as to cause burns, it is safe. NZS 2772.1;1999 is designed to protect against the following effects: shocks, tissue heating and sudden death. It is not designed to protect against damage to cells or cancer.
“A 2012 study by the University of Canterbury’s Electric Power Engineering Centre found standing a metre away from a smart meter broadcasting at full power exposes you to less than 35 percent of the maximum limit for electromagnetic radiation.”
This “study” appears to have been commissioned as evidence that smart meters are safe. It is frequently cited by electricity companies as “evidence” for this assertion.
The Consumer author asserts: “But in practice, smart meters are usually located in out-of-the-way areas of the home, and only transmit for a maximum of a few minutes per day, so your exposure will usually be far lower than that.”
Actually, in older homes in NZ, smart meters are frequently on the exterior wall of a bedroom which can mean that people spend many hours a day in close proximity to the smart meter.
Smart meter transmission profiles vary according to the make and model, some are part of a mesh network which can mean that they produce frequent, brief pulses of microwave radiation even though the cumulative transmission time may only be a few minutes.
“However, some people report adverse reactions, including headaches, fatigue and skin rashes, to levels of electromagnetic radiation well below the maximum exposure limit. This is known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). Sufferers often cite Wi-Fi, phone towers and high voltage power lines as aggravating their EHS.”
It is true that wi-fi, cell phone towers, high voltage power lines etc. can cause symptoms in people with EHS.
However according to the Consumer article author: “Professor Keith Petrie, an expert in Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland, says the cause of EHS is imagined, but the effects are very real.“
Professor Keith Petrie’s reported assertion that “the cause of EHS is imagined” is incorrect.
EHS is a physiological condition and people do not have to know that they are exposed to a source of EMR or be worried that a source of EMR may cause symptoms in order to develop symptoms.
“Negative expectations [the nocebo effect – Ed] cause these symptoms and simply telling people that something in the environment is harmful will cause symptoms and health complaints,” Professor Petrie said.
The nocebo effect can be ruled out as a factor in the case of many people who become ill after smart meter installations.
An international survey of people who had experienced new symptoms after a smart meter installation found that many had either no concerns about the safety of the smart meter prior to their becoming ill from the microwave radiation from the smart meter, or they did not know that the smart meter had been installed until they became ill and began to investigate possible causes for their symptoms.
It is a shame that the Consumer author did not consult someone who is well informed about electrohypersenstivity when writing his article; for example, Rob Hutchins from the Electrosensitivity NZ Trust which provides support to people in NZ who suffer from this condition.
Or he could have referred people to the Austrian Medical Association’s Guidelines for Physicians. (An English translation of this document may be found at this link:
Instead, by choosing to quote someone who essentially dismissed electrohypersensitivity as a nocebo response the Consumer article may have increased prejudice against people who suffer from this debilitating condition.
“This year, the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks assessed more than 700 recent studies. They found no association between exposure to electromagnetic fields below existing limits and adverse health effects.”
This is by no means a unanimous opinion: earlier this year an international coalition of scientists petitioned the UN for better standards for devices that emit EMR, including smart meters.
It is also interesting to note that nowhere in the Consumer article is there any acknowledgement that the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified microwave radiation as a possible carcinogen (Type 2B). http://microwavenews.com/short-takes-archive/iarc-publishes-rf-cancer-review
The author recommends that people have their homes tested for “poor lighting or excessive noise” if they “believe that electromagnetic fields” are causing adverse health effects.
He adds: “If problems persist, talk to your doctor. They may be able to identify and treat any underlying conditions that may be causing the symptoms.”
Please note that is possible to test for microwave radiation from smart meters and other sources using meters that can be hired or purchased. (Not all meters are suitable for detecting radiation from smart meters as the microwave radiation pulses vary in duration and some are very brief; it is advisable to seek advice as to the suitability of any meter you may wish to hire or purchase.)
Of course, it is also prudent to see a physician about any symptoms you may have even if your home has been tested for EMR and the level is high.
Smart meters and privacy
Under the heading “Big brother” he continues:
“Constant monitoring of your electricity use raises the question: what does your power company do with the huge amounts of private data it collects?”
This is a good question.
He says: “The Office of the Privacy Commissioner received a number of complaints this year about that very thing, and while none were upheld, the commissioner raised concerns about how power companies were looking after this information.
“We share these concerns and think power companies need to clarify in their privacy policies how consumers’ data is handled and protected.”
Collecting data from smart meters, de-aggregating it and selling the data to other companies potentially provides another income stream for power companies. Some NZ electricity retailers straight out claim to own the data from their customers’ smart meters which suggests they may plan to put their profits ahead of their customers’ privacy. See:
Under the heading: An opportunity squandered? The article continues:
“In 2009, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released a report expressing concern the rollout of smart meters was being entirely driven by electricity retailers, with no government control.
“The commissioner recommended the government ensure all meters were really “smart”, by requiring them to have home area network (HAN) communication functionality, and in-home displays (IHDs). HANs allow meters to interact with smart appliances, for example switching on your dryer in the middle of the night when power’s cheapest. IHDs show real-time energy use – allowing you to identify power-hungry appliances and shift their use to off-peak times.”
New Zealanders are very lucky that smart meters with HAN capability have not been mandated. Mandating of this technology would expose home occupants to even more microwave radiation than is produced by a smart meter without HAN functionality.
This being said, the Landis+Gyr smart meters being installed by some lines companies in NZ contain a communications package which combines a modem and a ZigBee. (The default setting for the Zigbee is claimed to be off; however presumably the ZigBee can be activated remotely at any time that the company may choose.)
Two recent reports from NZers who suffered symptoms from this type of smart meter may be found here:
The writer continues: “However, the Electricity Commission (now the Electricity Authority) presented a report to the then Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee advising against regulation. The report concluded the costs of adding HAN and IHD would exceed any economic and environmental benefits.”
Presumably this was because the EA recognised that most people already use electricity carefully and would gain very little from IHDs and that many households would not be able afford to replace existing appliances with fancy new so-called “smart” appliances that can interact with a HAN – even if they were prepared to increase the level of microwave radiation in their home to try to save a bit of money on their electricity bill.
The article continues:
“The Environment Commissioner raised concerns over the methodology used in the cost-benefit analysis. However, the minister accepted the report’s advice.
“As a result, electricity retailers installed meters capable of recording your power use, but that’s about it – most of us are stuck with basic models that can’t do much else. Some energy companies don’t see this as a problem, and say the industry is moving toward control and monitoring through the internet via online tools.
He cites Flick Electric as an example of a company making innovative use of smart meters, but laments that “Flick isn’t offering meters with home area network functionality or in-home displays – you have to log on to a personalised online portal to check your power use and spot prices.”
“The problem with online energy monitoring programmes is they’re usually opt-in, and require users to log in to the system to access energy use reports. We think a smart meter with an in-home display provides more accessible real-time feedback for consumers, rather than the half-hourly information provided by most online tools.
No one really needs an in-home display to be able to monitor their power usage: Unless there is a faulty appliance in a home, most people can make sensible decisions about conserving energy in their home through knowing how much each appliance is likely to consume. They can easily reduce bills by making sure that lights, appliances etc. are turned off when they are not needed.
Smart meters and your rights
Under the heading “Your rights” the article continues:
“There’s no law requiring you to have a smart meter. However, most retail power contracts say the provider can replace the meter at its discretion.
This is unfortunately true; electricity companies in NZ are increasingly using contracts to try to force smart meters on unwilling customers. Stop Smart Meters NZ wrote a submission to the consultation on the Unfair Contracts Act about this, as did some customers who had been adversely affected by the smart meter roll out and/or bullied by an electricity company, but our concerns appear to have been ignored.
“If you don’t want a smart meter, ask if you can opt out, or look at switching to another provider. But bear in mind, many meters’ certification expires this year so most, if not all, retailers will be opting to install smart meters.”
There are certified Ferraris meters on the NZ market as well as electronic meters that are not smart meters. However, electricity companies prefer to install smart meters, presumably due to the economic benefits for the industry.
The Consumer writer says: “You won’t have to pay for a smart meter if your provider’s rolling them out.”
Some consumers report higher bills after switching to a smart meter. This can happen if your old analogue meter was under-recording your usage, or your estimated usage from occasional meter reading was too low. Contact your energy provider if your new bills seem high – but beware, if they don’t find any faults you could be liable for the cost of the inspection.
The article concludes by discussing how you may have to pay for a smart meter to be installed if you request one and that if you think your meter is faulty and it is not, you may be charged for the call out.
The author writes: “We say New Zealand missed a golden opportunity to give consumers more control over their power use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In our view, the failure to regulate the rollout of smart meters was a mistake.”
We are very lucky in NZ to have a choice not to have a smart meter, given the health and privacy etc. risks that they pose.
“Power retailers need to be clear and accountable on how they handle and protect the personal data collected by smart meters. Companies’ privacy policies should include information on how they use smart meter data.”
A new article on http://smartgridawareness.org/ by K. T Weaver comments on a new paper about how governments may use data from smart meters.
The paper is called “The Role of Digital Trace Data in Supporting the Collection of Population Statistics – the Case for Smart Metered Electricity Consumption Data.”
According to the article by K.T. Weaver, smart meter data may be used to infer the socio-economic level of a household as well as its composition (for example how many adults and children (if any) may live in a home).
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up for the email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz This will allow you to get emails that give updates on the smart meter situation with a focus on NZ smart meter news.
The website smartgridawareness.org, which features intelligent commentary on issues relating to “smart” meters and the “smart” grid has revealed a simple strategy that hackers could use to economically paralyse any country that is dependent on so called “smart” meters to measure electricity use at households and businesses.
As you can see at the link below, any person, organisation or country with hostile intent who has programming skills (or the money to hire the services of a programmer) could cause economic and social chaos in a targeted area through the following means:
1) Hack into the computer system controlling smart meters
2) Access the “remote disconnect” feature and switch off power to homes and businesses
In 2009, a researcher named Mike Davis developed a worm that was designed to do just this…
“The vendor scoffed at Davis’s simulation, … That’s when Davis delivered his final blow and told the vendor that his malicious software didn’t just turn the power off, it also deleted the firmware update on the meters so they couldn’t be updated again to restore power. …”
The vulnerability of smart meters to cyber attacks is another good reason to keep your analogue (Ferraris) meter or to insist on a non-smart meter if your existing meter has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. Smart meters are not compulsory in NZ.
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you.
In the meantime, if you want to retain control of the appliances in your home (rather than cede it to your electricity retailer and/or lines company) you may wish to consider doing the following:
1) Refuse to get a smart meter or getting an existing smart meter removed
2) Making sure that any appliances that you may purchase or already have in your home are not s0-called smart appliances.
Please see the link below for information on how a smart meter may allow your electricity company to take control over your heat pump or air conditioner – and how to choose a model that should not be vulnerable to this type of corporate hijacking:
“Smart” water meters are currently being trialled in Tairua on the Coromandel and are being considered by the Waikato District Council (see links below for details).
Your chance to see the award winning smart meter documentary Take Back Your Power is coming up on February 24 in Auckland. (If you are not in Auckland, the film may be streamed or purchased from www.takebackyourpower.net.)
This highly recommended documentary covers health, privacy and other issues with smart meters.
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz and you will receive updates on the situation in NZ.
This morning’s Dominion Post features an article by Ben Heather about how the Privacy Commissioner has received a number of complaints concerning how smart meters infringe on people’s privacy.
Smart meters pose a risk to privacy (and home security) because they collect data about electricity use in half hourly intervals 24/7 and transmit it back to the electricity company (and/or another party such as a lines company).
When this data is “deaggregated” by computers it is possible for power companies (or any other company or individual that has access to the data) to work out what appliances were in use when and thereby build up a profile of activities in a household or business. It is also easily possible to work out when people are home or not at home.
Don’t miss this compelling video of a lecture and power point presentation by Mike Mitcham from www.stopsmartmeters.org.uk on smart meters, the smart grid and the “internet of things”. Health, privacy and other important issues are covered in an engaging and informative presentation.
If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up for the email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz. This link also includes a search facility to allow you to search the website for topics of interest.
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