Energy company locks thermostats at +80 degrees for 22,000 customers during ‘energy crisis’

[OK Corgi Rancher]

Colorado went full-retard years ago. Nobody's gonna remotely control my thermostat.

 

[trekrok]

Don't some utilities have a special box for just the AC along with a smart meter? I thought they used them to basically stagger startups so that in the event of an outage they can bring people on sequentially and not have everyone's AC hit at once.

Or I could be making it up.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

The utility companies can't control the amperage you receive. They can, however, lower the voltage which will in turn lower the amps you receive. They can't lower the amperage without lowering the voltage. The voltage is the driving force of electricity. No voltage, no amps. Amps is basically the volume or quantity of electricity.

If you have a thermostat that your smart phone or Alexa can control, it would be quite possible for your power company to "hack" in and override your smart device. "The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." (Scotty from Star Trek.)

Woody

 

[1shott]

That sounds pretty suspect. Customer equipment could be damaged in the process.

Are these flow limiter meters in general usage for domestic customers in this area? By that I mean is OGE using them in household situations?

Or are these limiters used for industrial/commercial applications?

This is the first I've heard of it.

I do not know the answer to those questions.

IIRC OGE had a program that was offered several years ago that IIRC worked similar only the device was attached to your ac compressor and they could remotely control it, either by shutting it off for a specified time or limiting its load capacity.

 

[1shott]

I'm not really buying into this either. How is throttling my amperage going to stop me from using my A/C unit?

From what I understand, the limiting of available power leaves you with just enough to cover the basics for a specific period of time.

Not saying I am 100% correct on this its just my understanding from what I have been told by a few folks I know that work in power generation.

 

[1shott]

Don't some utilities have a special box for just the AC along with a smart meter? I thought they used them to basically stagger startups so that in the event of an outage they can bring people on sequentially and not have everyone's AC hit at once.

Or I could be making it up.

I posted a reply similar to yours. So either we both are nuts or something along those lines was in the news a few years back.

 

[1shott]

WILL A SMART METER GIVE MY UTILITY CONTROL OVER HOW AND WHEN I USE ENERGY?​

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No. Actually, you control your usage, not the utility. Advanced metering gives you more control. Participating in residential energy management and other energy efficiency programs is completely optional. Customers who participate can use the information they receive to manage their energy usage day by day. Or, they can set preferences (select a maximum temperature for air conditioning, for instance) and let the system automatically make adjustments based on the cost or availability of energy. Either way, the customer is in complete control and will have the option to override signals or not participate in energy-efficiency programs at all.
The smart meter takes frequent readings of your energy usage, but it only measures the electricity used in your household, it does not control it. If you have opted in to a program such as a PeakRewards program, your smart meter will not change how this program operates. The utility will continue to cycle air conditioner compressors and hot water heaters on and off as needed during peak usage times, the same as when you first signed on to this program. In the future, the smart meters will enable utilities to remotely turn service on and off at customer premises. This feature will be used when customers move out of their current homes and start service elsewhere. This cost effective feature eliminates the need for a utility field visit when customers move or start service. The remote connect feature will also enable the utility to place customers back into service more expeditiously.

Correct, for a smart meter.

PEC changed everyone to a smart meter a year or so ago.

 

[1shott]

Heres what one power company is running in Arizona.

So they limit the amount of power coming in and when you exceed that limit the meter shuts you off.
Interesting that the customer can reset them.

Power Meter Limiters | EPCOR Edmonton

www.epcor.com

 

[jeromebill7718]

QUIT CHARGING ELECTRIC CARS UNTIL WE UPGRADE THE GRID!

 

[kirk1978]

ANY thermostat that is "locked" can be bypassed/overridden.

I have been in the building automation/controls/energy management business for 23 years, you will not be able to get a conventional thermostat in 10-15 years. Also there are systems (thermostats) you cant "bypass" or override, they communicate back to a controller through a specific communication protocol that is locked down. Rewire and jump it out or replace with a conventional stat yep.