Just said NO to 'Smrt' Meters

[OnTheRoadAgain]

There has been a few instances of higher bills. Out of all the smart meters installed, it seems to be a very low instance.

I have no health concerns over smart meters.

One of the anti-smart-meter websites I went to went on and on about the negative effects to health of electromagnetic radiation. There was a ton of information, charts and graphs, showing how all electromagnetic radiation, including from smart meeters, cell phones and other devices, is ruining human health. The one thing that website neglected to mention is that the greatest source of electromagnetic radiation on Earth is the Sun. For some reason they weren't calling for a sunshine ban.

There is possible, and then, there is impossible, There is caution, and there is paranoia.
There are still many unknowns about this new 'wireless' life we are all living in.

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Most of our electricity consumption falls outside of peak hours. So, we'll save money.

You should be saving money on that right now, and all through the past no?

[OnTheRoadAgain]

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=37154&start=195

[Captain Awesome]

You should be saving money on that right now, and all through the past no?

I'm with Fortis. Fortis doesn't have TOU rates yet.

[OnTheRoadAgain]

I think Fortis is gas, Hydro electricity.

[grammafreddy]

I think Fortis is gas, Hydro electricity.

Fortis is both gas and electricity.

[Captain Awesome]

I think Fortis is gas, Hydro electricity.

You are mistaken.

[grammafreddy]

I'm with Fortis. Fortis doesn't have TOU rates yet.

YET.

They had the proposed rates for TOU posted on their website but have since removed them. I expect they were removed because they were too controversial and weren't helping their smart meter campaign at all.

FORTIS

BASE RATE (and current per kwh charge)

Residential Rates
Bi-monthly Residential Service:

Customer Charge $28.93 based on 60 day billing period. All kWh are billed @ 9.090¢ per kWh.

Time of Use

Customers billed under the Time Of Use schedule (Time Of Use meter required) will be billed a standard charge of $28.93 per two month period plus consumption billed at the rates below:

Summer (July, August)

On-Peak Hours:

9:00 am - 11:00 am Monday - Friday: 15.250¢ / kWh
3:00 pm - 11:00 pm Monday - Friday: 15.250¢ / kWh

Off-Peak Hours:

11:00 pm - 9:00 am Monday - Friday: 4.939¢ / kWh
11:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday - Friday: 4.939¢ / kWh
All hours on Saturday and Sunday: 4.939¢ / kWh

All other months

On-Peak Hours:

8:00 am - 1:00 pm Monday - Friday: 15.250¢ / kWh
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Monday - Friday: 15.250¢ / kWh

Off-Peak Hours:

10:00 pm - 8:00 am Monday - Friday: 4.939¢ / kWh
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday: 4.939¢ / kWh
All hours on Saturday and Sunday: 4.939¢ / kWh

[NAB]

I suspect that is all obsolete information by now gramma, and no where close to what it will actually be when TOU kicks in following all smart meters being installed and the billing system changed and up and running ((My smartmeter is still reading the two tiers as before and related billing just as my previous analog meter did so nothing has really changed (yet)). Similar with BC Hydro served areas. Give it a year or two then we shall see. Ontario started their TOU billing on May 1, and which included an increase in rates for my cousin there, then a couple of days later they announced a further rate increase good for the next six months only.

Nab

[NAB]

By the way, did you notice this gramma?

http://www.fortisbc.com/About/Regulator ... fault.aspx

[grammafreddy]

No, I hadn't seen that. Thanks. Scary.

Am so glad I am not a working parent bustin' my *bleep* these days and paying more than 3x the rate for on peak power. The off-peak hours are when a parent would be at work or when they would love to be sleeping.

The below rates are subject to a 1.5 percent interim rate increase, as stated above.
Residential Rates
Bi-monthly Residential Service:

Customer Charge $30.07 based on 60 day billing period. All kWh are billed @ 9.447¢ per kWh.

Time of Use

Customers billed under the Time Of Use schedule (Time Of Use meter required) will be billed a standard charge of $30.07 per two month period plus consumption billed at the rates below:
Summer (July, August)

On-Peak Hours:

9:00 am - 11:00 am Monday - Friday: 15.851¢ / kWh
3:00 pm - 11:00 pm Monday - Friday: 15.851¢ / kWh

Off-Peak Hours:

11:00 pm - 9:00 am Monday - Friday: 5.133¢ / kWh
11:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday - Friday: 5.133¢ / kWh
All hours on Saturday and Sunday: 5.133¢ / kWh

All other months

On-Peak Hours:

8:00 am - 1:00 pm Monday - Friday: 15.851¢ / kWh
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Monday - Friday: 15.851¢ / kWh

Off-Peak Hours:

10:00 pm - 8:00 am Monday - Friday: 5.133¢ / kWh
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Monday - Friday: 5.133¢ / kWh
All hours on Saturday and Sunday: 5.133¢ / kWh

[twobits]

Does anyone else find it interesting that every weekend, 24 hrs a day, is off peak rates? I understand, or at least think I do, that this is because the bulk of commerce, business, and industrial activity occurs Mon - Fri and thus there is less demand on the grid for weekends. But thinking this thru leads to the conclusion that it is these commercial activities and their consumption that lead to the peak demands and higher prices, not residential activity. If anything, residential consumption will be higher on weekends as we are more likely to be home, doing laundry, air or heat on rather than thermo setback. Would this not dictate or support that commercial activities should be paying for peak demand rates as they are the ones causing peak demands? These proposed TOU rate structures are in a way subsidizing commercial/industrial rates with higher residential rates.

[mexi cali]

I confess to not having really followed this topic. It's certainly been talked about enough so now I am faced with sounding like an idiot by asking, does BC Hydro have to have your permission to install the meter or, in the case of the OP was it merely coincidence that he was there when the guy came on to his property?

Also, if they don't need permission and they can install them at will, what would I look for?

[NAB]

These proposed TOU rate structures are in a way subsidizing commercial/industrial rates with higher residential rates.

Sort of a common theme on a lot of fronts these days in BC isn't it Twobits?

Another thing is I am left wondering what the next step will be, ...since in all probability the TOU periods will be initially established based on historical peak/off peak data, and the latest thinking (at least with BC Hydro apparently) seems to be trending toward three TOU periods or more, not just two, and based on major high price driven incentives to shift time of use by consumers (both commercial/industrial and residential), ...what happens if it is very successful and results in an actual major shift in peak demand times? Could it be that both electricity suppliers and consumers will end up endlessly chasing their tails in a continuous cycle of trying to coordinate consumption with lowest cost periods? If so, it will not be very long before everyone gets tired of the game and decides the effort isn't worth the grief, nuisance, and costs.

As for commercial/industrial peaks.... (although both Fortis and BC Hydro have their existing and proposed commercial rate structures on line so one can see the differences in treatment against residential), ...while I have no solid data to offer one way or the other, It seems to me a difficult case to make that commercial / industrial operates mainly on a 5 day week. Operating 7 days a week (and with hours well into the evening) is very common practice now, ...and in the case of industrial trying to get three full shifts operating 24/7 is not at all unusual.

Nab

[NAB]

I confess to not having really followed this topic. It's certainly been talked about enough so now I am faced with sounding like an idiot by asking, does BC Hydro have to have your permission to install the meter or, in the case of the OP was it merely coincidence that he was there when the guy came on to his property?

Also, if they don't need permission and they can install them at will, what would I look for?

Generally speaking ledzep, BC Hydro will send out an advise letter by mail a few weeks in advance of the installations in an area, but they obviously cannot make appointments or schedule yours at a time convenient to you. They will usually knock on your door to talk with you briefly before they do the install, but if no one is home they will change the meter and leave a notice on your door. Your power will be off briefly as they do so.

If one has strong feelings about disallowing them to make the change, I guess it would be most sensible to officially contact them in advance rather than just wait for them to show up then try to trap the installer.

Nab