From: Karen.Ludwig@parl.gc.ca
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 10:22:11 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart Meters He must have read the transcripts within the NBEUBmatters 357 and 375 and what I said on the topic by now
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From: "MinFinance / FinanceMin (FIN)" <fin.minfinance-financemin.
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 10:21:58 +0000
Subject: RE: I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart Meters He must have read the transcripts within the NBEUB matters 357and 375 and what I said on the topic by now
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 06:21:48 -0400
Subject: Re: I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart Meters He must have read the transcripts within the NBEUB matters 357and 375 and what I said on the topic by now
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http://davidraymondamos3. blogspot.ca/2018/01/i-just- heard-bobby-jones-on-cbc- yapping.html
Friday, 26 January 2018
I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart Meters
http://davidraymondamos3.
Friday, 26 January 2018
I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart Meters
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From: "Gallant, Premier Brian (PO/CPM)" <Brian.Gallant@gnb.ca>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 09:54:37 +0000
Subject: RE: I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart
Meters He must have read the transcripts within the NBEUB matters 357
annd 375 and what I said on the topic by now
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 09:54:38 +0000
Subject: Automatic reply: I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping
about Smart Meters He must have read the transcripts within the NBEUB
matters 357 annd 375 and what I said on the topic by now
To: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
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---------- Original message ----------
From: David Amos <motomaniac333@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 05:54:32 -0400
Subject: I just heard Bobby Jones on CBC yapping about Smart Meters
He must have read the transcripts within the NBEUB
matters 357 annd
375 and what I said on the topic by now
To: "darrow.macintyre" <darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>,
To: "darrow.macintyre" <darrow.macintyre@cbc.ca>,
"Robert. Jones"<Robert.Jones@cbc.ca>,
"David.Coon" <David.Coon@gnb.ca>,
"brian.gallant" <brian.gallant@gnb.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>,
oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, "Dominic.Cardy" <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>,
"brian.gallant" <brian.gallant@gnb.ca>, premier <premier@gnb.ca>,
oldmaison <oldmaison@yahoo.com>, "Dominic.Cardy" <Dominic.Cardy@gnb.ca>,
"blaine.higgs" <blaine.higgs@gnb.ca>,
newsroom <newsroom@globeandmail.ca>,
news <news@kingscorecord.com>, "ht.lacroix"
<ht.lacroix@cbc.ca>,
"Furey, John" <jfurey@nbpower.com>,
wharrison <wharrison@nbpower.com>,
rgorman <rgorman@nbeub.ca>,
"rick.doucet" <rick.doucet@gnb.ca>,
ecdesmond <ecdesmond@nbeub.ca>
https://www.telegraphjournal. com/tribune/story/100356361/ nb-power-smart-meters-ontario- new-brunswick?source=story-top
September 26, 2017
NB Power wants to buy smart meters - but at what cost?
JOHN CHILIBECK Legislature Bureau
Standard hydro meters could be replaced by smart meters in New
Brunswick as early as 2019.
Photo: Telegraph-Journal archive
FREDERICTON • NB Power plans on buying hundreds of thousands of new
smart meters, devices that could allow the public utility to charge
people a different electrical rate depending on the time of day and
season they use the service.
NB Power spokesman Marc Belliveau told Brunswick News on Tuesday the
utility plans on testing 1,000 smart meters first before buying
thousands more.
But the utility has already asked the provincial regulator — the New
Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board — to consider the program as part
of a rate adjustment hearing that will take place later this year.
If the regulator approves the plan, "we expect to begin installing new
meters in 2019," said Belliveau in an email. "Prior to rolling out any
meters, we plan to begin with the development and testing of software
integrations and business processes. We estimate it will take about
three years to complete the upgrade of the metering network."
Belliveau declined to say how much it would cost to supply NB Power’s
more than 400,000 customers with smart meters, offering that it would
be all part of the scheduled upcoming rate hearing that would apply to
residential and business customers.
He added that utilities had been using advanced metering
infrastructure for 10 years and that the technology continues to
evolve, providing benefits that were not possible when utilities first
began to replace their old meters.
"NB Power is using best practices and lessons learned from these
earlier projects to plan our deployment."
One of those lessons would no doubt be from Ontario, which announced
in 2004 it was going to roll out smart meters, according to a scathing
report by the auditor general in that province.
Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said last year that the 4.8
million smart meters installed before 2014 cost customers in that
province nearly $2 billion, more than double the original estimate.
The price worked out to more than $400 for each meter.
https://www.telegraphjournal.
September 26, 2017
NB Power wants to buy smart meters - but at what cost?
JOHN CHILIBECK Legislature Bureau
Standard hydro meters could be replaced by smart meters in New
Brunswick as early as 2019.
Photo: Telegraph-Journal archive
FREDERICTON • NB Power plans on buying hundreds of thousands of new
smart meters, devices that could allow the public utility to charge
people a different electrical rate depending on the time of day and
season they use the service.
NB Power spokesman Marc Belliveau told Brunswick News on Tuesday the
utility plans on testing 1,000 smart meters first before buying
thousands more.
But the utility has already asked the provincial regulator — the New
Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board — to consider the program as part
of a rate adjustment hearing that will take place later this year.
If the regulator approves the plan, "we expect to begin installing new
meters in 2019," said Belliveau in an email. "Prior to rolling out any
meters, we plan to begin with the development and testing of software
integrations and business processes. We estimate it will take about
three years to complete the upgrade of the metering network."
Belliveau declined to say how much it would cost to supply NB Power’s
more than 400,000 customers with smart meters, offering that it would
be all part of the scheduled upcoming rate hearing that would apply to
residential and business customers.
He added that utilities had been using advanced metering
infrastructure for 10 years and that the technology continues to
evolve, providing benefits that were not possible when utilities first
began to replace their old meters.
"NB Power is using best practices and lessons learned from these
earlier projects to plan our deployment."
One of those lessons would no doubt be from Ontario, which announced
in 2004 it was going to roll out smart meters, according to a scathing
report by the auditor general in that province.
Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said last year that the 4.8
million smart meters installed before 2014 cost customers in that
province nearly $2 billion, more than double the original estimate.
The price worked out to more than $400 for each meter.
EUB punts rate hearing as NB Power studies $122M smart meter plan
EUB agrees to suspend hearing so it can deal first with NB Power's proposed $122M purchase of smart meters
By Robert Jones, Posted: Sep 26, 2017 6:00 AM AT
An effort to redesign the way NB Power charges customers for
electricity — generally viewed as bad news for those who heat with
electricity — has been suspended by the New Brunswick Energy and
Utilities Board for one year.
The EUB has agreed to consider an upcoming NB Power application to spend $122 million on new "smart meters" for homes and businesses first.
"The Board finds that the AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) application should precede the rate design hearing and therefore it is in the public interest to grant an adjournment," ruled EUB chairman Raymond Gorman in a brief hearing last week.
NB Power has been under pressure from the EUB to better match prices
it charges for electricity to the cost of producing and distributing
power. That could see consumers paying substantially different prices
for power between summer and winter — even between day and night.
But the utility has argued there is little room to make substantial changes like that until its entire inventory of power meters is upgraded.
"It is NB Power's submission that the rate design proceeding is … premature because it does contemplate discussion of rate design options that might not be available depending on … (smart meter) deployment," NB Power's senior legal counsel John Furey said during arguments for the suspension.
Unlike current units that have to be physically visited to be read, smart meters will connect directly to NB Power computers, allowing individual customers to have electricity consumption tracked several times an hour instead of once a month.
The utility says this will allow it to charge a variety of rates for electricity — more when consumption is higher, such as in the mornings, on weekends and during winter — and less when consumption is lower.
"We are going from reading a customer's meter once a month, so 12 times a year, up to 12 times an hour," former NB Power executive Neil Larlee said during testimony in front of the EUB last February.
But the new meters are expensive, an estimated $92 million to acquire one for each customer and another $30 million to have them installed and made operational.
It's an expense that largely requires EUB approval, something the regulator is expected to hear evidence on this winter and rule on by next spring. NB Power said without that decision being made first, redesigning rates made little sense.
"I don't see how we can have a meaningful process … because we don't
know what rate design options are available or might be precluded in the
event the (smart meter) decision is not to deploy or to deploy," said
Furey.
Because those who heat with electricity consume large amounts of power during high-demand cold snaps, the rate design process is generally expected to result in higher costs for that group.
However, NB Power has argued smart meters will allow for enough discount periods that electric heat customers who move activities such as laundry, dishwashing and showers into the evening will be able to offset some or all of the increases they experience.
NB Power is expected to formally apply to buy and install smart meters provincewide within the next two weeks as part of its next general rate increase application.
The rate design hearing will resume next fall.
The EUB has agreed to consider an upcoming NB Power application to spend $122 million on new "smart meters" for homes and businesses first.
"The Board finds that the AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) application should precede the rate design hearing and therefore it is in the public interest to grant an adjournment," ruled EUB chairman Raymond Gorman in a brief hearing last week.
But the utility has argued there is little room to make substantial changes like that until its entire inventory of power meters is upgraded.
"It is NB Power's submission that the rate design proceeding is … premature because it does contemplate discussion of rate design options that might not be available depending on … (smart meter) deployment," NB Power's senior legal counsel John Furey said during arguments for the suspension.
Tracking more frequent
Unlike current units that have to be physically visited to be read, smart meters will connect directly to NB Power computers, allowing individual customers to have electricity consumption tracked several times an hour instead of once a month.
The utility says this will allow it to charge a variety of rates for electricity — more when consumption is higher, such as in the mornings, on weekends and during winter — and less when consumption is lower.
"We are going from reading a customer's meter once a month, so 12 times a year, up to 12 times an hour," former NB Power executive Neil Larlee said during testimony in front of the EUB last February.
Smart meters for $122M
But the new meters are expensive, an estimated $92 million to acquire one for each customer and another $30 million to have them installed and made operational.
It's an expense that largely requires EUB approval, something the regulator is expected to hear evidence on this winter and rule on by next spring. NB Power said without that decision being made first, redesigning rates made little sense.
Because those who heat with electricity consume large amounts of power during high-demand cold snaps, the rate design process is generally expected to result in higher costs for that group.
However, NB Power has argued smart meters will allow for enough discount periods that electric heat customers who move activities such as laundry, dishwashing and showers into the evening will be able to offset some or all of the increases they experience.
NB Power is expected to formally apply to buy and install smart meters provincewide within the next two weeks as part of its next general rate increase application.
The rate design hearing will resume next fall.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-smart-meters-experts-eub-1.4504618
NB Power's smart meters plan not so smart, 2 expert reviews find
$122M-plan is poorly thought out, should be rejected by EUB, separately commissioned reports conclude
By Robert Jones, CBC News Posted: Jan 26, 2018 6:00 AM ATNB Power's plan to spend $122.7 million over three years to deploy smart meters for all its residential and commercial customers is poorly thought out and should be rejected by the Energy and Utilities Board at hearings next month, according to separate experts hired to review the strategy.
"As currently proposed, the AMI [advanced metering infrastructure] project could commit NB Power and its customers to a heavy cost burden without fully defining and quantifying the future benefits to be gained," wrote Edmund Finamore, a smart meter consultant from Pennsylvania commissioned by public intervener Heather Black to scrutinize the plan.
"It is not clear that NB Power has implemented sufficient project management controls methods to execute a firm plan, achieve firm project milestones and control project costs."
- EUB punts rate hearing as NB Power studies $122M smart meter plan
- Seasonal power rates could cause consumer backlash, says consultant
A second review of the proposal by a Boston-area energy consultant hired separately by the Energy and Utilities Board also found significant flaws.
"NB Power has significantly understated the costs and overstated the benefits of its AMI proposal," says the analysis by a group of five authors working for Synapse Energy Economics out of Cambridge, Mass.
"We recommend that the board reject the company's AMI proposal."
'Essential' to cleaner, more reliable grid
NB Power has been working toward upgrading its distribution system to a "smart grid" over the past six years and the wholesale installation of smart meters and other AMI to serve every customer has long been a centrepiece of the utility's plan.
Unlike current units that have to be physically visited to be read, smart meters will connect directly to NB Power computers, allowing individual customers to have electricity consumption tracked several times an hour instead of once a month.
The utility says this will allow it to charge a variety of rates for electricity — more when consumption is higher, such as in the mornings, on weekends and during winter — and less when consumption is lower.
That in turn will encourage consumers to shift demand to underutilized parts of the day, it says.
"We are going from reading a customer's meter once a month, so 12 times a year, up to 12 times an hour," former NB Power executive Neil Larlee said during testimony in front of the EUB last February.
The meters will also allow customers to sell electricity back to NB Power if they install solar or other power generating capability on their property and will give the utility instant information on outages, including the individual homes affected.
"This communication network along with the AMI meters is essential to a building smarter, cleaner, more reliable and efficient power grid and will lay the foundation for many of the long-term customer benefits that NB Power will deliver through its Energy Smart NB plan," said the utility in its application to the EUB to acquire the units.
Cost outweighs savings
But even NB Power acknowledges the cost of buying, installing and operating 355,000 new smart meters to blanket the province in a three-year rollout is high without enough savings to completely pay for it.
The utility has detailed 15 ways the new meters will cut expenses but the combined benefits total just $121.4 million That's $1.3 million less than the program is budgeted to cost.
'Spending so much money on an initiative that is not essential and not cost effective is unwise.' - Synapse report
Both Finnamore and Synapse Energy disputed the value of several of the claimed savings as inflated and Synapse further argued since NB Power's own numbers show the investment in smart meters will cost money in the long run the case is too weak to proceed.
"The company's own analysis suggests that the proposal is not cost effective and that analysis suffers from some fundamental flaws," concluded the Synapse report.
"Spending so much money on an initiative that is not essential and not cost effective is unwise."
Proposal needs refining
Both consultants suggested if properly handled, the introduction of smart meters could benefit both NB Power and its customers, but each separately concluded the utility's plan lacks detail and a convincing rationale.
Both called for the application to be denied so the utility can offer a more refined proposal.
NB Power is facing a 12-day hearing in front of the Energy and Utilities Board beginning Feb. 8.
In addition to seeking permission to invest in smart meters, it is also attempting to win approval for an average two per cent rate increase it has proposed for April 1 and is asking for the flexibility to employ special rate increases when large unexpected weather or market events cause its costs to jump unexpectedly.
94 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.
David Amos
Methinks folks should start reading what I said within the transcripts of these matters N'esy Pas?
William Reed
The real scandal here is that they have not indicated publicly how they could make profit with these meters going forward. It's not true that these will not be worth the effort. Many utilities are banking they will be hugely profitable in ways not disclosed to customers yet.
Many utilities across NA have strategically placed themselves to be the gatekeepers of information gathering and selling from the homes of their customers. It's been described as as the holy grail of information gathering that many companies have their eyes on. Within these meters is the wireless functionality to collect and relay information from any smart device in your home. In time this will represent a lot of information and an important source of revenue in the information age.
You have to inform yourself as a consumer under legal contract (your terms and conditions). They installed one on my house one day by simply knocking on the door and asking me if they could shut the power off for five minutes and do an upgrade. I realized after the fact that they had installed a smart meter. Knowing about the legal issues that had been stirred up in California, I fired off a letter to NB power asking how my terms and conditions had changed and about the future intent to use any functionality to sample information in my home to their benefit. I was promised an answer by the legal team and never received one. That was over two years ago.
It's not surprising that the auditors don't see the profit in the plan. NB Power have purposely not shed light on the scope of what is possible with these, IMHO. I don't think they have to because they are not using this functionality now and can easily state that they are not considering it yet. This is the thing that reporters should be looking into.
Dianne MacPherson
@William Reed
How could NB Power install a smart meter
on your home when they haven't been approved
yet by the EUB ???
How could NB Power install a smart meter
on your home when they haven't been approved
yet by the EUB ???
Content disabled.
David Amos
@Dianne MacPherson Exactly
Its a small wonder that NB Power and the NBEUB barred me as an Intervener after I raised Hell in the 357 Matter
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/eub-hearing-nb-power-rate-design-smart-meters-1.4305685
EUB punts rate hearing as NB Power studies $122M smart meter plan
EUB agrees to suspend hearing so it can deal first with NB Power's proposed $122M purchase of smart meters
By Robert Jones, Posted: Sep 26, 2017 6:00 AM AT
FYI Here is some old news from CBC about NB Power that caused Bernie Lord to fire the old board.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-has-too-much-freedom-pub-boss-1.572378
NB Power has too much freedom: PUB boss
CBC News Posted: Feb 15, 2006 9:30 AM AT Last
The man in charge of the Public Utilities Board says huge financial losses at NB Power are a direct result of too much freedom and he wants the company to open its books to public scrutiny more often.
The utility wants to raise rates by an average of 11.6 per cent for residential and industrial users on April 1 to make up for projected losses next year.
FROM FEB. 14, 2006: NB Power guesses tax bill, ignores law
But at hearings into that request on Tuesday, PUB chairman David Nicholson blamed the company's poor performance on a lack of supervision and suggested more regulation could have stopped hundreds of millions of dollars from going out the door.
David Amos
@David Amos Why is that I am not surprised that CBC blocked their own words?
Roland Godin
``Hydro-Québec won the
biggest energy deal in its history Thursday as authorities in
Massachusetts approved its proposed Northern Pass Transmission
project.``
We could buy and plug with Massachusetts, even with a mark up it would still cost less than adding to the already huge debt and would satisfy the must not buy from Québec whoevers...et voilà.
We could buy and plug with Massachusetts, even with a mark up it would still cost less than adding to the already huge debt and would satisfy the must not buy from Québec whoevers...et voilà.
David Amos
@Roland Godin FYI I have been
asking why we don't buy our power from Quebec for many years and
everybody just plays dumb. Methinks it was a Major Faux Pas refurbishing
Lepreau particularly in light of the fact that the old PUB said no. But
the not so wiseguy Bernie Lord ignored them and went ahead anyway then
fired them not long afterwards He also lost the election right after
creating NBEUB N'esy Pas?
Check Wikipedia
"In 2002, NB Power, with support from the Government and opposition, pushed for refurbishment. However, the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board ruled that "there is no significant economic advantage to the proposed refurbishment" of Point Lepreau and that "it is not in the public interest".[20]
In April 2004, a report[21] authored by former British Energy chairman Robin Jeffrey estimated the plant's refurbishment would cost $1.36 billion instead of the C$935 million figure quoted at the time by the provincial utility. Jeffrey's report made no recommendations on whether to undertake the plant's overhaul or not but advised New Brunswick decision makers to seek competitive bids for new fossil-fuel fired generation capacity.[22]
Despite being denied a federal grant to fund the project,[23] NB Power announced on July 29, 2005 that it was awarding Atomic Energy of Canada Limited a $1.4 billion (CAD) contract for refurbishing the generating station.[24]"
Check Wikipedia
"In 2002, NB Power, with support from the Government and opposition, pushed for refurbishment. However, the New Brunswick Energy and Utilities Board ruled that "there is no significant economic advantage to the proposed refurbishment" of Point Lepreau and that "it is not in the public interest".[20]
In April 2004, a report[21] authored by former British Energy chairman Robin Jeffrey estimated the plant's refurbishment would cost $1.36 billion instead of the C$935 million figure quoted at the time by the provincial utility. Jeffrey's report made no recommendations on whether to undertake the plant's overhaul or not but advised New Brunswick decision makers to seek competitive bids for new fossil-fuel fired generation capacity.[22]
Despite being denied a federal grant to fund the project,[23] NB Power announced on July 29, 2005 that it was awarding Atomic Energy of Canada Limited a $1.4 billion (CAD) contract for refurbishing the generating station.[24]"
David Amos
@David Amos BTW Need I say it was a small wonder to me that Harper appointed this NB Power lawyer to be a Judge?
@David Amos BTW Need I say it was a small wonder to me that Harper appointed this NB Power lawyer to be a Judge?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-power-dismissed-reactor-compensation-in-2002-1.879389
"When NB Power was in front of the Public Utilities Board, the precursor to the Energy and Utilities Board, eight years ago, NB Power's lawyers and executives were asked whether the utility would be entitled to compensation if the massive refurbishment project went behind schedule.
"In the real world no one, no one covers those kinds of costs," said Terrence Morrison, NB Power's lawyer, in transcripts from the board.
"I am suggesting that in order to accept that argument the board pick out some rose-coloured glasses and put them on."
Samuel Porter
What's the odds that advice will be followed? -0 percent. Remember people, Atcon 6 is still in control.
David Amos
@Samuel Porter YUP
Ross Piercey
Ever since these smart meters came out all I've heard is they caues fires.
David Amos
@Ross Piercey You are not alone in hearing that
Paul Krumm
NB save money? Dump the excess managers (about 100 compared to other utilities) at a cost of about $200,000 each per year (wages, admin, overhead etc) bingo already $20 million saved with no negative effect except a spike in the unemployment rate.
David Amos
@Paul Krumm I concur NB Power appears to be a retirement abode for old politicians and their cohorts
Robert Dazleus
Sounds like just the kind of investment we're all used to In This Place.
David Amos
@Robert Dazleus I agree
Robert Dazleus
So they're also seeking to increase rates AND permission to bypass the EUB and increase rates when they feel it's justified. Get ready to pay pay pay
David Amos
@Robert Dazleus You have been doing that for years Best get ready to pay more more more
Chantal LeBouthi
As many as 1.7 million Hydro-Quebec customers have made the switch to smart meters – but the devices have many critics complaining about skyrocketing bills.
In some cases, customers say their bills have doubled or tripled since smart meters were installed.
Similar smart meter overbilling concerns have been raised in Ontario, where its ombudsman is investigating some 8000 complaints.
Similar smart meter overbilling concerns have been raised in Ontario, where its ombudsman is investigating some 8000 complaints.
Worst of all, the smart meters haven’t worked (sometimes literally: 812,000, or about 1/6 of all smart meters, have never transmitted to the provincial data center at all): power use hasn’t dropped during peak periods; it has actually increased slightly. The Auditor General noted that “projected net benefits of at approximately $600 million over 15 years were significantly overstated by at least $512 million.” Add in the massive cost overrun, and taxpayers are still out nearly a billion dollars for a project that by any empirical measure has been a complete disaster.
—————————————————-
It’s was a big fiasco in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan
Will be here too
David Amos
@Chantal LeBouthi "Similar smart meter overbilling concerns have been raised in Ontario, where its ombudsman is investigating some 8000 complaint"
Methinks the lawyer Chucky Murray may be quite busy in the near future N'esy Pas?
Michael G. L. Geraldson
I left rural Ontario because my hydro bill doubled after the installation of a smart meter. Then, I spent two years arguing with them about it. Even though my rates are still too high here, they are nothing like they were when I lived in Ontario.
David Amos
@Michael G. L. Geraldson "I left rural Ontario because my hydro bill doubled after the installation of a smart meter."
You know what political party to thank for that smart meter nonsense correct?
Chantal LeBouthi
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seen a surge in 'smart meter hacks' which allow consumers to cut expensive power bills from 50 to 75 percent -- providing they're careful about it.
It doesn't take knowing someone in the industry or power tools -- instead, consumers use a low-cost magnet to disrupt readings. Due to the digital nature of smart meters, there have also been cases of hackers being hired to cheat the system for a modest fee.
————————————
Hope nb power know about this because is going to be costly
David Amos
@Chantal LeBouthi "The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seen a surge in 'smart meter hacks' which allow consumers to cut expensive power bills from 50 to 75 percent -- providing they're careful about it."
Oh My My Should we consider this good news from the FBI for a change?
Ian Scott
If you work, its pretty hard to change when you have breakfast, and get kids ready for school etc.Same thing at night. NB Power using excuse to target peak times with higher rates. And if you cannot verify when to turn the dryer on(that a low peak time in place) its unlikely you will save a penny. This NB Power in cahoots with Siemens in power grid changes? this is the great incentive, save so we can can charge you more . Consumer tries to be good and help and gets dinged. Typical.
David Amos
@Ian Scott "If you work, its pretty hard to change when you have breakfast, and get kids ready for school etc.Same thing at night. NB Power using excuse to target peak times with higher rates."
That is what I have been pointing out for quite some time now
Shawn McShane
Will NB Power follow the advice or will they pull a Victor Boudreau who went against advice and removed NBers security over Atcon costing taxpayers $70 million???
David Amos
@Shawn McShane Remember when Bernie Lord decided to refurbish Lepreau against the advice of the PUB? Well he fired them and created the EUB just before he lost the election in 2006. Since then the Liberals and the Conservatives have been using the EUB against us.
Roland Godin
While on smart meters, could we have a report on smart politicians artificial intelligent capability of pushing the OFF and ON switch for the consumed preference of their political colours...et voilà.
David Amos
@Roland Godin Methinks thou doth jest too much N'esy Pas?
Paul Bourgoin
As for an experimental beginning to these new smart electrical meters for efficiency in reading electrical consumption and cost analysis, NB POWER should install them in all Commercial Customers first, whose consumption is greater than that of Joe Public. Then Government could establish if it is a worthy money saving experiment for all New Brunswick Residents or a costly indebted experiment for New Brunswick Tax Payers!
David Amos
@Paul Bourgoin "NB POWER should install them in all Commercial Customers first, whose consumption is greater than that of Joe Public."
NB Power to too busy writing the biggest Commercial Customer of them corporate welfare cheques
Joel MacKenzie
The article says that the new meters will cost $122.7M over three years. The benefits are estimated at $121.4M. I didn't see a time frame for that, Is that over the same three year period? I think a return like that over only three years is pretty good. That's $404M over 10 years. Am I missing something? What's the problem?
Chris Rouse
@Joel MacKenzie https://newclearfreesolutions.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/new-clear-free-solutions-matter-375-evidence-web.pdf
David Amos
@Chris Rouse Interesting that you offer your two bits here but won't speak to me in person
Chantal LeBouthi
Smart meters have already sparked controversy across Canada they set to use digital smart meters as a way of doubling the cost of power when families need it Most
It’s a money grab machine nothing to do with energy saving
It’s total bull,,,,,
David Amos
@Chantal LeBouthi Everybody knows that but the Liberals and NB Power
Chantal LeBouthi
consultant hired by NB Power is warning of significant consumer "backlash" if the utility is made to establish seasonal rates for electricity.
The consultant's report even suggests customers might have to read their own power meters at midnight twice a year — on April Fool's and Halloween — to make the system work.
"Virtually all bills will have errors ... billing disputes can be expected to increase, possibly dramatically, and there will be no means of resolving disputes in a satisfactory way," reads a report
—————————————
So nb power intent to screw us and we want be able to fight it
David Amos
@Chantal LeBouthi FYI April Fool's and Halloween are two of my favourite days when dealing with NB Power's lawyers. No joke.
Shawn McShane
NB Power is asking for the flexibility to employ special rate increases when large unexpected weather or market events cause its costs to jump unexpectedly.
Its winter the cold, snow, freezing is expected. If it gets sub-zero in the summer that is unexpected. The markets have a glut of cheap electricity and NB rate payers never catch a break. The Pembina Institute's Sara Hastings-Simon says prices are likely to continue to fall (but not for us).
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/energy-electricity-cost-1.4428048
David Amos
@Shawn McShane "The markets have a glut of cheap electricity and NB rate payers never catch a break."
Methinks you should ask your MLA why that is before the next election N'esy Pas?
Greg Miller
Does anyone out there really believe that homeowners ,etc are not already using "smart meters" (i.e. their intelligence) to control their expenditure on ever increasing electrical costs? What we need is a SMART Government and SMART innovators to find better ways of meeting our power needs--not gimmicks!
David Amos
@Greg Miller "What we need is a SMART Government and SMART innovators to find better ways of meeting our power needs--not gimmicks"
We also need smart voters
Brian Robertson
Those most likely to not benefit from this plan would be New Brunswickers.
NB Power seems to be chasing technology without giving any thought to how it impacts it's customers. Sure, there are a few goodies involved like quick analysis and diagnosis of outages. But, when the utility talks of charging different rates based upon network demand, they aren't talking about discounted power at off-peak times. They are setting the case for surcharges at times when demand is high.
The net effect to consumers, is the price will be going up.
Does that surprise anyone?
David Amos
@Brian Robertson "The net effect to consumers, is the price will be going up. Does that surprise anyone?"
Not me
Chantal LeBouthi
CBC we know that smart meter are health hazards and fires hazards
Can you check with assurance companies in nb
If a fires is cause by smart meter to a home are they going to sue nb power for the damage and it Rae’s might go up do to the fire risk
Thanks
David Amos
@Chantal LeBouthi "If a fires is cause by smart meter to a home are they going to sue nb power for the damage and it Rate’s might go up do to the fire risk"
Good point
Tim Nason
We get billed once a month. The meter gets read every 4 or 5 months. The system works. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
David Amos
@Tim Nason Exactly. However common sense is a rare thing to find within Crown Corporations
Jon White
NB Power wants to spend 122.7 million when they are already sinking fast in debt! Looks like NB Power is taking advice from Ontario Hydro....Just look at the mess Ontario is in with their hydro rates and debt. Then again this dysfunctional NB Power will just pass the mess down to rate payers.
David Amos
@Jon White "NB Power wants to spend 122.7 million when they are already sinking fast in debt!"
Thats their plan
Trevor Boone Helm
The whole thing is ridiculous. The more you conserve, the less money the power company makes. Consumption goes down therefore revenue goes down. Which means rates go up to cover the drop in revenue. This is what happened to Ontario in the 80's when we had the boom and they were building power plants (especially nuclear plants) like there was no tomorrow. Coupled with a highly successful campaign to conserve electricity, costs went up, revenue went down. Then the boom went bust and the rate payers were left holding a monumental debt.
We should have been lighting our homes like we were playing indoor baseball.
David Amos
@Trevor Boone Helm Check the news in Newfoundland lately. Now there is a tale of woe when it comes to power generation and sales
Trevor Boone Helm
"That in turn will encourage consumers to shift demand to underutilized parts of the day, it says."
Right. Like you can wait to cook supper at midnight when the rates are down.
Ask anyone in Ontario about smart meters.They cost twice as much to implement as proposed, they never changed usage patterns to any degree, and may heaven help you if you think the thing isn't calibrated properly. (You have call Measurements Canada who will come and test the meter and that costs $600, payable if it's OK. But you won't know if it's OK unless you get it tested. Sort of a "catch 22".)
David Amos
Content disabled.Then unblocked about an hour later
@Trevor Boone Helm "Right. Like you can wait to cook supper at midnight when the rates are down."
I have been doing that for years but not to save money on a power bill.
David Amos
Content disabled.
@David Amos Interesting that CBC blocked that comment N'esy Pas?
David Amos
@David Amos Oh My Blocked twice in a row
SarahRose Werner
I need to turn more lights on when the sun goes down and there's not as much light coming in through the windows. A "smart meter" is not going to change that.
David Amos
@SarahRose Werner I have the same problem
David Amos
@Dianne MacPherson May I
advise you to stick with your initial impression no matter what they
attach to their not so smart meter to catch fish?
Shawn McShane
NP Power already got into trouble with their insurance companies for "not following expert advice" at Pt. Lepreau. Now they are being "expertly advised" by two separate independent reports to scrap the smart meter program. In other jurisdictions smart meters have caused home fires. How will that effect insurance: GTA homeower liable for damages after smart meter catches fire.
http://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2017/01/12/video-gta-homeowner-liable-for-damage-after-smart-meter-catches-fire/
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/08/08/smart_meters_linked_to_13_fires_in_ontario_fire_marshal_says.html
David Amos
@Shawn McShane "NP Power already got into trouble with their insurance companies for "not following expert advice" at Pt. Lepreau"
SHHH Methinks that lawsuit is still before the court N'esy Pas?
Ross Piercey
I have one of those NB power
dusk to dawn lights it was in the yard when we moved in, they charge me a
flat rate of $20 per month, the power to run it is suppose to be
included, how do they know how much power this light use?, I’ve never
seen any specific amount of power subtracted from my bill for the light,
has anyone else with these lights figured out how the power is
accounted for and deducted from the power bill?
Sean Lebeau
@Ross Piercey Those lights are installed in front of your meter so that you are not chareged for the power they use
Ross Piercey
@Sean Lebeau
Well I guess they didn’t install this one correctly, it runs off the panel from the garage.
Thanks Sean, I will be following up with NB power on that, thanks again.
Well I guess they didn’t install this one correctly, it runs off the panel from the garage.
Thanks Sean, I will be following up with NB power on that, thanks again.
David Amos
@Ross Piercey Heres hoping many other folks read this thread
Thomas Imber
Smart meters were a failure
in Ontario that cost ratepayers dearly, makes sense that Gallant would
want to try it in NB. He seems to copy everything Wynne does in Ontario.
But what did you expect from a no-experience, junior lawyer?
David Amos
@Thomas Imber "But what did you expect from a no-experience, junior lawyer?"
Not much but his puppet masters expect him to follow orders and put the right spin on their malicious nonsense.
Not much but his puppet masters expect him to follow orders and put the right spin on their malicious nonsense.
Mac Isaac
My one and only "want" is that power is there when I want it! PERIOD!!
I don't give a fiddler's damn about "peak" hours or all that other technical gobblygook...just fix the damned system so it's not always going down...ESPECIALLY in the extremes of weather, i.e. extreme cold or extreme heat & humidity...just FIX it!!
David Amos
@Mac Isaac "I don't give a fiddler's damn about "peak" hours or all that other technical gobblygook"
Most folks don't until their power bill goes up.
Mac Isaac
@David Amos You and others
seem perfectly willing to conflate two issues: the increasing costs of
power and the ongoing problems that NBPower has with producing power
without the many, many interruptions throughout the year. One has
nothing to do with the other. I accept, regardless of your snide remark,
that power rates WILL go up, BUT that has nothing to do with
maintaining the power distribution. Unlike some people I have never
wanted "something for nothing", BUT I strongly object to paying for
those many interruptions in every season of the year when other
jurisdictions can, and do, produce power, in often as extreme conditions
as we have here. And so as you don't conflate another issue, I want you
to know that I have the utmost regard for the men and women who try as
hard as they do to maintain our power AND get out to fix the many
problems caused by, in my humble opinion, the grossly overpaid executive
suite at NBPower.
David Amos
@Mac Isaac "One has nothing to do with the other. I accept, regardless of your snide remark, that power rates WILL go up,"
Perhaps you should attend the upcoming hearings and advise NB Power's lawyers on how to argue my testimony?
Perhaps you should attend the upcoming hearings and advise NB Power's lawyers on how to argue my testimony?
Mario Doucet
Why are companies allowed to build windfarms in NB then sell the power in the US? This is wrong, where are the carbon tax promoters on this issue? Why are we being nailed with carbon taxes by Trudeau when this is being allowed?
David Amos
@Mario Doucet Methinks you can answer those questions yourself N'esy Pas?
William Reed
@Mario Doucet
That's the private sector. What don't you understand?
That's the private sector. What don't you understand?
David Amos
@William Reed Better yet what do you know about NB Power writing big fat cheques to the private sector?
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