Smart Meter - Utility spam, do they really think anyone cares?

[SC Maintenance]

Dominion installed smart meters. They sent 15 emails that it was going to happen, like it was some sort of coming out party or something?

Now they continue to spam me about my smart meter like I am missing something? They have now resorted to paper mail - I am supposed to sign up and get an account and their app so I can see my daily usage and other stuff apparently?

I use electricity, and then I pay for it. I assume this means they no longer have to drive by my house to read the meter remotely, and they can turn off my power remotely if I don't pay my bill. Hopefully they also know when my electricity stops working without me having to call, but my guess is they won't bother with that part.

Am I missing something? Does anyone care what their electric meter has to say?

 

[nate379]

Yes, it reports if power is out.

We pulled the meter to do wiring a while back and power company called about it. Borderline upset at us.

 

[SHOZ]

We got them last summer and this month they are going to a demand type rate system. KWHs based on your highest demand for the month.

 

[drtyler]

We got them last summer and this month they are going to a demand type rate system. KWHs based on your highest demand for the month.

Can you post more info from your utility on this rate system? Maybe its on their website?

 

[SC Maintenance]

We got them last summer and this month they are going to a demand type rate system. KWHs based on your highest demand for the month.

So like a real time pricing - or tiered pricing? We already have a bit of a tier - first X kWH is one rate, then after that its a higher rate.

I am certain they didn't put this in so they could charge me less.

 

[SHOZ]

Can you post more info from your utility on this rate system? Maybe its on their website?

2024 Rate Restructuring | Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative

Summary

www.eiec.org

What is Demand?

Demand refers to the maximum amount of power (measured in kilowatts or kW) that is being consumed at a specific time. It is related to, but different than, kWh, which is the amount of power used over a period of time. Imagine taking your car on a road trip. The fastest speed you drive at any given time during your trip would be similar to your peak demand. The total miles you drive on your entire trip would be like your kWh.

With our new demand component, we will calculate each member's demand every 15 minutes. The largest of those 15-minute measurements will be that member's peak demand for the billing period. That peak demand will be multiplied by the demand value for each rate class to get each member's demand charge for that billing cycle.

Why are we now charging for Demand?

Introducing this new demand component will allow us to more accurately bill each member based on their specific impact to the electric system. We must build and maintain our distribution system to be able to handle the largest amount of power that each member uses...even if it only happens a few times a year. Demand is the best indicator for those peaks in electric use.

Since most member's demand is fairly constant from month to month, this also allows us to collect more of our fixed costs in less variable components. We anticipate that these changes will provide better financial stability for the co-op, and more fairly allocate costs based on each member's unique impact on the electric system.

 

[2005jettatdi]

Yes, it reports if power is out.

We pulled the meter to do wiring a while back and power company called about it. Borderline upset at us.

About 15 years ago I needed to meter pulled to replace siding. I had the power company do it. They did not charge for it. They were very nice about it.

 

[drtyler]

It seems like everything in Illinois (with the exception of HPL of course) is a consumer shaft or grift.

2024 Rate Restructuring | Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative

Summary

www.eiec.org

What is Demand?

Demand refers to the maximum amount of power (measured in kilowatts or kW) that is being consumed at a specific time. It is related to, but different than, kWh, which is the amount of power used over a period of time. Imagine taking your car on a road trip. The fastest speed you drive at any given time during your trip would be similar to your peak demand. The total miles you drive on your entire trip would be like your kWh.

With our new demand component, we will calculate each member's demand every 15 minutes. The largest of those 15-minute measurements will be that member's peak demand for the billing period. That peak demand will be multiplied by the demand value for each rate class to get each member's demand charge for that billing cycle.

Why are we now charging for Demand?

Introducing this new demand component will allow us to more accurately bill each member based on their specific impact to the electric system. We must build and maintain our distribution system to be able to handle the largest amount of power that each member uses...even if it only happens a few times a year. Demand is the best indicator for those peaks in electric use.

Since most member's demand is fairly constant from month to month, this also allows us to collect more of our fixed costs in less variable components. We anticipate that these changes will provide better financial stability for the co-op, and more fairly allocate costs based on each member's unique impact on the electric system.

 

[mk378]

A typical house without big users like electric heat or electric car charging will have a demand of 5 to 10 kW. If you're general single phase they will charge $53.00 plus $2.12 per kW plus the kWh used.

That $53.00 base charge doesn't do much to encourage conservation.

 

[zzyzzx]

Smart Meter​

Fixed:
Demand Rate Meter

It allows utilities to do what Wendy's wants to do.

 

[SC Maintenance]

A typical house without big users like electric heat or electric car charging will have a demand of 5 to 10 kW. If you're general single phase they will charge $63.00 plus $2.12 per kW plus the kWh used.

That $63.00 base charge doesn't do much to encourage conservation.

Don't plug your Tesla in at the same time

 

[drtyler]

So like a real time pricing - or tiered pricing? We already have a bit of a tier - first X kWH is one rate, then after that its a higher rate.

I am certain they didn't put this in so they could charge me less.

There are benefits to the utility for having smart meters everywhere. They don't want outages and prefer to minimize them, and their planning and engineering departments like the extra data available for energy use characteristics over the system. Many utilities have used these meters for decades without screwing the customers over (with the exception of implementation costs that get rolled into the budget).

That said, the utilities want them now so demand pricing can be put into place. Don't necessarily blame your utility, it could be coming from their bulk provider.

 

[UncleDave]

Dominion installed smart meters. They sent 15 emails that it was going to happen, like it was some sort of coming out party or something?

Now they continue to spam me about my smart meter like I am missing something? They have now resorted to paper mail - I am supposed to sign up and get an account and their app so I can see my daily usage and other stuff apparently?

I use electricity, and then I pay for it. I assume this means they no longer have to drive by my house to read the meter remotely, and they can turn off my power remotely if I don't pay my bill. Hopefully they also know when my electricity stops working without me having to call, but my guess is they won't bother with that part.

Am I missing something? Does anyone care what their electric meter has to say?

The only part i care about are its accurate summation of imported and net exported electricity, so I can insure it matches what my enphase systems tells me, and make sure the bill is reasonably accurate. I can triangulate pretty quickly where it is and if it's off.

True, it is a benny being able to auto detect an outage which mine does - whenever power trips and go to back up, I can log in to the PGE trouble site and get a real time meter check.

I could give a rats rear end who sees the curves because you can only get a 50K foot view of what Im doing.

 

[UncleDave]

So like a real time pricing - or tiered pricing? We already have a bit of a tier - first X kWH is one rate, then after that its a higher rate.

I am certain they didn't put this in so they could charge me less.

Yes both, real time pricing, and tiered rates in terms of peak hours typically something like 4-9 power goes up 40%.
That isnt all in the meter itself- part of it is billing system based so the meter only gives you part of that equation.
Add the hourly to a tiered total and you have several multipliers on your bill.

 

[atikovi]

What's that base charge thing of $53 or $63? If you don't use any power you still have to pay that amount?

 

[SC Maintenance]

There are benefits to the utility for having smart meters everywhere. They don't want outages and prefer to minimize them, and their planning and engineering departments like the extra data available for energy use characteristics over the system. Many utilities have used these meters for decades without screwing the customers over (with the exception of implementation costs that get rolled into the budget).

That said, the utilities want them now so demand pricing can be put into place. Don't necessarily blame your utility, it could be coming from their bulk provider.

No, my particular load profile is meaningless rounding error. If they wanted demand curves they could get it per transformer, or even by block.

Its 100% so they can charge more at some point in the future.

I now totally understand whey there trying to ban natural gas appliances - because they need that gas to make for profit electricity, and they can now charge more based on some theoretical peak you hit for some 15 minute period once a month.

 

[drtyler]

What's that base charge thing of $53 or $63? If you don't use any power you still have to pay that amount?

Yeah, its lower with most utilities, although they would prefer it to be higher. They all claim its hard to stay in budget during low usage times.

 

[atikovi]

Yeah, its lower with most utilities, although they would prefer it to be higher. They all claim its hard to stay in budget during low usage times.

That's crazy. I have 2 commercial properties, one in MD and the other in VA that I go to for maybe one hour a month. Electric bills are less than $9 and $12 a month.

 

[barryh]

Smart meters have been a disaster in the UK.

First they spent £millions installing meters that only worked with your current energy supplier so they will have to be scrapped and replaced with a Mk 2 version. Even then they are subject to a strong mobile phone signal which I don't have in my locality. The idea that they are intended to save the consumer money is nonsense as it's energy users that are paying for the very inefficient roll out of smart meters through a levy on energy bills. So I'm paying for them even though I don't have one. Demand based pricing is what it's really about and it has already started in the UK.

 

[UncleDave]

Yeah, its lower with most utilities, although they would prefer it to be higher. They all claim its hard to stay in budget during low usage times.

US power companies alway find some way to cry poverty - they sell all the power they get during low use time at a substantial markup and going forward they'll get a lot of that power for free. Double dipping at its finest sending the bill to the new hapless homeowner.

In Cali, currently they get a super low cost 20GW (I think thats the number we came to) of daytime generation they dont have to purchase or maintain.