"Big Brother" is watching you

[MikesRJ 558]

Send your letter to the Power Company today! Make sure to change the text to indicate you, rather than the original writer.

From:

Energy Customer's Name

Street Address

City State Zip

To:

Energy Provider

Street Address

City State Zip

Date of letter

NOTICE OF NO CONSENT TO TRESPASS AND SURVEILLANCE, NOTICE OF LIABILITY

Dear (Energy Provider) and all agents, officers, employees, contractors and interested parties,

If you intend to install a "Smart Meter" or any activity monitoring device at the above address, you and all other parties are hereby deny consent for installation and use of all such devices on the above property. Installation and use of any activity monitoring device is hereby refused and prohibited. Informed consent is legally required for installation of any surveillance device and any device that will collect and transmit private and personal data to undisclosed and unauthorized parties for undisclosed and unauthorized purposes. Authorization for sharing of personal and private information may only be given by the originator and subject of that information. That authorization is hereby denied and refused with regard to the above property and all its occupants. "Smart Meters" violate the law and cause endangerment to residents by the following factors:

1. They individually identify electrical devices inside the home and record when they are operated causing invasion of privacy.

2. They monitor household activity and occupancy in violation of rights and domestic security.

3. They transmit wireless signals which may be intercepted by unauthorized and unknown parties. Those signals can be used to monitor behavior and occupancy and they can be used by criminals to aid criminal activity against the occupants.

4. Data about occupant's daily habits and activities are collected, recorded and stored in permanent databases which are accessed by parties not authorized or invited to know and share that private data by those who's activities were recorded.

5. Those with access to the smart meter databases can review a permanent history of household activities complete with calendar and time-of-day metrics to gain a highly invasive and detailed view of the lives of the occupants.

6. Those databases may be shared with, or fall into the hands of criminals, blackmailers, corrupt law enforcement, private hackers of wireless transmissions, power company employees, and other unidentified parties who may act against the interests of the occupants under metered surveillance.

7. "Smart Meters" are, by definition, surveillance devices which violate Federal and State wiretapping laws by recording and storing databases of private and personal activities and behaviors without the consent or knowledge of those people who are monitored.

8. It is possible for example, with analysis of certain "Smart Meter" data, for unauthorized and distant parties to determine medical conditions, sexual activities, physical locations of persons within the home, vacancy patterns and personal information and habits of the occupants.

9. Your company has not adequately disclosed the particular recording and transmission capabilities of the smart meter, or the extent of the data that will be recorded, stored and shared, or the purposes to which the data will and will not be put.

10. Electromagnetic and Radio Frequency energy contamination from smart meters exceeds allowable safe and healthful limits for domestic environments as determined by the EPA and other scientific programs.

I forbid, refuse and deny consent of any installation and use of any monitoring, eavesdropping, and surveillance devices on my property, my place of residence and my place of occupancy. That applies to and includes "Smart Meters" and activity monitoring devices of any and all kinds. Any attempt to install any such device directed at me, other occupants, my property or residence will constitute trespass, stalking, wiretapping and unlawful surveillance and endangerment of health and safety, all prohibited and punishable by law through criminal and civil complaints. All persons, government agencies and private organizations responsible for installing or operating monitoring devices directed at or recording my activities, which I have not specifically authorized in writing, will be fully liable for any violations, intrusions, harm or negative consequences caused or made possible by those devices whether those negative consequences are justified by "law" or not..

This is legal notice. After this delivery the liabilities listed above may not be denied or avoided by parties named and implied in this notice. Civil Servant immunities and protections do not apply to the installation of smart meters due to the criminal violations they represent.

Notice to principal is notice to agent and notice to agent is notice to principal. All rights reserved.

Your Signature

[Operator 7]

Interesting and thought provoking. I myself don't think of the meter as a wireless transmitter. It transmits signals to power company through the line in not through the air. And how is it going to know if your brushing your teeth or turning on a table light? Turning on your computer [to get on Red Square] or microwaving a hotdog?

I like conspiricy thinking too!

[rmaynard 16,291]

Good information Mike. It's time to fight back. In the Baltimore Metro area, we have a program called "Peak Rewards". It should be called "Peek Rewards" as this device, which is disguised as a very nice digital thermostat, turns off your A/C compressor during periods of peak electrical demand. And for that, they send you a $10.00 per month credit during the summer months. But wait, there is more. This device, being attached to the home electrical system as well as the A/C, accumulates data on your overall electric usage, just like the "smart" meters. This information is sent to the electric company's computer for distribution to whomever wants to buy it, and in the case of the government, take it.

When I found out about the amount of data that was being collected on my usage and patterns, I promptly removed the new thermostat and replaced it with a good basic programmable unit from Home Depot.

Yes, big brother is watching.

[boovuc 1,090]

I have seen this before Mike. IMHO: I don't think it's binding and I can only say that I would rather have my electric provider have real-time data than to have them over estimate my bills month after month. Besides that, how do you know the meter reader going up to your house is actually a meter reader? (I'll bet many a scouting burgler walked up to properties wearing work clothes and carrying a clipboard in broad daylight).

If you have West Penn Power, (which was Allegheny Power), which is now again called West Penn Power, I'd be happy if they just keep me generated without a power interuption for a month in a row.

BooVuc

Mill Hall, PA

[shorts 182]

so far only my water meter has a battery powered transmitter, the down side of unpluging the transmitter is that then I have to let them into the basement to read the meter. the public utility service employees seem to be good people, but I don't trust the management and elected beurocracy and their motives. :thumbs2:

[mavfreak 11]

looks as though I already have one? I think I'll give the power company a call on monday!

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 137]

That's a pretty funny video. Anyone who wants to monitor my detailed electricity usage is more then welcome. If knowing when I used the bathroom helps them better manage the electrical grid then go for it. If I decide to commit a murder I'll just have to remember to buy a $5 timer at Wal-Mart to turn on appliances while I'm out. All my "grow houses" are powered by solar and generators so I'm good there also. I'm confident that the Trial Lawyers will gladly bring a class action lawsuit against the deep pockets of the Utilities industry should his claims prove to be true. Or he could just be a disgruntled employee.

[MikesRJ 558]

That's a pretty funny video. Anyone who wants to monitor my detailed electricity usage is more then welcome. If knowing when I used the bathroom helps them better manage the electrical grid then go for it. If I decide to commit a murder I'll just have to remember to buy a $5 timer at Wal-Mart to turn on appliances while I'm out. All my "grow houses" are powered by solar and generators so I'm good there also. I'm confident that the Trial Lawyers will gladly bring a class action lawsuit against the deep pockets of the Utilities industry should his claims prove to be true. Or he could just be a disgruntled employee.

Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you'd had enough oxygen at birth? :thumbs2:

[Operator 7]

For those that really believe this, just put a few layers of tinfoil over your meter. Then if it can't "transmit through the air the power rangers will be out to see what the problem is. :thumbs2:

[MikesRJ 558]

For the ill informed and the naysayers, I present you with this ... Read slowly and carefully. If it is licensed by the FCC, then it is in fact an over-the-line data transmitter.

Read the following (and this is just one global company):

http://www.siemens.com/innovation/en/inno_..._ino_0907_1.htm

[Operator 7]

My "corded" phone is FCC stamped, my intercom system is FCC stamped,

I like the tin foil test.

[MikesRJ 558]

And your examples are all transmitting devices (not necessarily over the wire in one of your examples, but probably is) ... if it has an FCC stamp, then its absolutely a data transmitter of some kind. Apparently you didn't read the Siemens article well enough.

The electrical usage data is transmitted over the electrical wire (i.e. back through the power grid to the power company), it's not an air-signal. The tin foil won't do a damn thing to stop the data feed on the wire, so no one will ever come out to see what the problem is because there won't be one as far as the power company is concerned. I'm sure the neighbors will wonder what you're up to though! :thumbs2:

[Operator 7]

Exactly Mike. That is what I was getting at they don't transmit "over the air" they send pulses back via the same wire the power comes in on. Someone mentioned routers as in computers to pick up neighbors too. I have one here and also at our campgrond lot. Also have one on my electric water heater, but I put in a gas water heater, left elec. one "in line" just pulled breaker for it. Power Rangers aren't knocking yet.

I just saying that pulses can't tell if you are nuking hotdogs or blowing your hair dry. Just "consumption" .

And I believe in conspiricies also. I may not know how to spell it, but I believe in them.

[shorts 182]

if it's got the FCC stamp it's a radio, and the info is out in the atmosphere for the taking if you have the readily avaliable technology to gather it. their are laws governing the use of pirated radio transmissions but no laws against monitoring the airwaves this means that your private cell phone conversations are not private but they cannot be used against you in court without a wiretap order.

[rexman72 210]

here in Maine you can op out smart meters but you have to pay a monthly charge if you don't have them.Also the smart meters are cutting 500 meter reading jobs also.these new meters will be able to pick up when your night light is on or any other little device that the regular mech meters cant pick up.I am a power plant engineer and i refused the smart meter.

[rmaynard 16,291]

It's a little thing called an algorithm. Algorithms are used to mine information. Just do a Google search for algorithms as related to the energy business, and you will find more than enough information to scare the bejeezzus out of you.

And don't be surprised if after searching, you don't get emails and offers related to energy (or what ever you were searching for). Algorithms are being used every time you search something on the internet to mine information from you as far as your buying habits, and interests.

Yes, there are algorithms that look at your electrical service and can determine from what is know as "appliance chatter", what you are using, and when it is being used. That is some of the info that can be sent back to the energy company.

Very, very scary.

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 137]

That's a pretty funny video.

[dgoyette 12]

For those that really believe this, just put a few layers of tinfoil over your meter. Then if it can't "transmit through the air the power rangers will be out to see what the problem is.

:thumbs2:

[boovuc 1,090]

Going back to the FCC stamp...........that moniker is on many things that run on electricity and is there for certification of RF. RF is radio frequency but not the kind you may be thinking of.

RF is static noise from electrical devices of all kinds. Ever tune an AM radio and hear a buzzing or static sound near a motor or light fixture. That's RF. Microwave ovens don't talk to anyone but they emit a sound on my cell phone.

Electrical meters in general transmit data back to the supplier via wire. Not wireless. For utilities that do not have a wire attached to your house like the water company, they must use a wireless device. Then they just drive by and read the meter.

You can buy devices that use your own house's 120v AC wiring to connect computers and printers for a network.

It's true that the real-time meters cut many jobs. So do robot welders and painters and many other innovations that modern industry uses. It's inevitable in order to compete.

BooVuc

Mill Hall, PA

[Jim_M 179]

The only kind of information that a smart meter could glean from me is my electrical usage patterns. It's not some all knowing super brain that sees all, it's an electric meter.

[Operator 7]

It's a little thing called an algorithm. Algorithms are used to mine information. Just do a Google search for algorithms as related to the energy business, and you will find more than enough information to scare the bejeezzus out of you.

And don't be surprised if after searching, you don't get emails and offers related to energy (or what ever you were searching for). Algorithms are being used every time you search something on the internet to mine information from you as far as your buying habits, and interests.

Yes, there are algorithms that look at your electrical service and can determine from what is know as "appliance chatter", what you are using, and when it is being used. That is some of the info that can be sent back to the energy company.

Very, very scary.

"Cookies!" right?

This is a good thread Mike, thanks for getting it going. Discussions with an open mind. That is the way.

[rmaynard 16,291]

The only kind of information that a smart meter could glean from me is my electrical usage patterns. It's not some all knowing super brain that sees all, it's an electric meter.

You are absolutely correct. The meter is only the sender of information. The super brain that deciphers that information is located elsewhere.

[Jim_M 179]

I must be missing something....I really don't care if they know how much electricity I use, when I use it or what I use it for. Is there some reason I should care?

[CasualObserver 3,411]

I'd actually prefer they did know how much electricity I use and when. So they can provide it when I want it. That's why I pay a utility company instead of living off a generator. I expect them to be informed.

[SousaKerry 503]

Chalk up another one for the tin foil hat community. They can't tell the difference between a toaster oven and a 100 watt light bulb(yes is still have some in my closet and they can't have em until they make a corkscrew bulb that works in the cold)

Trust me the feds could care less if you are up at 3 AM brushing your teeth and reading a book.

I live in a trailer park my E-Tank is outside in full view of the street and all the neighbors, no-one has yet come up and asked me what that tank is with all the wires hanging out and strange bubbly brown goo.

I have had computer servers running in my house 24/7 guess what they don't draw any more current then the average home computer cause well they are the same thing it is just software. Your internet provider will give you a call way before the electric company does asking you why you are hogging up so much bandwidth all hours of the day and night.

If your electric meter is all you have to worry about all day then I wish I had your life, Try having a couple of teenagers that think it is fun to steal the car for a joyride at 3:00AM

well I think I broke the soapbox now so I'll go back to my corner and continue lurking