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Regulators OK CenterPoint's plan for 'smart' meters

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by Rocket River, Dec 21, 2008.

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  1. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Regulators OK CenterPoint's plan for 'smart' meters
    By TOM FOWLER Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
    Dec. 18, 2008, 2:50PM
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    Print Email Del.icio.usDiggTechnoratiYahoo! BuzzState regulators today approved CenterPoint Energy’s plan to deploy new “smart” electric meters throughout the Houston area over the next five years.

    That means customers will likely see an additional $3.24 on their monthly bills for two years beginning in February, dropping to $3.05 per month for 10 more years afer that..

    The new meters can be monitored and controlled remotely, and will be able to communicate with a new generation of in-home devices that will give customers more information about their power usage and, ideally, help them change their habits so they’ll use less power.

    CenterPoint will assess the fee to retail electric providers, which will have the option of absorbing the cost or passing it on to consumers.

    The system is expected to cost about $640 million to deploy. The first meters will be installed in March, with 145,000 planned for 2009, 500,000 for 2010 and every year after until all 2.2 million customers in the CenterPoint area have the new units.

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/side/6171677.html


    Do you Agree with this?

    Rocket River
    - considering they been ESTIMATING and OVERESTIMATING for years
    I have little faith in them to DO what's right
     
    #1 Rocket River, Dec 21, 2008
  2. shastarocket

    shastarocket Member

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    Are you effin serious? I think a customer who cared about his electricity would already know how to reduce his bill. This is really stupid in my book, i expect there to be serious uproar in the community over this
     
    #2 shastarocket, Dec 21, 2008
  3. OldManBernie

    OldManBernie Old Fogey

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    this is ridiculous... I bet the whole idea behind the 'smart' meters is so they won't need to hire people to go out and read the meters. This is a cost-saving measure, yet they want the customers to pay for it. I guess this is what happens when they have a monopoly.
     
    #3 OldManBernie, Dec 21, 2008
  4. Jugdish

    Jugdish Member

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    They don't have a monopoly...the government tells them what their rates are. They only get to raise them with PUCT approval.
     
    #4 Jugdish, Dec 21, 2008
  5. ryan_98

    ryan_98 Contributing Member
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    so these units that cost (if my math is correct, according to how long we have to pay) $443.66, are being installed regardless if we want them or not, and we have to pay for them?

    [​IMG]
     
    #5 ryan_98, Dec 21, 2008
  6. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    . . .and you get to pay for them . . .. . .for 15 yrs at least

    Rocket River
     
    #6 Rocket River, Dec 21, 2008
  7. shastarocket

    shastarocket Member

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    Look at it this way, in the long run, we will save money if we actually do the measures recommended by the smart meter!!
    :rolleyes:

    nvm, any money saved will be negated by having to purchase these new generation of household appliances that the article refers to
     
    #7 shastarocket, Dec 21, 2008
  8. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    and we know they won't get any kick back money on those
    I mean
    Would they recommend products that was going to give them a percentage of the sale over ones that don't?

    Rocket River
    . . then again maybe they will be generic products
     
    #8 Rocket River, Dec 21, 2008
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