Jules wrote:
On Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:31:29 -0600, HeyBub wrote:

"[WASHINGTON] Millions of households across America are taking a
first step into the world of the "smart grid," as their power
companies install meters that can tell them how much electricity
they are using hour by hour - and sometimes, appliance by
appliance. But not everyone is happy about it."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us...ef=instapundit

Hmm, might it be that the new meters aren't measuring the load in
the same way as the meters they're replacing?

I suppose I wouldn't mind a meter with an RS232 or (spit!) a USB port
on it, so *I* could query consumption at any time...

Not so much "control", just a blatant method of raising the prices while
saying it is your fault it costs so much. Get used to doing your laundry and
cooking after midnight, that is when the rates you have now will kick in,
while the daytime and evening rates will skyrocket. We have these meters
here but the local utility hasn't started billing according to time of day.

Polititians all claimed we would save money, just like they did when they
implented "free market" to the natural gas heating. It all costs much more
than one could ever imagine. My electric bill is now approaching $500.00 per
month, where only a few years ago we had the lowest electric rates on the
continent. And that is before they implement the time of day billing.