This story has finally become public news, and caused some 'shock' in political circles:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ology.html
The above story relates to what has been politically referred to as the “Smart Grid”. This isn't really new news, it has been planned for some years now. I remember related experiments being carried out on this project back in the 80s. Now, modern technology means that it is relatively easy for the powers-that-be to implement – at our expense. And all under the guise of 'saving the planet'. There is no limit to the far-reaching tentacles of the Green Agenda.

Smart Meters are not intended to be the benign remote consumption metering devices we are supposed to believe they are. The plan is for every electrical device to be capable of relaying data back to the authorities, providing information on a wealth of factors. The article in today's DM states that fridges, freezers, ovens, and all domestic appliances are to be fitted with switches that are remotely controlled by the Grid operators. The plan goes much further than that; it is intended that fridges, freezers, etc. will be capable of sending to the 'authorities' the actual content and usage of domestic appliances. The TV program being watched is to be monitored and relayed back, as is what the domestic sound system is being used for; the number of people in the home at any time is to be recorded and relayed; the capabilities being planned are endless.

All this planned data collection requires an internet that is capable of addressing a vast number of devices around the globe – far more than was envisaged when domestic Broadband was originally rolled out. Which is why the Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPV4) is currently being replaced by IPV6. This article explains: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6

I understand where you are coming from Westonman and this is a worrying development particularly if The National Grid or individual electricity providers have any clout within Government.

On that point do the likes of EON or ScottishPower and the rest of them own power stations? Or are they just massive resellers (from the National Grid) taking a slice of the commission and making our bills more expensive in the process.

End of the day most of our fuel is carbon based although there is a drive to renewables wind power and the like this is not going to meet our immediate needs. Technology may improve this in the future

The North Sea is by and large played out meaning we have to rely upon imports for gas and other. Fossil Fuels are declining and as such are becoming more expensive. I know we have had the arguments before but there is no getting away from the fact that energy is becoming more expensive every year.

Maybe this is the future and it will be sold on the basis that smart devices will use less power reducing consumption and bills. Of course at this stage of the cycle it is easy to see why people will be wary having some unseen power turning down their freezers as when they want to.

But then before Stephenson invented the Loco, people used to believe that a human travelling faster than 40miles per hour would not be able to breathe as all the air would be sucked out opf their lungs. I bet the people of that age were wary of the new technology.

On the other hand we can probably remember plugging our irons and other appliances into the light socket during the day (when you didn't need the light) to use them before the use of wall sockets became widespread.

Something we would laugh at that today today but we did it.

In the old days we accepted power cuts as standard and one of those things. Outside of industrial action this was mainly due to them being unable to generate enough power for demand and having to curtail it forcibly.

20 years from now we may have accepted these sorts of smart devices as standard technology in much the same way we now accept mobile phones.

After all with a mobile phone the authorities can track you all day and every day.

A thoughtful reply, Geezer, but I think completely missing the point. There is no shortage of fuel to convert to electrical energy; the UK has an estimated 300 plus years in reserve of coal in the ground. The reason this energy resource has been criminalised is down to the political lie of man-made global warming/climate change. A lie that the power generators and energy suppliers are more than happy to go along with. Coal-burning power stations are being unnecessarily closed to satisfy this ludicrous and criminal dogma.

And let's stop blaming the energy suppliers for the current shortage of energy and high prices; they are simply following the lead given them by their political colleagues. The real criminals are the politicians who regularly ask us to vote for them and their 'parties'; they are doing it again on the 2nd of May this year. The real criminals have names such as Major, Blair, Brown, Cameron, Clegg, Miliband, Balls, May, Cable, Osborne, Huhne, Fallon, Davey, etc. And all of them are currently pressing a lot of us to vote for their respective political parties in next week's local elections.

Successive governments of all three main parties have deliberately failed to invest in the power generation infrastructure and reduce the UK to the level of a third world status. The real criminals are again expecting us to go and vote for them and their parties next week; even though they despise we ordinary folk and hold us in utter contempt.

The 'Smart Grid' has been a dream of the political elite for some years now – as I said, I've seen some of the very serious experiments carried out in research labs over 30 years ago. Then, as now, the whole purpose of the 'Smart Grid' was/is to control and monitor us. The artificially created energy shortage, and the equally artificial high price of energy are the EXCUSE, NOT the reason, to introduce this control medium. The truth is, the political elite are not very far wrong when they credit us with being dumbed-down uneducated moronic slaves that will continue to vote for them and their lies.

If this ever comes in there will be quite an industry bypassing electronic cut off switches and another lucrative industry repairing older equipment.

I totally agree with the sentiment about manifesto's. The vast majority just can't be trusted to look after the UK.

We need a radical change from the major parties.

_________________
Lets be careful out there !

This is the whole point; there isn't and there never will be a genuine energy crisis, just manufactured ones. It's all about control.

There are two problems with that assertion.

1: With modern integration of pre-programmed electronic circuits and assemblies it is virually impossible for the uninformed to locate the offending devices, there is even less possibility of actually disarming the device without disabling the main equipment

2: Designed obsolescence of appliances and components will make repairs of old equipment/appliances impossible. Also, modern integration of components makes it virtually impossible to improvise a substitute arrangement.

A modern motor car is a perfect example of this situation; the electronic control system usually comes in a potted and sealed package that carries an horrendous price tag. The days of the amateur are being designed out of virtually all products these days. Even opening a packet of biscuits packaged in unbreakable/untearable plastic wrapping requires a tool kit today.

I disagree Westonman.

Me and a friend of mine had quite a lucrative little business going some years back unlocking TV cable and sky boxes.

All that was needed was a little coding knowledge, an eeprom programmer, couple of cables and a laptop....

I admit I have not looked at the technology for 10+ years since and no doubt today it is harder but it will not be impossible.

Before anyone jumps on their high horse everything we did at that time was legal, the illegality (in breach of terms and conditions) came from the purchaser of the boxes connecting them to the network.

In fact depending on how they word the act which will pave the way for all this I might have a look to see if there is any money in it when the time comes.

Sorry Geezer, I really have to disagree with you too. The Cable and Sky boxes you refer to were not designed to be defeated, otherwise they would not have contained EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

If the EU and the power generators are really serious about forcing us down their 'Smart Grid' route, and I believe they are, then you can expect to be thoroughly locked out of defeating their systems to be incorporated in all domestic appliances.

Any organisation or manufacturer that plans to produce appliances that can't be reprogrammed or defeated will NOT use EEPROMs. They will use FPROMs (Field Programmable Read-Only Memory). Otherwise known as OTP (One Time Programmable) devices. These devices can only be programmed ONCE. There is no way back. Alternatively, they will use simple logic devices that do not require programming, and from design have only one set of unchangable predefined logic functions.

Don't forget we'll have smart meters too detecting what's going on around the house.

I can see the day coming when if you put some unauthorised goodies in your fridge you'll hear a voice saying "unexpected item on 2nd shelf. Please remove unexpected item before closing fridge door."

Your GP will probably be notified along with the local PCSO.

Oh yes, and they'll deduct some of your carbon credits.