Google Partners with Energy Inc to Provide Households With Free Energy Management Software
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Focus on smart grids: Siemens to supply innovative holistic smart metering solution to EnB
California Utility Companies Caught Falsifying Energy Efficiency Reports
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PG&E presents Smart Meter Performance Report to address Accuracy Concerns
There has been heated controversy over the accuracy of the Smart Meters Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has been installing to remotely monitor energy usage by California consumers. To address this controversy, a 700 page report on Smart Meter performance prepared for the California Public Utility Commission is being made available to the public this week.
At a press conference, PG&E admitted that at least 50,000 Smart Meters -- which represents one percent of the 5.5 million installed so far -- are not working properly. But they stressed that faulty equipment was not altogether to blame for the surge of public backlash. Instead, they focused on their poor public relations campaign and have consequently pledged to improve their damaged reputation by making more information available to the public.
Besides releasing the detailed study, PG&E has hired 165 new customer representatives and has vowed to hold community meetings in new service areas before the Smart Meters are installed. PG&E Vice President and chief customer officer Helen Burt, apologized repeatedly during the press conference for not addressing customer complaints sooner and proclaimed that "we are absolutely committed to smart meters and to regaining customer trust."
Recommended for Further Reading:
- Google Partners with Energy Inc to Provide Households With Free Energy Management Software
- Google PowerMeter Available to UK Residents
- Focus on smart grids: Siemens to supply innovative holistic smart metering solution to EnB
- California Utility Companies Caught Falsifying Energy Efficiency Reports
- Whirlpool Plans to Discontinue Manufacturing "Dumb" Appliances
- Unique Wind Power Demonstration to Be Held at HAWP Conference at the Cleantech Innovation
- DOE Awards Smart Grid & Energy Storage Projects with $620 Million
- Lunera Lighting Expands Regional Sales and Support
- Honeywell Awarded Largest U.S. Smart-Grid Grant from Department of Energy
- SEPA Boosts Solar Electric Power Build-out with New Resources
- California AB32 Climate Law Stirs Controversy
- The California Building Performance Contractors Association
- Chicago Utility to Provide 100 Homes with Free Solar in Pilot Program
- GE Develops Nucleus Home Energy Management System
- Italy Far Surpasses US in Solar Installations
I don't know about Smartmeter yet. I don't have one. But, I did have an older PGE meter and my usage was ridicules. I was running an average bill of $350 month and an average use of 1294 KW /mo.
When I received my bill last December for Nov 15 to Dec 15th it said I owed $785.00 Two year before that I got a bill that said I owed $1200.00 in January. This time I asked PGE to check my meter which they did after the third request although reluctantly. 99% of the time I was told the meters were perfectly good.
They came out and check my meter on Jan 30 2010. The technician said it checked out fine. No problems. He ran a test that sucked 1 KW through my meter and my meter and my meter said I used 1 KW. A “Perfect reading” I was told. Something was apparently wrong but it wasn't my meter the tech told me.
The tech however stated that I had an older meter and a newer meter they had would allow me to check my actual usage about every 40 seconds easily and digitally. This might help me locate my problem I was told.
My Jan 15 to Feb 15th bill arrived reading 1106 KW used.
One half of that bill was with the old meter and 1/2 with the new meter.
My Mar bill with the new meter read dropped way down. But the month of March is always lower so I didn't pay much attention to it.
However, all of my bills since March have been 30 to 65% lower with an average drop of 45% from last year.
2009
Mar 1299 Apr 988 May 1016 June 1080 July 1267 Aug 1434 Sept 258 Oct 1434
2010
Mar 756 Apr 738 May 719 June 763 July 613 Aug 632 Sept 690 Oct 599 proj.
Thanks to the new meter I now know what I am really using and am now being billed correctly.
If my meter was NOT faulty why is the new meter registering so much "less" electrical use? I had an independent use check done and it matches the new meter. Wich I had done that on the old meter.
The lesson is PGE meters can be bad even if their techs say it is not. The fact is the Smartmeters seem to be having the same problems in some cases. Can PGE actually check the meters to find out if they are faulty? I don't know. Based on my case apparently not.
From what I can tell, I over paid PGE around $2300 in 2009 and I don't know how much the year or years before that, since I don't know how long my meter has been faulty. I just don't have the records to go back and check when my usage was about what it is today.
RT @bootsontheroof: RT @buildaroo: PG&E admits some issues were caused by faulty smart meters http://bit.ly/do6SVw #smartmeter #energyefficiency #energy
RT @buildaroo: PG&E admits some issues were caused by faulty smart meters http://bit.ly/do6SVw #smartmeter #energyefficiency #energy