The MD legislature ignored 2 bills to investigate/alleviate these ridiculous fees (~10%?), but thankfully that handled that major crisis of transgender bathrooms!
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The day my letter arrived in the mail this week, I called and spoke to a customer service agent at DPL. She was so full of it, lacked every ounce of customer service representation, actually to the point of being arrogant. All she said was "call the PUC" 800 number but at this point, sorry about your luck is basically how she came through on the phone. If there was anyway I could change power companies without ever having to deal with Delmarva Power would be a plus.
ReplyDeletePenalizing you for opting out of surveillance and control. That's all.
ReplyDeleteI use to work fof DP&L and I have to disagree on this one... the meter does allow you to keep track of current usage and see jow much your bill is on a daily basis... It also allows them to know exactly when your out or if a whole neighborhood is out. How would you feel if you owned a company and someone didn't pay you the money that was due? You would have to send someone out to turn off the power etc. That is a thing of the past, no worrying about bad neighborhoods or dog attacks etc, all done at the office remotely and when you do pay your bill, electric can be restored in a matter of minutes rather then waiting hours or days to get a tech out there...
ReplyDelete7:33 What flavor is the Kool-Aid?
ReplyDeleteHow many folks are going to get 'pink slips' due to this automation?
I would rather see the meter-readers out in the neighborhoods - they can look out for stuff that 'just isn't right'.
I don't want a third party collecting information on my activities electronically!
I don't want a third party to be able to turn off my air-conditioner or hot water heater remotely.
Socialist / communist oppression is not what this country was founded on - rather freedoms!
Me, I'll be contacting the PUC and my elected representatives to ask for this to be abolished.....
I'll keep my money, guns, and freedom - you can keep the change and your kool-aid.
7:33 there are always "pro's" to controlling the population.
ReplyDeleteSadly in this case the "con's" outweigh the benefits.
When all the "pro's" are to the benefit of the company... and government, that is never good for the general population.
But what do you expect from the slower lower? Now jumping onboard to projects that have been abandoned by others who went thru this and experienced the consequences years ago..........
Enjoy the ride, the monopoly screwing, the pocket picking, and big brothers control.
There's no doubt it's more convenient for DP&L, but they're not getting my sympathy. I'm pretty sure they're making out just fine. They could arm every tech and it wouldn't be a blip on their profit radar.
ReplyDeleteThe problems I have with it are:
Security/privacy.
Future billing based on time of day usage rather than average/monthly consumption.
Security/hackability.
One thing that has been demonstrated w/ any and every accessible new network is that if you build it, they (hackers) will come, no matter how trivial the stakes. New challenge and new street creds.
Plus all neato electronics evolve. Next year there could be a newer, cheaper, faster and more secure meter. Will they then be granted more money by the PUC with the ability to then charge the people w/ the "old" smart meter for opting out?
See the haltmasmartmeters.org link on this post to find out why not all power companies are supporting this particular business move.
Oh Great! We'll be getting a huge rate reduction as they won't have to pay the meter readers or send out people to turn off electricity for unpaid bills! They will also make money selling all of our private info to third parties! And the hackers will have a field day with that!
ReplyDeleteSeems fair to me. Don't charge me for having a smart meter and then having to pay for techs for other people.
ReplyDelete8:05 - many parts of the country already have multi-tiered billing as an option. They even have free nights or weekends. They do this to encourage people to do non-critical chores, such as running a dishwasher, at night when loads are lower and help prevent brownouts. Look at states with more deregulated electrical markets.
Be careful what you wish for. Conservatives tens to want deregulation, but all highly deregulated electrical markets have or are moving towards smart meters.
-Ted R.
I also received that letter. Most things you read when investigating your options advise against the smart meter.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt that Delmarva Power will give pink slips to their meter readers. It's just another way for them to get more money for things they never previously charged for.
Funny how the public service commission never denies anything to the mega companies. These commissions don't seem to have the best interests of the public in mind.
more surveillance. More control. More penalties and punishments for those who resist/don't "comply". And we are told this is "the future". How nice.
ReplyDeleteKeep cheering.
Just say NO to "government spying and control" meters aka smart meters; you'll be glad you did.
ReplyDeleteNow, more than ever, we need to come together. We need to know our next door neighbor. We need to pull together as a unit and be ready for whatever is coming our way. Hug a friend today. We need peace in our land. Reach out to each other in love. Don't worry about big brother..love one another. What would this world be like if we all reached out and started a movement for love and peace. This internet is a powerful tool that can be used for good as well. We admire people who preached this in their lifetime, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, Dali Lama. What are you doing today? Did they just wake up one day and decide to make a mark on the world? No they just woke up like you this morning. The difference...they decide to speak peace and love. Life is a decision to be made. I hope you choose peace. Love to all.
ReplyDeleteIa don'ta undrstanda thisa issuea
ReplyDeleteI'm all for the smart meter.My bill is considerably lower now.
ReplyDeleteTed said...
ReplyDeleteSeems fair to me. Don't charge me for having a smart meter and then having to pay for techs for other people.
8:05 - many parts of the country already have multi-tiered billing as an option. They even have free nights or weekends. They do this to encourage people to do non-critical chores, such as running a dishwasher, at night when loads are lower and help prevent brownouts. Look at states with more deregulated electrical markets.
Be careful what you wish for. Conservatives tens to want deregulation, but all highly deregulated electrical markets have or are moving towards smart meters.
-Ted R.
April 18, 2014 at 8:46 AM
You are a liberal idiot!
Anonymous Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteI'm all for the smart meter.My bill is considerably lower now.
April 18, 2014 at 12:34 PM
And you are a liar! I haven't talked to one person who has had a lower bill yet, especially in March. I bet you work for Delmarva Power and you planted this comment.
It takes a lot of electricity to operate a poultry farm. How am I supposed to train my birds to eat, drink, sleep and poop at the appropriate times?
ReplyDeleteI dont work for Delmarva power our bill was cheaper.
ReplyDeleteIve got one ..dont notice a diff in my bill...along with my wireless modem...cell phones...and now my meter..my head hasnt exploded yet...i work at wallops and all the RF im exposed too...WOW..im still here...f.y.i I'm not liberal I'm conservative but some of you people are just plain crazy. get real and get into the 21st century there's bigger problems to worry about. the only way they will shut off your house is if you allow them to install the equipment required to allow it otherwise.. its just a smart meter..no different then tons of electronics we depend on daily...
ReplyDeleteDon't confuse crazy with worried. I have the meter and they assured me they will not just turn off our electric. As you get older you worry weather you have enough money, if they can unlock your car remotely and talk to you about it do they listen to your conversation. Can they see you from your cable box. We know they can remotely work on your computer. I have seen shows where they can get into your web cam and view and take pictures. Its the unknown, there have been a lot of changes over the years and not every body will do the right thing with this technology . Its that kind of crazy I worry about. My guess is you are not at that worry age. Remember this when you reach that age. Lets agree that there are all types of personalities. People who worry a lot and people who don't worry about anything.
ReplyDeleteOur meter readers simply RIDE BY with an electronic reader they point at your house. They don't even get out of the vehicle unless the meter is in the back. I called & rep was arrogant, holier than thou, condescending and RUDE. I can read my own meter, but "they send someone out anyway." They won't come out to test our meter which was RACING when NOTHING was running except a radio. Besides, "It was cold yesterday, wasn't it?" So I can expect my meter to race when NOTHING IS RUNNING!
ReplyDeleteA charge (esp. this big) is nothing short of BLACKMAIL and corporate EXTORTION!
I had the same thing happen at my house. Left for work the other day, with all the lights off, no heat turned on, nothing. Maybe the refrigerator and the clock on the oven and microwave. No one else in the house.
ReplyDeleteMeter was spinning faster than I could believe!! Really fast.
The next week I get a notice from Delmarva Power that I use more electricity than my neighbors, some of whom have several children and a spouse (which I do not). Also, by the way, urging me to use the smart meter. Are they jacking up my bill (remotely??) to coerce me into that meter?
I don't trust them to tell the truth to me if their life depended on it.
Now, I'm supposed to trust them on the "benign", "harmless", and not intrusive smarter meter? Please......
lmclain
ReplyDeleteI get the same nastygrams from the. We however have 4 people living in our home, so yes we do use more electric than the neighbors with 1 person living in the home. Most of the homes have electric heat in them where ours does not. We also don't use our dryer from spring to fall. They can't tell me we are using more electric than others that have the same amount of people living in the same size house. We have always had high electric bills at our house and they never can explain why.
Imclain, they wouldn't send anyone out to check our meter. We have to check it ourselves. What maintainence do they charge us for? We do dishwasher maybe twice a week, laundry about the same. Always at night. we have all fluorescent lighting except for a few lamps with 6o watt bulbs in. As any bulbs burn out, they don't get replaced. We're up to about 6 burnouts now. We keep thermostat at 68. A wood insert burning all day through Feb & our bill went up. (It was a colder January)There's nothing more we can do...apparently. 2 over 70 living here, not cooking, cleaning etc. like we used to.
ReplyDeleteIs there anything we can do about the new charges?
ReplyDeletego to your meter out throw it in the street put jumper bars in in the hill with the power company
ReplyDelete946 please tell me how.
ReplyDelete"....read and maintain...""".....they were reading my meter before and the costs for that were supposedly built into my bill, but they aren't any longer? And now, with so many "smart meters" active, THEIR costs have dropped significantly? If so, why is there ANY charge? When they read my meter, a guy pulls up in my driveway, right next to meter and is gone in ten seconds or less. For THAT, I will now pay $17 EACH month (and they only read it every other month!??????????
ReplyDeleteAnd "maintain" it??? WHAT!?1 It's been there for 16 years, and they have NEVER had to replace a wire or do anything else to the meter.
Now I have to "enroll" in a $75 fee for the priviledge of being able to do business with them????
A we fought an f'ing REVOLUTION over some taxes on tea??
So, now we are getting strong-armed for about $275 EXTRA (above the bill itself), JUST DO BUSINESS WITH THEM?
And this was approved by people YOU think are acting in your interest?
Keep cheering. Its working great1
Maybe you haven't noticed that Delpwr alters the number of days between readings in order to fake your "monthly" bill...
ReplyDelete