BC consumers got screwed with the privatization of generation with guaranteed purchase agreements for the providers. That isn't to say there wasn't there were also inefficiencies and wastage in the public system, but they probably were not as much as the profit gouging that has subsequently happened. There are some businesses where consumers are better off if it is a state-run, well-regulated monopoly (compare ICBC rates with insurance rates in other provinces).
BC hydro can turn your power off with Smart meters
- Thread starter johnsmit
- Start date
@ johnsmit
Think about it:
Don't pay your rent / mortgage you get turfed out.
Don't pay your phone bill you get shut off from their Network.
Don't pay your internet you get shut off from their Network.
Now with Smart Metering, Hydro can do the same thing.
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WRT billing I have watched my bill closely since the smart meter was installed. I have not noticed any increase in costs. Fortis though has gone up quite a bit with the colder temps etc.
Think about it:
Don't pay your rent / mortgage you get turfed out.
Don't pay your phone bill you get shut off from their Network.
Don't pay your internet you get shut off from their Network.
Now with Smart Metering, Hydro can do the same thing.
_________________
WRT billing I have watched my bill closely since the smart meter was installed. I have not noticed any increase in costs. Fortis though has gone up quite a bit with the colder temps etc.
I get that we all should pay our bills that's a no brainer. I think what OP is trying to say large corporations like Hydro having a "kill switch" is very anti-consumer. What if I get stuck with a huge invoice that I have to dispute? Billing systems are not perfect - will BC Hydro cut me off if I haven't paid while disputing? I live in a typical DT shoebox condo, my bills average $20-50 per month during the year. If I get a bill for 500.00 in July, I would call and tell them to fix my bill and then I will pay. Would a Smart Meter just cut off the power after x number of days a bill is due?
I believe Amazon has something similar in place with their Kindle tablets where they can control the content you purchased from them. If you think you "own" the content like you do a physical book, you actually don't. A Kindle owner's account was deleted and all content was wiped remotely because it was thought she was connected with an account who was an abuser - or something like that. Amazon didn't provide a reason why they did it or even an explanation of their policies, they just did it.
6.
I believe Amazon has something similar in place with their Kindle tablets where they can control the content you purchased from them. If you think you "own" the content like you do a physical book, you actually don't. A Kindle owner's account was deleted and all content was wiped remotely because it was thought she was connected with an account who was an abuser - or something like that. Amazon didn't provide a reason why they did it or even an explanation of their policies, they just did it.
6.
Yes, but if you're behind past the grace period (and probably two months overdue in this case) they have every right to deny service. How is expecting customer to pay bills on time anti-consumer. If you want personal service to cut off power then expect to pay even more cuz they actually have to pay a person to travel. Disputes, are a different matter altogether. If your account is up to date and you have a dispute over a bill, you'll never get cut off. If you don't plan on paying during a long drawn out dispute, that's your choice to let your account go delinquent. The smart thing to do is keep paying the minimum and if you're right, you'll get a refund. If you're wrong then you won't have to pay all that you held back if you didn't pay at all.
The OP is implying that smart meters were the cause of his friend's power being cut off.
The OP is implying that smart meters were the cause of his friend's power being cut off.
I always thought they would be able to shut off power with the smart meter. Is that the point of the thread?
Or is Maxx upset, because he feels hydro should have to put in more effort to shut off ones power.....send someone over, climbing polls, months of letters/phonecalls.
As someone who pays his bill, this is good news. I don't want to have to eat the costs involved in dealing with delinquent customers.
Or is Maxx upset, because he feels hydro should have to put in more effort to shut off ones power.....send someone over, climbing polls, months of letters/phonecalls.
As someone who pays his bill, this is good news. I don't want to have to eat the costs involved in dealing with delinquent customers.
No i not up set . i totaly agree .. pay your bils . and you dont get in shit.. But some time problem happen . more to day then ever... and when we dont have steady incomes.. or it just is not enough to cover everything
then some bills get left out.. because. paying rent.. and feeding the kids come first..
I sure this has happened to many people at some time.. and even today to women on this . board.. Guys too.. At present i one of them ..
But i was not posting this to look for simpathy.. just. to show a few fact.. if you did not know them
One people have problem some time.... Two. the stystem doest care.. or even have proper oversite . when they issue notices... Three.. they BS you when you phone..they said they sent some one. they did not..
and then Bs again when they said how long it might take to restore power.. .like it could take till tomorrow.
When it was just put in a command . and it takes 10 min.
So through the whole process.. there were no phone calls .. to even check if the person got the notice..
and lie about how they cut your power off... as if they dont want us to know that is what the smart meters can do.. i wounder what else. Like maybe cheat use on the power they say we use.. How are we to know?
There is a lot more in life then paying your bills on time.. There is careing about people and thier circumstances. I know i have done my fair share through the years .. on an indavidual bases.. and also . had lots of help myself to get through.. illness and hard time..
This economy is not well .. and it will still be getting worse..Those with job.. may think there good . . even with a pention.. you can get stung... It happened many times...
live in Victoria.. prob one of the place with one of the . most fake . and proped up economies in BC... Four every business that thrives.. there are Two . near failour.. and just as many that have failed.. .. those jobs our gone.. and those people are out of work... hoping to get another job...
No simpathy for the deliquent bill payer.. .. how many for get they were once there .. and could be again
then some bills get left out.. because. paying rent.. and feeding the kids come first..
I sure this has happened to many people at some time.. and even today to women on this . board.. Guys too.. At present i one of them ..
But i was not posting this to look for simpathy.. just. to show a few fact.. if you did not know them
One people have problem some time.... Two. the stystem doest care.. or even have proper oversite . when they issue notices... Three.. they BS you when you phone..they said they sent some one. they did not..
and then Bs again when they said how long it might take to restore power.. .like it could take till tomorrow.
When it was just put in a command . and it takes 10 min.
So through the whole process.. there were no phone calls .. to even check if the person got the notice..
and lie about how they cut your power off... as if they dont want us to know that is what the smart meters can do.. i wounder what else. Like maybe cheat use on the power they say we use.. How are we to know?
There is a lot more in life then paying your bills on time.. There is careing about people and thier circumstances. I know i have done my fair share through the years .. on an indavidual bases.. and also . had lots of help myself to get through.. illness and hard time..
This economy is not well .. and it will still be getting worse..Those with job.. may think there good . . even with a pention.. you can get stung... It happened many times...
live in Victoria.. prob one of the place with one of the . most fake . and proped up economies in BC... Four every business that thrives.. there are Two . near failour.. and just as many that have failed.. .. those jobs our gone.. and those people are out of work... hoping to get another job...
No simpathy for the deliquent bill payer.. .. how many for get they were once there .. and could be again
Read the first post.. Yes they got a littler.they got letter too. and they made the payment.. .. just happen to be only a few hours befor the power was to be cut off.. .I assum automaticly
. Because there was .no check to see if it had been payed.. You have to.inform them that you payed.. They do have the ability to know exactly when uou pay on line..
I dont know if they phone . but the person never receved phone call..
What i do know is Credit card phone... auto loans phone... gas company phones...
some banks phone.. some dont.. BMO . never phones
.. Telus never phones... and i never got a phone call from BC hydro when i was behind.. not even after i moved and for got to cancel.... I had to phone them.. or i would still getting charged. for what the new tenant used..
. Because there was .no check to see if it had been payed.. You have to.inform them that you payed.. They do have the ability to know exactly when uou pay on line..
I dont know if they phone . but the person never receved phone call..
What i do know is Credit card phone... auto loans phone... gas company phones...
some banks phone.. some dont.. BMO . never phones
.. Telus never phones... and i never got a phone call from BC hydro when i was behind.. not even after i moved and for got to cancel.... I had to phone them.. or i would still getting charged. for what the new tenant used..
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@johnsmit
Just so you're not totally shocked when it happens - with smart meters, the hydro company can tell what time of day you're using power and can charge different rates according to that time of day.... Using power during typical high usage parts of the day will cost you more!
Just so you're not totally shocked when it happens - with smart meters, the hydro company can tell what time of day you're using power and can charge different rates according to that time of day.... Using power during typical high usage parts of the day will cost you more!
When you make your payment it does not happen instantly, even though the money payment is made at your bank. The bank has your money, not BC Hydro. There is a process involved, and it can take a few days. If their power was cut off a few hours "after" they paid, they would have been in that dead zone.
To expand on this, when you make an online bill payment from your bank account (as opposed to going to a paying a company directly on their own website via credit card if they have that option), it can take as much as 3 business days for the company you're paying to see the money. Typically it only takes a few hours, but depending on a number of factors it can take several days, and it is never truly instant (unless the bill you're paying is your bank's own credit card or whatever, and even then it may not be instant).
That's possible with some companies, but not with BC Hydro. They don't actually have an option to pay them directly online. You can only pay online through your bank, or through epost, or through a third party payment service that Hydro uses for online credit card payments. In none of those cases would it be possible for Hydro to see the payment going into the Hydro account instantly. It seems pretty obvious that your friend has lied about some elements of the story to make it look like Hydro was being unreasonable.
Hacking Expert David Chalk Joins Urgent Call to Halt Smart Grid (on Smart Meters)
For all you nerds and geeks who remember Dave Chalk:
http://www.stopsmartmetersbc.ca/html/?p=4101
For all you nerds and geeks who remember Dave Chalk:
http://www.stopsmartmetersbc.ca/html/?p=4101
i actually was there they were using my phone.. .The rep . said they accept the payment was made.. maybe they did not see it... but they had them reconected in 10 min.... that is what i know....
But again thats not the point of the post.. Where is a Picard when i need one
But again thats not the point of the post.. Where is a Picard when i need one
OK, so they made the payment and Hydro reconnected them in 10 minutes after they told Hydro about the payment, without any way to know for sure that the payment had actually been made. And what was your point again? That Hydro is terrible? Sorry, but what you've described is a situation where your friend screwed up royally, got hit with the totally predictable and expected consequences of his screw-up, and then when he talked to Hydro about it they reconnected him incredibly quickly even though they had no way to know for sure that he had paid what he owed. In this scenario Hydro isn't the bad guy - your friend is. He had to pay a penalty because he breached his contract with Hydro and failed to pay what he owed as agreed. Just about any business will impose a penalty if you do that and want to still use their services. Nothing that you've described is Hydro acting unfairly in any way shape or form.
Now if you want to talk about other aspects of how Hydro does business, there are plenty of ways that they screw over consumers. This just isn't one of them.
