289 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

From what I've heard, PVR's and digital television boxes consume A LOT of energy.

For those who have experienced higher bills and increased energy use compared to the previous one or two years, perhaps it has something to do with adding a PVR and digital boxes to your home?

Source 1, Source 2.

[maniac78]

I have one small baseboard heater in my bedroom that gets used. Only at night and it's on a programmable thermostat. Gets very little use.

Hot water is a gas boiler shared by the whole condo building.


I'm also surprised that I got bumped up into the second tier for billing. I thought it was supposed to penalize energy hogs? If it's that easy for me to get into the second tier I can't see how a family of two, three, four has any hope of saving energy.

I have never ever seen a bill under the second tier since I live in a house. I can't imagine what kind of bills people up north would see.

[Bernard]

Time of use billing becomes much easier with major appliances that can be time delayed such as a dishwasher or washing machine.

I also look around home houses have all manner of stuff on all the time. The constant draw is becoming a significant factor and short of making in financially painful for people, actions are unlikely to change. BC Hydro has spent a lot of money trying to get people turn off lights they do not need.

It would be nice if all offices have to shut off all their lighting all their computer systems overnight.

[Mike K.]

Do smart meters allow you to login in to BC Hydro's website and see what devices or appliances are drawing power, when and how much?

[Bernard]

Do smart meters allow you to login in to BC Hydro's website and see what devices or appliances are drawing power, when and how much?

eventually when the smart grid is in place you will be able to monitor your power use online but not in real time. The smart meters do not submit ongoing live data. The update from time to time.

As to which devices, there is no way the meter can know what is on. That would only be possible if the appliance of device in question were smart itself and could communicate it's status.

[Mike K.]

Ok, thanks. For some reason I assumed that the smart meters knew what type of appliance was drawing the power.

[skeptic]

Ok, thanks. For some reason I assumed that the smart meters knew what type of appliance was drawing the power.

That is because the smart meter opponents are spreading misinformation, such as smart meters being an invasion of your privacy because the hydro staff will be sitting around studying what appliances you are running. "Oh look, that VV guy just plugged his electric toothbrush in. Make a note of that in the log!"

[pseudotsuga]

Ok, thanks. For some reason I assumed that the smart meters knew what type of appliance was drawing the power.

Ha! Some reason = media coverage of bizarre paranoia.

I just downloaded my usage stats for the time period available - since Sept22 2010. For this years Dec22-Jan22 period I was at daily average 122kWh. No other month even comes close. Most winter months are around 81-89kWh/day. Very strange. For the most part my usage has trended down.

Was January that cold? Perhaps I left a door open for a week?!

edit - I think it may average out. Just a weird spike due to when the meter was actually checked.

[Mike K.]

That is because the smart meter opponents are spreading misinformation, such as smart meters being an invasion of your privacy because the hydro staff will be sitting around studying what appliances you are running. "Oh look, that VV guy just plugged his electric toothbrush in. Make a note of that in the log!"

That must be it.

[VicHockeyFan]

That is because the smart meter opponents are spreading misinformation, such as smart meters being an invasion of your privacy because the hydro staff will be sitting around studying what appliances you are running. "Oh look, that VV guy just plugged his electric toothbrush in. Make a note of that in the log!"

I wouldn't be so sure about that. I was growing a little suspicious about my smart meter. It wasn't one big clue, just a culmination of a lot of little things. My room-mate was paying more attention to her looks, getting her hair done more often. And she seemed to be wearing a new perfume more often, even on school nights. And she was watching her weight more so than I'd ever noticed.

So on a hunch, I left work early one day. I didn't log out of my work computer, and I left my cellphone in my office. This way the smart meter at work would be hard-pressed to know I left, unless it was one with the face-recognition software upgrade.

Anyway, I drove home, but left the car almost a block away, so my smart meter wouldn't be able to sense my smart car arriving. I snuck around to the back door, so my smart doorbell couldn't smell me. As I passed the place where the smart meter was installed, there was a blank plug where it should have been:



I snuck up the stairs, then threw open my room-mates door:

[selector]

Be sure to turn the switch off on the way out...it's the big one that say's 200

[Holden West]

^^Daaaammmnnn, VHF....those conspiracy theorists are right--smart meters are evil and they will screw with you.

[sebberry]

That is because the smart meter opponents are spreading misinformation, such as smart meters being an invasion of your privacy because the hydro staff will be sitting around studying what appliances you are running. "Oh look, that VV guy just plugged his electric toothbrush in. Make a note of that in the log!"

How do you think Google and other online services make their money? There's a lot of money in information

When the smart meters are in and people start buying appliances that come standard with "smart" bits in them, you can bet that this information will be collected.

[selector]

Ok six of these guy's make very close to 500k per year...one of them clears 1,000,000 per year.
http://www.bchydro.c...sation_2011.pdf

[LJ]

Time of use billing becomes much easier with major appliances that can be time delayed such as a dishwasher or washing machine.

I also look around home houses have all manner of stuff on all the time. The constant draw is becoming a significant factor and short of making in financially painful for people, actions are unlikely to change. BC Hydro has spent a lot of money trying to get people turn off lights they do not need.

It would be nice if all offices have to shut off all their lighting all their computer systems overnight.

When we were away on a trip we unplugged everything we possibly could, so that just the essentials were running, all tv's unplugged, pvr's, radios. everything we could possibly find.

Two month saving $20, 4 hours labour to get everything up and running again.
Wont bother doing that again. We zoomed way past the first tier and the only electricity we were drawing would be for the heat pump. (heat set to maintain 65f)

[selector]

They asked me if I had a heat pump as they are very expensive to run.
I thought these were supposed to be the cheap latest and greatest heating solution?

[Mike K.]

No kidding, I thought heat pumps were much more economical to operate.

[phx]

I must redo my math to see if it is worthwhile to use my gas fireplace instead of the electric heat. Last time I checked, it was about even.

[skeptic]

They asked me if I had a heat pump as they are very expensive to run.
I thought these were supposed to be the cheap latest and greatest heating solution?

Heat pumps are air conditioners that run in reverse to generate heat. You can expect them to heat at the same cost as they cool. Gas heat and hot water has always been cheaper as far as I know.

[selector]

^^^so...very expensive to operate then.
heat pumps, that is.