Fisherman Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I'm curious to know if there's any possibility that a Smart Meter read out can be changed remotely. Quick intro, I've lived at the same address for quite a number of years, check my meter old or new over the years, and without fail, my average kw/h useage per day averages from 9 (low) to 16 (high). This can be attributed from not cooking, no AC running, etc in the summer to having a few more things running, ie. truck block heater on timer, etc. I have a new (3 yr old) very high efficiency furnace, DC motor, gas hot water, gas dryer, high eff washer, only use the dw(dish washer) (not dear wife), every 2 or 3 days as needed. My monthy average ranges from a low of about 270 kw/h to a really high month would be 450 kw/h. Okay, so I'm a frugal jerk, but I don't use candles or make the wife shiver. All appliances are in good shape, not power hogs. Fast FWD. Yesterday read my meter 14250kw/h minus last month 13850kw/h = exactly 400kw/h. Neighbour happened to be out there with me having a chat. Today as I walk past the meter, roughly 24 hours later, it's jumped to 14301 or 51kw/h higher. That's more than 3 days maximum use for me with no apparant reason. I call Hydro One, the person says, yes there was a bit of a "spike" yesterday, Spike, more like a freaking Titan Missile. I'm not completely electrically savvy but, I don't think if I turned on every bulb, appliance and tool in the house I could dump 51kw. Does anyone have a possible reason. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I'm sure that it can't be the equipment. Just pay the $34,654 bill when it comes in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted January 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 I'm sure that it can't be the equipment. Just pay the $34,654 bill when it comes in. That's what I'm kind of wondering too, if it jumped every day, it would pretty much triple my monthly amount, kind of an anomoly after being steady for 28 years. Now if they screw you just a little bit, no one notices except them, they profit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketchenany Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 The "smart" meter is sitting at Queen's Park, Mc something. Who does not have to worry about conserving for the rest of his life. I've done the same thing short of washing dishes and laundry after midnight. (he doesn't have to worry) This smart metre to me is bunch of crap and only put in to take our hard earned dollars. My wife watch our grand children (under 2) can we keep the house cold, not turn on the stove to feed them, wash their clothes in the daytime . . . Let's keep voting them in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Ever since they put that meter in a year or two ago my bill is about $40-$50 more a month. Even changed the bulbs over ,drying and dishwasher after 9pm/now 7pm when possible. Rec'd my water bill a couple months ago and my waste water was$8 more than my water coming in ,how is that possible now? Getting back to the meter, I think there is something going on! in" Hydro's favour." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GbayGiant Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 (edited) http://www.optimumenergy.com/how-to-test-your-smart-meter-for-accuracy/ watch this. read this too.. http://www.hydroone.com/RegulatoryAffairs/RatesPrices/Pages/default.aspx Edited January 7, 2012 by GbayGiant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Ever since they put that meter in a year or two ago my bill is about $40-$50 more a month. Even changed the bulbs over ,drying and dishwasher after 9pm/now 7pm when possible. Rec'd my water bill a couple months ago and my waste water was$8 more than my water coming in ,how is that possible now? Getting back to the meter, I think there is something going on! in" Hydro's favour." If they do it the same way up North as we do Down here. They read the water in and the waste water is calculated by the water meter reading. Waste water can not be read thru a turbine unit due to the solids the only technology that reads waste water is a "ping" unit and are very expensive. We have a system if you have water irrigation they put in a separate meter in the house then deduct it from their meter and multiply it by the sewer fee. Hope this helps Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ketchenany Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 http://www.optimumenergy.com/how-to-test-your-smart-meter-for-accuracy/ watch this. read this too.. http://www.hydroone.com/RegulatoryAffairs/RatesPrices/Pages/default.aspx So when I buy one of these does it make it cheaper? We all know how to save energy, it's the government who dictates how much we pay. I've done all possible to keep my costs, down but then I also like to live comfortable according to the amount of taxes I pay very year. Why can't we turn off every second light on the 400 series of Hwys after a certain hour. Plazas with glaring lights all night long . . .parking lots empty. Who pays for that? The water over Niagara doesn't run according to time of day, I know, I advertise how much water flows over the brink. yes there is maintenance . . . Why do governments COEs Hydro/ Hospital . . . have to make million dollar salaries? I have saved my energy bills since 2004, they are not doing us any favours! I'm not making the millions that the hydro/hospital CEOs are making Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofish4me Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 I've been on the smart meter for over a year now. No problems like what you state. My cost actually went down for some months. "Time of Use" crap. Check out Hydro One website, you can track your usage. I wrote to MP and MPP, that I was concerned about time of use billing. I swear, I'm not ever going to tell my wife, when to run the dishwasher, wash my clothes, or run the clothes drier. Over 20 years ago I criticized a lunch she made for me, and I've been buying lunch ever since. So far I have no complaints about the smart meter. I can see the usage and determine the days my wife is home from work. Hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropy Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Here is a thread from another fishing site on the cost of living. http://forums.oodmag.com/showthread.php?t=29369 You might be interested in reading, some hydro related talk. Entropy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pikehunter Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Does anyone have a possible reason. Thanks. You have quite simply, a "Stupid" smart meter! I don't think anyone here or anywhere is a fan of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 If you're with Hydro One and have a smart meter, create an account here and you can track usage by the hour, with a 24 hour lagtime. I check the site every few days and look for suspicious spikes in usage. It helped my realize we had left the baseboard heater on in the spare room one time after we had overnight company. Could have stayed on for weeks if I hadn't checked usage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted January 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thanks for the links, I'm going to go and open the account to track usage and see what that can reveal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 You think it's bad now wait until the hydro rates triple, then you will be complaining. I have a smart meter and I do whatever I can to run all the appliances at night (they all have a delay option now) and if not we do the laundry all weekend. No matter who is making me do it, or asking me to do it, the bottom line is that it is saving me a few bucks. When the rates skyrocket it will be a habbit and it will save me a few more. It's been a year and a half now and it has beccome the norm, my wife thought I was nuts a year ago. It is interesting to watch the time of use stuff on line, you can see when the wife uses the hairdryer and coffee maker in the morning, then leaves for work, and when we ate dinner that day. I think THAT is what is behind all of this, the government leaning our every step! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 It's certainly taught me that our biggest power spike is from the hot-water tank, showers and laundry are obvious on the graph. It's a neat tool, I can even see the fridge cycling on every hour or so during low usage periods when no one is home or we're asleep. Last Tuesday night when it was really cold (-23C or so), I could see that the baseboard in the basement had cycled on a few times. I keep that t-stat set at only 5C or so just to keep the pipes from freezing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Last Tuesday night when it was really cold (-23C or so), I could see that the baseboard in the basement had cycled on a few times. I keep that t-stat set at only 5C or so just to keep the pipes from freezing. Jer It sounds like you could use a little insulation in your basement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofish4me Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Does anyone have a possible reason. Thanks. Got a welder for Christmas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captpierre Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Remember guys. Hair dryers, lights, coffee makers etc add heat to your home. Furnace will run less. Dryers are the biggest pigs. Not only do they draw power (esp electric) but they suck the warm house air out and make your furnace work harder. Central vac does too if the unit is in the garage. I close the door to the laundry room and open the window in that room so that the dryer sucks in mostly outside air. Or try to dry clothes on a warmer day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted January 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Got a welder for Christmas? Ha, good guess but no donut for you. Yes I do have a little Linc Mig 100, but it has not been used for about 6 months, I know they can suck up the juice. I've gone to the website and opened up an account to see my hourly/daily/weekely usage. Funny thing is we are not on Time of Use in my area, but the chart shows it as such, only we still pay the average 7.1¢/kw/h. What I'm still stumped on is the 51kw/h jump on the meter in 24 hours and it doesn't show it on the chart. That meter just might have a bad encounter with a tree branch that's conveniently co-located. I'll keep the peace for now, check the meter daily and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Ha, good guess but no donut for you. Yes I do have a little Linc Mig 100, but it has not been used for about 6 months, I know they can suck up the juice. I've gone to the website and opened up an account to see my hourly/daily/weekely usage. Funny thing is we are not on Time of Use in my area, but the chart shows it as such, only we still pay the average 7.1¢/kw/h. What I'm still stumped on is the 51kw/h jump on the meter in 24 hours and it doesn't show it on the chart. That meter just might have a bad encounter with a tree branch that's conveniently co-located. I'll keep the peace for now, check the meter daily and see what happens. Maybe you forgot about that grow-op you started down in the basement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Jer It sounds like you could use a little insulation in your basement. There's no heat source down there except for the baseboard, it's not really living space, just storage. Upstairs I heat 95% with the woodstove, that heat doesn't get to the basement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted January 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Maybe you forgot about that grow-op you started down in the basement. I don't live in that part of town. Edited January 8, 2012 by Fisherman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Bob Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 No smart meters here.....don't know what you guys are paying for electric/gas/water but here's what I just paid NYSEG $49.88 (electric)....National Fuel $60.05 (natural gas).....water bill $35.56 for three months.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workwear Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 No smart meters here.....don't know what you guys are paying for electric/gas/water but here's what I just paid NYSEG $49.88 (electric)....National Fuel $60.05 (natural gas).....water bill $35.56 for three months.... ya gotta be kidding bb!!! my average elec bill 120..... gas 180.... water 80.....per month Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Posted January 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 No smart meters here..... No smart meters here..... yep, nobody smart enough there to use a smart meter on, the needle won't even budge, let alone twitch. :rofl2: :rofl2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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