"So it seems that the conspiracy theorists were right yet again – a key purpose of ‘Smart Meters’ is not only to measure power usage but also to allow energy providers to control how much energy we are allowed to consume using “a load control signal”.
Moreover, authorities will be allowed to use “reasonable force” to enter any homes or premises to ensure we have the approved ‘Smart Meters’ installed:
Requiring persons to supply evidence of their compliance to enforcement authorities; conferring powers of entry, including by reasonable force.
[…] about new technology, including low-carbon heat schemes and hydrogen grid trials; about the Independent System Operator and Planner; about gas and electricity industry codes; about heat networks; about energy smart appliances and load control; about the energy performance of premises; about the resilience of the core fuel sector; about offshore energy production, including environmental protection, licensing and decommissioning; about the civil nuclear sector, including the Civil Nuclear Constabulary; and for connected purposes.
Thanks for these links, folks. If they’re serious about the £15,000 it will be difficult to resist.
Now can see why they’ve pushed smart meters for so long. They will become another control mechanism.
Quite a few other things on UKC where the rust wasn’t sleeping.
Mike Robinson told us of various other bills in the same vein; some they probably covered previously.
As he explains, what they seem to have in common is they have “extremely broad scope”; no intent specified but that will come with the statutory instruments i.e. secondary legislation - which the primary legislation, readily passed by sleeping MP’s, will have already enabled.
Just because they are surrounding you with all sorts of weapons and making it legal to attack you right, left and centre doesn’t mean they mean to restrict you. Honest!
My property deeds specify that gas and electricity suppliers can access the property and I believe this is quite common. The wording suggests that to “maintain” the “wires” is used very widely. I already have a smart meter, one of spouse Eliot’s bright ideas.
I wonder though if that’s just access rights, and could still be subject to your existing contract with the provider?
Currently you can refuse a smart meter, as I understand it (which admittedly isn’t fully).
According to my very elderly neighbour the electric component/smart meter needs to be in place before the gas smart meter can be added. The electricity providers are contacting people telling them their old meter might be dangerous and needs replaced.
I wonder if you can then request a replacement traditional meter to deal with this ‘danger’.
The abovementioned neighbour agreed to the elecricity smart meter installation, was given a date to stay in all day (which drives her up the wall) and nobody appeared. After a new date was set, the same thing happened, or rather didn’t happen. Telephone staff, often foreign contractors, struggle to communicate with people with hearing difficulties and they are now on round three of chaotic exchanges.
This time she is leaning towards telling them to keep the wrapper on their smart meter this time.
Maybe. At this address it’s too late, spouse Eliot had the smart meter installed several years back. In a different situation I would resist this: it’s not really all that difficult to read your own meter and keep track that way. The suppliers do tend to offer lower rates, discounts, inducements, to switch. Compulsion will eventually follow: just about anything is being justified these days as a health and safety requirement. Pandemics justify a cascade of cynical responses. Climate emergencies demand suspension of business as usual. Our democracy being under threat demands suspension of electoral conventions. (Please insert scare quotes where appropriate.)
