40 years ago in Brisbane, Australia, electric water heaters were
normally connected to a circuit with a separate meter and a switch that
could be controlled by audio tones superimposed by the City Council (our
electricity supplier) on the 50Hz supply. This electricity was at a
cheaper rate than the rest, with power usually being uninterrupted
during the night, but possibly available at other times too -- when
loads were not heavy.
There was also a switch to supply the water heater with full-price power
at other times if needed, but we had a 60-gallon system (real gallons,
not the skimpy US ones), and some people even had 80-gallon ones.
I suppose some people had gas water heaters, but I'm not sure that gas
was even available in our part of town.
My point is that time-dependent pricing has been around for a looong time.
73
Alan NV8A
(long-ago VK4NDV. VK4ZDV, VK4AFE)
On 01/15/12 01:56 pm, Eddy Swynar wrote:
> Hi Guys,
>
> Up here in THE LAND OF NO---a.k.a. Ontario, Canada---EVERYONE has been
> converted (FORCED) over to the so-called "smart" meter by the provincial
> power authority...
>
> The reason...? The government has instituted a "...a pay scale" based upon
> time of use: if you use electricity during so-called "prime time" (7:00 AM to
> 7:00 PM, I believe) your rates per kilowatt hour are higher---similarly, if
> you use electricity during off-peak hours, your rates are lower.
>
> This applies during weekdays only, too, BTW.
>
> It's all for the sake of "conservation" the authorities tell us, but it's
> more like a cash grab. Watch YOUR utility company do the same thing to you in
> the very near future...
>
> On a different note, before these devices were installed here, I wrote a
> long, scathing letter to the power authority here stating that I was a
> licensed Amateur radio operator,& that I neither expected to interfere with
> the devices, nor receive any RFI in kind, with their installation. The
> respondent was very sympathetic, and assured me repeatedly that there would
> be no RFI issues whatsoever...
>
> And in truth, there haven't been any---but I am rather weary of running the
> dish washer at 5:00 AM,& saving-up all the laundry for the weekend! Hi Hi
>
> ~73~ de Eddy VE3CUI - VE3XZ
>
>
>
> ***********************************************************************************************************************
>
>
>
> On 2012-01-15, at 1:38 PM, Kim Elmore wrote:
>
>> Oklahoma Gas and Electric installed smart meters in my city as an initial
>> experimental tryout. I can run about a kW (peak) output. Mine works fine,
>> causes me no interference and I don't bother it. Not all smart meters are
>> the same, apparently.
>>
>> N5OP
>>
>>
>> On Jan 15, 2012, at 12:08, Joe<wa6rkn@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Just read in the paper that our local power company is going to install
>>> smart meters in all of Reno/Sparks. If we choose to decline a smart meter
>>> and stay with the old analog meter, there will be a $300.00 charge plus a
>>> $16.00 surcharge on our monthly bill.
>>>
>>> Talk about highway robbery..
>>>
>>> Will be intresting to see what happens at my house..my nxt door neighbor
>>> opted for a smart meter a year ago..My amplifier smoked it...3
>>> times......power company then went after me to pay for the meter(s). Lots
>>> of words until I showed their legal eagle part 15 (??) that said they have
>>> no legal protection from amateur radio interference, but they had best not
>>> interfere with us.
>>>
>>> The neighbor is running an analog meter again..
>>>
>>> Now Sierra Pathetic (Pacific) Power is going to foist smart meters on
>>> everyone...should be interesting if they are to experience the same issues
>>> as before and will they be forced to stay with analog at my house, and will
>>> they try to soak me (us) their illegal (IMHO) fees for having to run analog
>>> meters.
>>>
>>> Stay tuned..this is going to happen over the next year...all conversions
>>> should be done by December, 2012.
>>>
>>> Joe Wolfe
>>> WA6RKN
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