Author Topic: Electric smart meter  (Read 759 times)

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Offline Mule 11

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Electric smart meter
« on: October 16, 2025, 01:43:46 PM »
Energy co. Wants to install these, anyone have any experience with these?

Offline Goldie

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2025, 01:51:11 PM »
Had one in Austin,  keeps a meter reader from having to read them.  Analyzes your monthly bills but does nothing for the amount of electricity you use. Mine was pretty accurate and no mistakes.

Offline Dee

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2025, 03:16:03 PM »
Got one now. No problems I can see, other than my bill went up.
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Offline Graybeard

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2025, 05:32:42 PM »
They changed them out here without asking permission. Only difference is no meter reader comes to visit.


Bill aka the Graybeard
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I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

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Offline moamonkey

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2025, 03:18:53 AM »
Probably same as our water meter, a man drives down the road and reads the meter without entering the yard.

Offline scattershot

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2025, 03:40:22 AM »
No problems with mine,had it for over a year now.
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Offline DDZ

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2025, 05:58:33 AM »
Have had a smart meter for a couple years now. The only difference I've seen is my electric bill double from what it was just a few years ago. You can bet the cost of smart meters are figured into your bill, not all being the reason my electric bill is higher. 
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Offline Mule 11

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2025, 08:26:35 AM »
After hearing about those “smart” thermostats I was a bit concerned.

Offline gypsyman

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2025, 09:59:06 AM »
 Got a notice in the mail, we're suppose to be getting them here in the next 1-2 months. Everything I've read was that their bills went up after they were installed. They told me, I could opt out, keep my old meter, but would be charged an extra $28 a month for somebody to come buy and do it. I figure my bill should go down with installation, not up. No different than the self check out at a supermarket should be.(But never is) If your cutting the cost of overhead, eliminating a worker, and not changing the price, that's extra money coming in. If one of those meter readers makes say, $45,000/year. and they fire 4 of them for a certain area, that's an extra $180,000 the company is pulling in. From my understanding, the meter is connected to the internet, cloud, whatever you want to call it. It automatically sends the amount of usage back to a station and your bill comes from that. Greedy businessmen making more, and giving the common folk's squat in return.
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Offline Graybeard

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2025, 10:31:54 AM »
After hearing about those “smart” thermostats I was a bit concerned.

The power company sent me a couple boxes with some insulation, LED light bulbs and a smart thermostat for my house and another for the barn. No heat at the barn so not needed there. I refuse to use a smart thermostat. It allows them to shut you down during peak load periods if they want to. I'll stay with the manual thermostat but have no problems with the smart meter. Have one for water meter also.


Bill aka the Graybeard
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I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!

Offline ironglowz

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2025, 04:41:56 PM »
  First they offered them to us, if we chose to take them.  Most didn't, so now we are going to get them, like it or not !   

  Soundslike dempcrats are running that show... :D ;D

Offline Dixie-Dude

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #11 on: October 18, 2025, 02:50:49 AM »
Yeah we have smart thermostats that we allowed the power company to control.  Well, we were always having to override it in summer.  Power company cut them off during the day, I guess while people were working.  Well, we are retired.  It would get up to 80 degrees in the house.  We needed to cool down, especially if we worked in the yard on summer mornings.  Hot and muggy in the afternoons.  Had to over ride them.  Not going to let them control the thermostats again. 
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Offline Mule 11

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #12 on: October 18, 2025, 03:06:31 AM »
Yeah we have smart thermostats that we allowed the power company to control.  Well, we were always having to override it in summer.  Power company cut them off during the day, I guess while people were working.  Well, we are retired.  It would get up to 80 degrees in the house.  We needed to cool down, especially if we worked in the yard on summer mornings.  Hot and muggy in the afternoons.  Had to over ride them.  Not going to let them control the thermostats again.
Good for you. My whole house ac went out and called ac co. They came out and it was running for less then a week, had them out and it was $700 for a condenser fan so I did it myself for under $200 and 20 minutes, also saw their shoddy workmanship. I put a large unit in the window while mine was out and now I have dueling ac :)

Offline Goldie

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #13 on: October 18, 2025, 07:53:34 AM »
Mule you should have went with a mini split system. More efficient and better cooling plus heat in the winter.

Offline Mule 11

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2025, 08:40:45 AM »
Mule you should have went with a mini split system. More efficient and better cooling plus heat in the winter.

Eventually I’ll get a new unit and have it moved as I built a porch roof structure attached to my house. I’m planning on putting a bathroom and bedroom under part of it. I was trying to milk the unit I have for a bit and I’ve succeeded. I’ll check into a mini split system.

Offline ironglowz

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #15 on: October 20, 2025, 10:49:15 AM »
  Sounds like the meters are misnamed.  More likely instead of "smart meter", they should be called "Big Brother's control meter".

Offline Graybeard

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Re: Electric smart meter
« Reply #16 on: October 20, 2025, 11:21:22 AM »
Not so Pete. The smart meters control nothing. They merely avoid having to have a meter reader enter your property. Now the smart thermostats are a different bird altogether.


Bill aka the Graybeard
President, Graybeard Outdoor Enterprises
256-435-1125

I am not a lawyer and do not give legal advice.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life anyone who believes in Him will have everlasting life!