Morning coffee time.
Do you smart meter?
I just had some dude walk down my drive telling me "I have to" have a smart meter fitted for the electric. Now I have heard some bad things about said devices, so asked him to forward me a specification sheet first.
This guy got really argumentative with me for asking this, he said nobody ever asks for that, and everyone lets them fit them, I explained I am not "everyone" which seemed to make him even more irate, and as my drive is a 100 metres long and surrounded by trees, I explained they would have to come to my door to read the meter and also probably have to come in my house as the meter is in the basement - so there is little to no point in fitting one in the first place, and not a chance in this world I am paying for said meter.
30 minutes he was still going at it, arguing into thin air as I carried on gardening. I guess this guy was only used to passive people.
I counted 4 phone calls he made also to his bosses, and half expected them to turn up too - I escorted him off my property at the point that he started shouting at my good lady!
Solar power!
This has given me the nudge in the right direction to do a solar power post this evening, I shall put all the gear together today with photos for you, and do that post. If we are to escape these people for good, we all need to be equipped with the tools to do it, one of which is being self sufficient regards to food and power, the food part I have covered, so now to the electric part.
As I said before, the cost of 1 panel (175 watt 4.5 amps) was under (well under) $100 including 100 metres of cable, the inverter, and the regulator that even has 2 12 volt usb's on it.
So for around $90 we can fully power a workshop or room. The inverter is a small one and 1000 watt, much bigger are available even on eBay here
or here.
Back to that dude. I see little value in fitting one of their smart meters as I live literally in the middle of nowhere, they have to drive for half a mile on a dirt road to even get to me, so that meter he is banging on about becomes as much use as a chocolate ashtray on a motorcycle petrol tank!
I am off to put it together now (solar), have a superb day what ever you choose to do.
lol @explaining you are not "everyone". That made me laugh:)
Well the last time I looked in the mirror whilst having a shave, I only saw me. :-)
We had that a few years ago and just said "NO and if you you push the issue we immediately change power companies" - never heard from them again!
Nice one bro, and that is how we roll. :-)
Good move not getting a smart meter i have not heard anything good about them. Go solar as you know i have been solar powered at home for over ten years now. It is great to not have power outages that happen a few times a year on the grid. And no more power bills haha:)
We will be fully solar by next spring bro, we tend to spend the winter at our apartment in town, saves all the cleaning at the farm and the roads never get grit on them when it snows by the farm, so town is better for winter.
Awesome mate.
I would not go for one of the smart meters if I had a choice. They call it a smart meter because it is a smart idea for them, and a dumb one for you. Right now they have to come and read your meter, or you need to call in the reading to them. When they have a smart meter on your house if people on the other side of town or somewhere else or a business needs more power because of system over load, with smart meters the power companies can redirect power to where it is needed before brownouts start happening by simply turning off power to the smart metered house in a different, (poorer) neighbourhoods, so the rich can still run their air conditioners.
That sounds about right, I will be off the grid by spring anyway, so they can stick their meter where the sun does not shine.
Have a top weekend bro.