Sylvia Else wrote:
Dave M wrote:

Starting about 25 years ago, the local power company started a program
whereby they installed these boxes to home AC units and electric water
heaters, supposedly to reduce peak demand on the grid in times of high
demand.

Wonderful idea. If the AC units are creating an excessive load, just
turn them off remotely. Beats investing in grid infrastructure.

The problem is getting people to buy into this idea. It
usually is under a different tariff than "normal service".
And, utilities often don't price those tariffs rationally.
People are hesitant to let someone else turn off a "comfort
feature" if they aren't getting something "significant" for
their potential inconvenience [1]

The same is true of ToU tariffs. Its as if the utility
*wants* the benefits that these tariffs offer *and* wants
to figure out how to get more money from the subscriber at
the same time!

[1] Though often load shedding can be implemented as load
*shifting* so you don't really feel any significant "loss".
E.g., most hotels/motels have their HVAC systems arranged
on a staggered schedule. So, even if you turn the "heat"
(ACbrrr) on in your room *now*, you might not actually
*get* that until your "timeslice" comes along.