289 replies to this topic

[glenalan54]

Whoa, Maybe they installed the evil meter instead of the smart one? Is someone stealing your power next door? That is a crazy bill!!!

Perhaps a more appropriate name for the smart meter would be Ìt smarts Meter`.

[D.L.]

Yes but if you believe their figure that they change out 40000 a year of the old ones, it's no big deal.

Replacing old meters is one thing, testing/replacing brand new meters is another.

[Matt R.]

Got my first post-smart meter bill this week, daily kW consumption is down, on average, by 2 with the new meter. None of our heat/hot water is on that meter, so the consumption is fairly consistent year round.

Thank god.

Matt.

[martini]

Replacing old meters is one thing, testing/replacing brand new meters is another.

Agreed.

Every other Province/State that has taken these on has had problems. Also Australia.

[phx]

[$983] For 2 months...they told me I had better hire an electrician?
This has more than doubled.

We have never had a bill this high. We heat with wood.

This doesn't add up. If you were previously paying half what you are now, say $450 for 2 months, that is still not credible if you are heating with wood. I should think you would be under $100.

But here is a thought: do you have an electric water heater? Perhaps you do indeed have a leak, just not directly electrical.

[LJ]

Had my smart meter replaced today on my US house. The fellow said that they tried to read the meter remotely and couldn't get it. The internal lithium battery was dead. It lasted 3 years. He said they normally last for about 8 years.

[dasmo]

Anyone know if a class action suite is forming on this? Or if there is any recourse? I have a house that has been empty for the last two months (another story) so it has the heat turned off and no lights on etc. it cost $125/month to power an alarm system, a hot water tank that isn't being drained, a fridge and an oven clock????? I know I will get the same line of crap from them when I call.....

[Sparky]

Start here

http://www.stopsmart...ca/html/?p=2709

[Bob Fugger]

it cost $125/month to power an alarm system, a hot water tank that isn't being drained, a fridge and an oven clock????? I know I will get the same line of crap from them when I call.....

Most of the energy required for a hot water tank is not the initial heating - it's keeping the water at a heated state at all times, so that when you turn the tap on, you get hot water. Did you think a hot water tank was a giant futuristic Thermos immune to the principles of thermodynamics?

Still, $125 per month seems a bit rich. I have a (now well-insulated) character home in Fairfield and my latest bill was $199.

[VicHockeyFan]

Anyone know if a class action suite is forming on this? Or if there is any recourse? I have a house that has been empty for the last two months (another story) so it has the heat turned off and no lights on etc. it cost $125/month to power an alarm system, a hot water tank that isn't being drained, a fridge and an oven clock????? I know I will get the same line of crap from them when I call.....

You have the wherewithal to own a home, but you don't have the ingenuity to conduct your own test on it to see what the smart reader is reading each day? Your solution to the problem is going to be to call up some call-centre lackey and ask them to solve your issue? Or join a lawsuit?

Come on.

[VicHockeyFan]

Most of the energy required for a hot water tank is not the initial heating - it's keeping the water at a heated state at all times, so that when you turn the tap on, you get hot water. Did you think a hot water tank was a giant futuristic Thermos immune to the principles of thermodynamics?

Well, that's relative, when you say "most". The hot water heater element has two states - on or off. When it has to heat up a whole tank from scratch, it'll be on until it gets the water in the top to the temperature you are aiming at. Then it'll turn off. Then on again when it needs to heat again. So the first on duration will be the longest, but over a month, I suppose the initial on time is far less than the sum of the next intermittent on terms through 30 days.

[dasmo]

The new house yet to be move into was billed $250 for the last two months. The house I'm in now cost $75 over the same period (heat and dryer are gas) and we are taking showers for two, leaving lights on and powering computers etc.
Having read this thread before getting this bill I was only curious if there was any further evidence and action RE the smart meter issues since by this simple comparison it would seem like something was amiss.

I'm more worried about the bill when the heat is turned on.

[arfenarf]

Still, $125 per month seems a bit rich. I have a (now well-insulated) character home in Fairfield and my latest bill was $199.

*Sigh*

I got the Big Reality Smack Upside the Head last week when my oil tank was filled to the tune of $1600, which covers about 3 months in my (thermal sieve) character home.

My project over the summer: Loose-fill insulation in attic, caulking and sealing everything I can find, and a very few electric space heaters on timers. If I owned the place, I'd be doing the windows, but I don't think I'll get ROI on that. (Let alone permission). The insulation, at that price, is another matter.

Until then, that burner is shut down for the season and won't be coming back on until I see icicles in the dining room.

[VicHockeyFan]

The house I'm in now cost $75 over the same period (heat and dryer are gas) and we are taking showers for two, leaving lights on and powering computers etc.

And wait until the romance wears off, and you each shower alone. Higher bills still.

[dasmo]

uhg...Solar panels? Geo thermal? I guess I'll be taking notes on those meter readouts for the next while...

[sebberry]

My neighbour across the hall asked me about her bill the other day.

She claims to use very little energy, and I believe it. She doesn't have much going on, rarely cooks, shuts lights off and doesn't use much heat. Her bill was $126.

Mine, with all the electronics stuff I have, halogen lights, heated floor, regular cooking, etc.. was $98 for the same two months.

[VicHockeyFan]

She claims to use very little energy, and I believe it. She doesn't have much going on, rarely cooks, shuts lights off and doesn't use much heat. Her bill was $126.

You seem to know a LOT about her. Do you shower together?

[LJ]

I think he's over there keeping her warm.

[LJ]

Anyone know if a class action suite is forming on this? Or if there is any recourse? I have a house that has been empty for the last two months (another story) so it has the heat turned off and no lights on etc. it cost $125/month to power an alarm system, a hot water tank that isn't being drained, a fridge and an oven clock????? I know I will get the same line of crap from them when I call.....

The water heater should be set to "vacation" if you are not using any hot water.

We use lots of electricty and my bills vary from $230-$320 for each two month billing period, so your $125 seems very high for one month.
Is there in-floor heating in a bathroom or two that might have been left on? What heating system does it have?

[dasmo]

it's all baseboard with individual thermostats all turned down to zero. I will check out the controls for the tank but I'm pretty sure it doesn't take $125/moth to keep it hot along with powering a fridge turned down, a stove clock, and an alarm system. Anyway I'll record the readouts over the next little while and see what that says. Maybe they aren't even reading it and are just "assuming" based on the last owners usage...