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PG&E Meters to be Audited

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From today's Chronicle:

A long-awaited investigation into the accuracy of Pacific Gas and Electric Co.'s SmartMeters will finally begin, after California energy regulators on Tuesday picked a company to conduct the evaluation.

The California Public Utilities Commission chose the Structure Group, a Houston consulting firm that works with electric utilities, to investigate complaints about the meters. The CPUC will pay Structure $1.4 million for the work, which is expected to take four months. PG&E will reimburse the commission for the investigation's cost.

Many PG&E customers have complained that the SmartMeters aren't accurate and lead to higher bills, a charge the utility denies.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/03/31/BA8F1CNJG7.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0jlq7t0Qo
 
Strange PG&E went to change rate structures to benefit those who use a lot more energy, and actually increases the bills of those who use less after quite a few people complained about the new meters. Way to go to promote saving energy!

Just too bad regardless of what the audit says hackers will now have a potential in to your house, including tweaking your energy consumption.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100326/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_smart_grid_hacking
 
I'm the new owner of a smartmeter in last 24hrs let's see how it turns out. They were in and out in just a few minutes according to my neighbor. How do you access it remotely to check out your consumption?
 
From Houston? Isn't that were Enron was from? haven't we learned about those Texan energy companies and contractors yet? Ummm, keep the money in state... I mean, it's not like we have a massive deficit or anything here in Cali.
 
houser said:
I'm the new owner of a smartmeter in last 24hrs let's see how it turns out. They were in and out in just a few minutes according to my neighbor. How do you access it remotely to check out your consumption?
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I think this was a big bite in the ass for people as well, is that with these "first gen" meters you can't check out your consumption except maybe through PG&E, and I don't know if they have their software setup to allow the consumer to know their consumption (which is half the publicly mentioned point of the meters)
 
There was a flyer that came with it that I suppose I should read... Might have to check that out tonight. I bet they moved fast so that they don't get shot - I hear threats are quite common with these installs.
 
It seems funny to me. I live in Modesto. And we have M.I.D. here. Modesto Irrigation District. And Pg&e. So we have the M.I.D. for power and Pg&e for the gas. Our companys has been getting everyone on board for the last 2-3 years to use less energy, and conserve. Within the last 2 years they have raised the rates considerably because they are not making enough money. So know I am paying the same amount if not more on my bills. I am using considerably less than we used to. But paying the same or more ! So in the end they have to produce less , but make the same amount if not more. Sounds like a good business to me. $)
 
I think San Francisco wanted to put it to vote to produce power or buy power from multiple sources etc, PG&E fought VERY hard to try and defeat that measure.
 
Smitty said:
It seems funny to me. I live in Modesto. And we have M.I.D. here. Modesto Irrigation District. And Pg&e. So we have the M.I.D. for power and Pg&e for the gas. Our companys has been getting everyone on board for the last 2-3 years to use less energy, and conserve. Within the last 2 years they have raised the rates considerably because they are not making enough money. So know I am paying the same amount if not more on my bills. I am using considerably less than we used to. But paying the same or more ! So in the end they have to produce less , but make the same amount if not more. Sounds like a good business to me. $)
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prices went up all over the nation (over the past 2 years), it's not one company saying "hey we need more money since we're making less".
 
GreshamH said:
Smitty said:
It seems funny to me. I live in Modesto. And we have M.I.D. here. Modesto Irrigation District. And Pg&e. So we have the M.I.D. for power and Pg&e for the gas. Our companys has been getting everyone on board for the last 2-3 years to use less energy, and conserve. Within the last 2 years they have raised the rates considerably because they are not making enough money. So know I am paying the same amount if not more on my bills. I am using considerably less than we used to. But paying the same or more ! So in the end they have to produce less , but make the same amount if not more. Sounds like a good business to me. $)
Click to expand...

prices went up all over the nation (over the past 2 years), it's not one company saying "hey we need more money since we're making less".
Click to expand...
Personally, I think there is a corelation between usage and price. The utility has a fairly fixed budget and profit expectation. If usage goes down, there would be a desire to raise rates to maintain a stable bottom line.
 
Sure but they are governed by the CPUC in our state. They can't just hike prices all willy nilly like.

Also, usage didn't drop across the nation, but prices were hiked everywhere at close to the same % ;) let me dig up the numbers (after work)

Natural Gas and propane went through the roof nation wide this last winter. Given they are a major source of heat for people and winter happens to be, well the coldest time of year in this nation, given your theory they wouldn't hike the price, they'd do that in summer ;)
 
FYI it is within our right to request a calibration from PG&E and to be present when they do so. I know this b/c Progress Energy in FL has done the same thing. PG&E only allow 1 calibration per year and you must request it if you want it to happen. And they will ask you if you want to be present and if you say yes they have to wait for you to show you what they do.

I just scheduled mine, since my meter was installed 2 days ago!
 
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