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Smart meters – the latest example of Britain leading the world in invasive technology

Smart meter We've written before about the privacy implications of Smart Meters, both here and abroad. This story over at the Washington Post begins:

CAMBRIDGE, England – Wary homeowners could scupper the rollout of smart technologies meant to boost energy efficiency, without secure controls over data and access to appliances, executives said this week.

Great. yet another technological debate in which the rest of the world looks to the UK as the pilot for the most intrusive equipment around.

"Home meters" allow two-way wireless communication with utilities – to forecast demand and charge more at peak times and even switch off individual appliances remotely.

Rollout is at an early stage but speeding up, and Britain's providers plan a nationwide deployment. The data-gathering power of meters has prompted comparisons with "spies" in people's homes. And not just from privacy advocates, but from the companies themselves:

"We, Siemens, have the technology to record it (energy consumption) every minute, second, microsecond, more or less live," said Martin Pollock of Siemens Energy, an arm of the German engineering giant, which provides metering services.

"From that we can infer how many people are in the house, what they do, whether they're upstairs, downstairs, do you have a dog, when do you habitually get up, when did you get up this morning, when do you have a shower: masses of private data."

"We think the regulator needs to send a strong signal to say that the data belongs to consumers and consumers alone. We believe that's a blocker to people adopting the technology," he told the Smart Grids and Cleanpower conference in Cambridge.

There are of course potential benefits for consumers, such as the ability to program individual appliances to switch on when power is cheaper. On the other hand, the technology allows utilities to bully customers to turn on washing machines or charge electric cars at night, for example, by charging more at peak times.

Energy companies' new ability to switch off appliances remotely is also open to abuse:

"There'll be a lot of resistance to being told by your utility when you can do your washing," said Chris Wright, chief technology officer at Moixa Technology. Consumer agreements may focus on utilities controlling only particular appliances such as freezers, air conditioners or luxury items such as swimming pools.

Why on earth should we allow a change in the status quo, from being responsible for our own lives to having to negotiate with energy companies about which bits of our households they can't micromanage?

By Alex Deane

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Big Brother Watch Posted in Privacy
  • http://profile.typepad.com/blog101 Blog

    Ross Anderson and his security group at the University of Cambridge computer lab recently presented a paper on some of the issues with smart meters (including privacy problems).
    Presentation http://weis2010.econinfosec.org/papers/session5/weis2010_anderson_r_pres.pdf and paper http://weis2010.econinfosec.org/papers/session5/weis2010_anderson_r.pdf for those who are interested.

  • Michael

    from the Telegraph…
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4401188/Lord-Truscott-Peers-charge-up-to-5000-a-day-to-facilitate-law-changes.html
    “… Lord Truscott was then asked about smart meters, which will be put into every home as part of the Energy Act, which was amended before it was passed by the Commons last October.
    He is reported to have boasted that he met members of the Energy Bill team and played a part in getting the bill changed to include smart meters…”
    Democracy. Gotta love it.

  • http://www.business-energy-australia.com.au/ Business Electricity Australia

    Really an interesting post.Thanks for an insightful post.It’s my first visit.I like very much your way of presentation.Keep up the good works and hope you post again soon.

  • elaine

    Remind anyone of Eastern Europe? Rationed electricity, water….

  • http://www.business-power.com.au/ Electricity Providers

    This article is very informative but also helpful at the same time. You always find blog posts that are interesting to a point but go on a bit but well done for including energy saving advice that people can actually implement,

  • http://es-uk.info GP

    http://www.newtup.org http://www.clickgreen.org.uk/news/national-news/121825-decc-confirms-talks-with-dept-of-health-over-smart-meter-risks.html
    http://stopsmartmeters.wordpress.com/
    http://www.smartmeterdangers.org/
    es-uk.info
    DECC confirms talks with Dept of Health over
    smart meter risks
    by Natalie Evans 25 Jan 2011
    Officials from the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate
    Change have confirmed “discussions” with their counterparts
    at the Health Department over safety concerns regarding the
    mass installation of smart meters.
    Energy chiefs say talks will continue with the Department of
    Health as worries grow over research linking smart meter
    technology and an increased risk of cancer.
    The news follows a warning that indoor electromagnetic fields
    and radio waves emitted by smart meters pose a growing
    health risk.
    Smart meters are at centre of growing health scare
    The risk of cancer has been linked to intense or prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs)
    and radio frequencies (RFs).
    Worries persist about the potential for mobile phones to cause brain tumours.
    And now researchers are warning of the risks from the cumulative effect of waves emitted by electric,
    gas and water smart meters, together with other devices in the home.
    The Government is working with Ofgen to carry forward plans for every home in Britain should be fitted
    with remote-linked smart meters by 2020.
    But experts say that combined with wi-fi hubs, mobile phones and other wireless devices this array of
    meters will turn homes into something like the inside of a microwave oven.
    Smart meters record the exact levels of gas and electricity households use and remotely report the
    data to suppliers, doing away with meter readings and estimated bills.
    The new generation of radio-linked smart meters were first introduced in the UK in September 2008, for
    customers in the East and West Midlands.
    In December 2009, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced its intention to
    roll-out smart meters to all UK homes by the end of 2020.
    But with more than 20,000 UK homes now using smart meter technology, wireless networks are
    coming under increased scrutiny.
    The World Health Organisation states that EMFs are not harmful if they remain within strict frequency
    boundaries set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
    However, an investigation conducted by researchers in the USA, where smart meters have been used
    since 2006, warns emissions can exceed safety limits.
    But a report from, California-based Sage Environmental Consulting, reveals that the constant presence
    of a smart meter could lead to prolonged exposure to potentially harmful RFs.
    The Sage report says: “Significant unanswered questions still exist about what levels of radio-
    frequency microwave radiation will be produced by these [smart] meters.
    “Smart meters can produce excessively elevated RF exposures, depending on where they are
    installed.
    “With respect to absolute RF exposure levels predicted for occupied space within dwellings, or outside
    areas like patios, gardens and walk-ways, RF levels are predicted to be substantially elevated within a
    few feet to within a few tens of feet from the meter(s).
    “The rollout of millions of new RF sources (smart meters) will mean far greater general population
    exposures, and potential health consequences.”
    The paper explains that people are already increasingly exposed to radiofrequency radiation at home
    through the use of numerous wireless devices.
    These include mobile and cordless telephones, Blackberry and iPhones, broadband, baby monitors
    and home security systems.
    The report concludes that neither the authorities, nor the utility providers nor the consumer “know what
    portion of the allowable public safety limit is already being used up or pre-empted by RF from other
    sources already present in the particular location a smart meter may be installed and operated.”
    The DECC states that the issue was noted in an impact assessment which was published alongside
    the department’s ‘Smart Meters Prospectus’ last July.
    A DECC spokesman said: “We will keep under review any evidence related to the effects of
    radiofrequency signals on the health of individuals.
    “Smart meters can pave the way for a transformation in the way energy is supplied and used. They will
    provide consumers with real-time information about energy use, enabling them to monitor and manage
    their use.
    “Consumers will receive accurate bills. Switching between suppliers will be smoother and faster and
    improvements in the delivery of energy efficiency advice will be supported.
    “Decisions on the communications requirements for smart meters have not yet been made and a
    communications technology solution has not yet been selected.
    “Part of the work of the Smart Meter Implementation Programme, which is being taken forward by
    DECC and Ofgem, will be to develop detailed plans in relation to smart meter communications
    requirements, whether in the home or outside.
    “This work will consider the range of issues relating to smart meter communications and the different
    technology solutions, including concerns expressed by some people about electromagnetic fields and
    electrical sensitivity.
    “We will continue to discuss the issues raised with the Department of Health, Health Protection Agency
    and other relevant organisations as our work on smart metering progresses.
    “We are currently examining the responses to the recent consultation on the roll out of smart meters,
    and we will publish the Government’s response along with the plans for the roll out later this year.”
    http://www.next-up.org/Newsoftheworld/Smart_Meter.php

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