About a decade ago, give or take, smart meter “upgrades” caught the attention of many. Some folks said this was all in preparation for throttling your energy use, typically when you needed it most, and they were right.
Then came smart appliances accessible via Bluetooth or WiFi; many said these are not conveniences but contrivances. If you hook everything in your home to the internet, the powers that be, licit or illicit, could control anything they wanted. From thermostats to stoves, fridges, and dishwashers to home security (including cameras), it’s all wired together—even your TV.
Feel free to decide whether that’s likely to pose a problem for you, but in the UK, ‘Ministers’ are talking about mandating smart appliances so the Government can better manage the electric grid they’ve wrecked with unreliable wind and solar. An effort by The State to force you to make their failed policy “work.”
- Ministers are pressing ahead with new legislation that could see families made to adopt “smart” appliances to ease pressure on the grid. Tory MPs are opposing the proposals, contained in the contentious Energy Bill which will come back before the Commons on Tuesday.
- The Government insisted it was “in no way asking people to ration electricity” and that consumers will benefit in the form of cheaper bills.
- Property owners who fail to comply with new energy efficiency rules could face prison under government plans that have sparked a backlash from Tory MPs.
- Ministers want to grant themselves powers to create new criminal offences and increase civil penalties as part of efforts to hit net zero targets. Under the proposals, people who fall foul of regulations to reduce their energy consumption could face up to a year in prison and fines of up to £15,000.
- “The ones we’ve found most offensive are where a business owner could face a year in prison for not having the right energy performance certificate or type of building certification.”
Years from now, much the way NZ PM Chris Hipkins insists that getting the COVID vaccine was your choice (or you could be quarantined in an armed detainment camp), UK MPs will laugh over cigars and brandy about how you were not made to ration electricity. It was your choice to have Smart appliances they could control … or none.
As Jo Nova notes.
Are they your appliances or the state’s? If you don’t control the power switch you know the answer.
When they call something “smart” we know it’s stupid — and the mind-boggling complexity of central agencies switching on and off ovens and heaters across the country to “fit” with the weather is a dystopia we don’t need to have. Do you need 90 minutes to roast a chook, or 120? It depends on the wind strength in Scotland. If the kids can’t get to bed early, or you can’t wash their clothes, they can just miss the first hour of school right?
You paid for them with money the Government let you keep, so we know whose appliances they think they are. It is also the Government’s infrastructure (even though they make the utilities pay for it) and their electricity (because they allowed generators to tap it and sell it, which the government taxes).
It sounds increasingly like communism with Chinese Characteristics, which works well if your home security, baby monitor, or pet peeping cameras are wireless. Big Brother will be able to snoop on you while Alexa, Google, and Facebook listen, and if you try to stop them, they’ll turn off your fridge or lower your thermostat a few degrees too many in January.
So, how does the beginning of that look? A lot like this.
“ERCOT entered emergency operations tonight due to a drop in both operating reserves and frequency. By entering EEA 2, ERCOT was able to utilize additional reserve resources to protect the reliability of the grid. No power outages associated with the ERCOT power grid were necessary. The Weather Watch remains in effect through Sept. 8 due to continued higher temperatures, high demand, and the potential for lower reserves.
Over-reliance on wind power in Texas during a heat wave. The wind stopped blowing, as it often does, especially where it gets hot. Frantic providers begged homeowners and businesses to use less, or there would be blackouts. With a bit of motivation from “regulators” or ‘bureaucrats,” or the right sort of politicians, the Government could tap into networked home appliances and make adjustments for the good of the community. Or, better yet, in the name of public health or something.
Mark my words, if we stay on the current trajectory, not long from now that’ll just happen, and you won’t be able to do a damn thing about it.
I wonder what the fine will be for turning off your router, and will they send a Bearcat and a SWAT team to your home to turn it back on?
Both?
HT | WUWT
