Removal of SCE's Smart Meter

[MikeInRialto]

It looks like one can request to have SCE remove the smart meter and revert back to the old one. So I'm wondering how SCE would figure out TOU, or would you not qualify for TOU without a smart meter.

In case anyone is not familiar with the problem with smart meters - radiation! Supposedly the radiation is minimal - supposedly.

Is anyone on NEM without a smart meter?

SCE charges a one time fee of $75 and a $10 monthly fee for those that don't want to have a Smart Meter.

* meter readers are needed for homes without smart meters. $10/month to provide someone with a job - If solar customers are going to have to pay a $10 minimum to SCE, I wouldn't mind forcing SCE to have to pay a meter reader & eliminate some radiation as well.

According to SCE you can switch once every 12 months

[SunEagle]

"Radiation" is transmitted from hundreds of wireless and electronic devices in your home. Each device has to be tested and would need to meet FCC safety limits before it can be sold to the public.

Worrying about smart meters is more of a fear from a hypochondriac or believing in conspiracies against the public.

IMO you will get more dangerous "radiation" sitting out in the sun all day (even using a sun block cream) than from a smart meter.

[Sunking]

I wouldn't mind forcing SCE to have to pay a meter reader & eliminate some radiation as well. According to SCE you can switch once every 12 months

I cannot believe the ignorance of the public. Your cell phone and laptop emit more radiation, and you put your cell phone right next to your brain and cook it.

[MikeInRialto]

SunEagle, I'm sure you are right. But like plastic containers, one by itself is not much. However, there is a huge problem with plastic waste in our environment - it all adds up.

My point behind it is the corporate greed of SCE - the whole reason for smart meters to begin with: cut jobs of meter readers and plan TOU rates most advantageous to SCE.

Some electric companies charge less per kwh with the more you use, unlike SCE who charges us money to make money off us, with the more you use the higher rate you pay.

It is like the water companies in California now starting to increase their rates to recover PROFIT not made because of people cutting back on usage due to drought conditions. There are times people all have to do their part and the mega rich just feel they are above it.

California is still paying above $2.50/gallon at the pump when oil is at an all time low and other states are getting very close to $1/gallon. Ca consumers just keep getting screwed.

[MikeInRialto]

[QUOTE=Sunking;n301371]I cannot believe the ignorance of the public. Your cell phone and laptop emit more radiation, and you put your cell phone right next to your brain and cook it. [/QUOTE

Don't belive the ignorance of the public; fools are made of lesser things: the tobacco industry said cigarettes are safe, just like the gas company is saying the gas leak in porter ranch is within limits, and what's wrong with looking after the public & environment as best you can even if it means less profit?

..I'm guessing you don't have a problem with what the electric companies just did in Nevada with regard to residential solar.

[SunEagle]

SunEagle, I'm sure you are right. But like plastic containers, one by itself is not much. However, there is a huge problem with plastic waste in our environment - it all adds up.

My point behind it is the corporate greed of SCE - the whole reason for smart meters to begin with: cut jobs of meter readers and plan TOU rates most advantageous to SCE.

Some electric companies charge less per kwh with the more you use, unlike SCE who charges us money to make money off us, with the more you use the higher rate you pay.

It is like the water companies in California now starting to increase their rates to recover PROFIT not made because of people cutting back on usage due to drought conditions. There are times people all have to do their part and the mega rich just feel they are above it.

California is still paying above $2.50/gallon at the pump when oil is at an all time low and other states are getting very close to $1/gallon. Ca consumers just keep getting screwed.

Well from what I have read most POCO's will charge more with more usage. Not less. While SCE is charging much more for electricity then what Duke is charging me my electric bill is still less than 3% of my take home pay as compared to medical & insurance costs which ran me over 6% and 8% respectively. So IMO my POCO costs are low compared to most of my other monthly expenses.

Unfortunately you live in a state that has very high costs for just about everything.

[FNG AZ]

Great idea mike. If you have to pay 10 bucks month anyways why not force them to come say hi once a month! In my area when you pull the smart meter you can not be on any TOU plans. Depending on how much you use, produce and what your net metering pays, this may help or hurt.

[SunEagle]

Great idea mike. If you have to pay 10 bucks month anyways why not force them to come say hi once a month! In my area when you pull the smart meter you can not be on any TOU plans. Depending on how much you use, produce and what your net metering pays, this may help or hurt.

More than likely you will not get someone to read you meter monthly but instead get an estimated usage bill.

While it might be a nice idea to protect someones job deciding not to go with smart meters, it will not stop a company to reduce it's work force if they can justify cutting people. It will just mean less people doing more work which usually ends up with the process being less efficient or not done properly.

We had the same thing happen with our water meter. The city cut positions and half of our water bills were estimated with the other half being actually read. In the end we were still charged for all the water we used but the amount varied a lot from month to month.

[J.P.M.]

SDG & E will let you have the old meter back, but that comes with a price, $75.00 initial charge and $10.00/mo. thereafter. I'm also pretty sure an analog meter would eliminate any T.O.U. possibilities.

[Willaby]

My point behind it is the corporate greed of SCE - the whole reason for smart meters to begin with: cut jobs of meter readers and plan TOU rates most advantageous to SCE.

It is like the water companies in California now starting to increase their rates to recover PROFIT not made because of people cutting back on usage due to drought conditions. There are times people all have to do their part and the mega rich just feel they are above it.

California is still paying above $2.50/gallon at the pump when oil is at an all time low and other states are getting very close to $1/gallon. Ca consumers just keep getting screwed.

On the "corporate greed", that's just a term used mostly by the Dem's to denote profits they don't like. Example; oil companies are greedy because they depreciate equipment assets, but a flower shop is not greedy for doing so. Smart meters are just the technology of today and TOU does make sense. Meter reading as a job is as archaic as a telephone operator. Talking about SCE cutting jobs, I'd point to their abuse of the H-1B visa's to cut their IT staff last year (reminds me I need to look up the current status of that).

Definitely agree regarding water charges. Our local water district increases the fixed fees at double the inflation rate, then wants more. I could rant on and on about them. Highest paid & benefits for workers & management.

I haven't seen $2.50 gas yet, maybe $2.69, but I drive a mostly electric car so not from experience. Just over a dollar is tax, all in including sales tax, but we also pay extra for the special blend that also becomes an excuse to raise prices when the refineries need to do their "unscheduled maintenance".

[inetdog]

SDG & E will let you have the old meter back, but that comes with a price, $75.00 initial charge and $10.00/mo. thereafter. I'm also pretty sure an analog meter would eliminate any T.O.U. possibilities.

They did at one time make digital meters, with TOU capability, just not the communications and remote control options that came with the smart meters.
But POCOs do not particularly want to use them since it involves manually retrieving multiple readings each month and AFAIK the time periods cannot be changed without sending the meter back to the shop. Smart meters can be remotely reprogrammed if the utility chooses to do so.