On Fri, 8 Jun 2007 07:06:46 -0300, "John Gilmer" wrote:

Our local utility (Dominion, Virginia) is marketing a switch that has a
special connector that sits between the meter and the meter base. The
"switch box" is mounted on the wall within reach of the cord connector
(about 6').

"They" want $995 for it "installed." Since installation just means
removing and replacing the meter and hanging up the box, I judge they price
that hardware at $700+.

BUT, it's a neat solution to the problem.

In the same bill (they "market" when they send the monthly bill) "they" were
selling gas generators for several times what you would pay for the same
capacity at, say, Wal-Mart.

IMO, if you can get it, the "meter" base is the best solution. I don't
have technical details (for example, will the switch have a remote control
option or will it permit remote monitoring of whether the utility power has
been restored) but the basic idea is sound and shows that the utility is
addressing the problem in a realistic manner.

"the utility is addressing the problem in a realistic manner." ???

Please forgive me. I can't resist ...

"You should not be overly alarmed to find that you are brainwashed.
We are all brainwashed ..."

If your public service commission allows your utility to hustle
bucks on such utilitys service failures, perhaps neither the psc nor
such utility is addressing the basic and essential problem at all.

How much will such utility make if there are only 2 outages per
year (about all that should be allowed)? How much will they make
if there are 14 or 23 outages? Can you imagine a scenario in
which the utilitys profit targets are dependent on the number
of outages (above "normal") per year?

Beware,
Al

"The monkey and the baboon was playing 7-up.
The monkey won the money but he scared to pick it up.
The monkey stumbled, mama.
The baboon fell.
The monkey grab the money and he run like hell!"
- from "Dirty Motherfuyer", Roosevelt Sykes, around 1935