Energy company locks thermostats at +80 degrees for 22,000 customers during ‘energy crisis’

[Dumpstick]

I never turn my thermostat below 78 in the summer, so I have no sympathy for the folks in the article.

Normally my thermostat is at 76 in the summer, which makes it about 78 in the living room.

Precooling the house to 71 with cheaper energy makes sense, if one has the insulation to maintain some comfort when it's 110+ outside. We spent some coin getting more insulation in the attic; it helped immensely.

All of these problems can be traced to Obama and his plan to outlaw coal. Look up his interview with the San Francisco Chronicle prior to his first immaculation.
He stated " under my plan, electricity rates will necessarily skyrocket..."

The EPA issued regs that essentially outlawed coal plants - regs that now have been shut down by SCOTUS.

The then-head of the EPA stated that the regs would probably be shot down, but it didn't matter. It would take a decade to get to the courts, and by that time all the coal plants would be gone.

He was right. That was the plan.

 

[Hawgman]

Got me thinking about picking up a camping tent air conditioner.

 

[1shott]

The electric providers do not need access to your thermostat to control your energy use, all they have to do is remote access your meter, and like myself I bet most here have a digital meter, that is read remotely as well.

Your power company can control your power use thru your meter and never leave their office, makes the whole point of a wifi type thermostat mute.

 

[Dumpstick]

The electric providers do not need access to your thermostat to control your energy use, all they have to do is remote access your meter, and like myself I bet most here have a digital meter, that is read remotely as well.

Your power company can control your power use thru your meter and never leave their office, makes the whole point of a wifi type thermostat mute.

I know that the Power Company can turn one's power off and on through the digital meter, but I'm not aware of their ability to throttle the flow to a lower level. IOW, that they can limit the amount of power per unit of time.

Can they actually throttle the power so you can pull, say, only so many watts or amps at a time?

Which would have to be done to limit AC use without access to a wifi thermostat.

Do you know something I don't? (Entirely likely)

Can you provide something that I can read to see if that is available to OG&E?

 

[KOPBET]

Can they actually throttle the power so you can pull, say, only so many watts or amps at a time?

That sounds pretty suspect. Customer equipment could be damaged in the process.

 

[1shott]

I know that the Power Company can turn one's power off and on through the digital meter, but I'm not aware of their ability to throttle the flow to a lower level. IOW, that they can limit the amount of power per unit of time.

Can they actually throttle the power so you can pull, say, only so many watts or amps at a time?

Which would have to be done to limit AC use without access to a wifi thermostat.

Do you know something I don't? (Entirely likely)

Can you provide something that I can read to see if that is available to OG&E?

Its going to depend on what kind of meter you have.

There are smart meters, that can be read remotely, also provide a snap shot to the power company about usage in a area and individual households so that power flow can be maintained more efficiently.

Then there are meters that have flow limiters. With those meters the flow of power can be reduced enough to maintain a minimum flow rate for minimum usage until a power event was over.

So yes depending on the meter you have, the power supplier may be able to throttle back your available power, like a cable company can throttle internet usage.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Basically, all a person would have to do is cross two wires. Done, up and running.

Woody

 

[Dumpstick]

So yes depending on the meter you have, the power supplier may be able to throttle back your available power, like a cable company can throttle internet usage.

Are these flow limiter meters in general usage for domestic customers in this area? By that I mean is OGE using them in household situations?

Or are these limiters used for industrial/commercial applications?

This is the first I've heard of it.

 

[Snattlerake]

Its going to depend on what kind of meter you have.

There are smart meters, that can be read remotely, also provide a snap shot to the power company about usage in a area and individual households so that power flow can be maintained more efficiently.

Then there are meters that have flow limiters. With those meters the flow of power can be reduced enough to maintain a minimum flow rate for minimum usage until a power event was over.

So yes depending on the meter you have, the power supplier may be able to throttle back your available power, like a cable company can throttle internet usage.

I'm not really buying into this either. How is throttling my amperage going to stop me from using my A/C unit?

 

[Snattlerake]

WILL A SMART METER GIVE MY UTILITY CONTROL OVER HOW AND WHEN I USE ENERGY?​

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No. Actually, you control your usage, not the utility. Advanced metering gives you more control. Participating in residential energy management and other energy efficiency programs is completely optional. Customers who participate can use the information they receive to manage their energy usage day by day. Or, they can set preferences (select a maximum temperature for air conditioning, for instance) and let the system automatically make adjustments based on the cost or availability of energy. Either way, the customer is in complete control and will have the option to override signals or not participate in energy-efficiency programs at all.
The smart meter takes frequent readings of your energy usage, but it only measures the electricity used in your household, it does not control it. If you have opted in to a program such as a PeakRewards program, your smart meter will not change how this program operates. The utility will continue to cycle air conditioner compressors and hot water heaters on and off as needed during peak usage times, the same as when you first signed on to this program. In the future, the smart meters will enable utilities to remotely turn service on and off at customer premises. This feature will be used when customers move out of their current homes and start service elsewhere. This cost effective feature eliminates the need for a utility field visit when customers move or start service. The remote connect feature will also enable the utility to place customers back into service more expeditiously.