A workman from SoCal Edison installed a new SmartConnect™ electric meter on our residence today. The power outage was only a few seconds after the workman waited until the computers could be shut down. Other than resetting a couple of clocks, there was not much impact to us.
According to the brochure (pdf), the new meter eliminates the need for meter readers, since it communicates with the power company to report usage data. It’s sorta big-brotherish too, because of the two-way communications implications and wireless connection to “smart” appliances in the household. I’m not saying they will do it, but there is a real possibility that they will be able to shut off your air conditioning and other stuff. Given the current nanny attitudes state and federal officials have, we could be headed there.
From the brochure:
Smart meters collect hourly energy use data for the home and are capable of two-way communication. This means they can send and receive energy use and cost information from the home to the utility and back again, all through a secure wireless network.
Smart meters are also equipped with wireless radio chips inside to support home area networking. This will make it possible for the meter to communicate with “smart” appliances and devices, such as smart thermostats and refrigerators.
Emphasis mine.
