The Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee (E3) has announced a further extension for submitting submissions in response to its Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on Mandating ‘Smart Appliance’ Interfaces for Air Conditioners, Water Heaters and other Appliances. Submissions are now due Friday 24th May.
E3 are recommending that all air conditioners (and other nominated appliances) manufactured in or imported to Australia after June 2014 have an interface (AS/NZS 4755) to enable ‘demand response capabilities’. This would give power distributors the means to remotely cycle off power to air conditioners etc. for participating households. In Victoria wireless smart meters would provide the communications pathway to the interface. There is no provision in Victoria to use cable.
E3 say the objective of their recommendations is to help reduce future investment in electricity infrastructure caused by growing peak demand, and to contain the total cost of electricity supply to consumers.
The increasing uptake of air-conditioners is mainly held to blame. It is estimated that 25% of retail electricity costs is accounted for by peak demand that occurs for less than 40 hours per year (less than 0.5% of the year). E3 estimate that the interface will add an additional $10 to the cost of goods. They acknowledge that mandatory compliance may mean that some suppliers choose to stop supplying models to Australia, but expect that this will not result in lasting reductions in model range.
There is no discussion in the recommendations about the repercussions of encouraging people to take up wireless communications inside their homes.
There is no discussion in the recommendations about the security risks as a result of providing a communications channel directly from power distributors to consumers’ appliances.
If you don’t support the proposal to mandate compliance with AS/NZS 4755 for the nominated priority appliances, this is your chance to tell them why!
The consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) can be accessed at:
Written submissions should state ‘Mandating Smart Appliance Interfaces’ in the subject heading and should be emailed to energyrating@climatechange.gov.au
Don’t waste this opportunity to have a say!!
Stop Smart Meters Australia 
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From the E3 website………..
“Under the DLC approach, consumers have a choice to allow certain household appliances to be remotely controlled by their electricity provider”
Note: “……..consumers have a CHOICE to allow…..”
Now also from the same website page “……a proposal to MANDATE the inclusion of ‘smart appliance’ interfaces in……(various appliances)……”
“Mandate” CONTRADICTS with “Choice”
MY choice…….NO Mandates and NO Control of anything of mine by my electricity provider
Other than that, I’m happy to keep purchasing electricity on a fair and reasonable basis even though I have lost ALL respect for my provider.
I think I am being very reasonable.
There was a right way to implement an advanced metering infrastrucure “solution” to electricity distribution. Two conditions were necessary for it to be done right and just.
1. Safe Technology (=> non problematic and non contentious – wireless FAILS BADLY)
2. Offered Optionally
No other way could ever be ethical.
The Victorian Government has not chosen this way, thus smart metering is despised (even by those who have them), the electricity providers are now despised and the Victorian State Government itself is now despised.
For a so called “smart” solution, it wasn’t a very smart way to go about it was it ?
This is “Big Brother” and no mistake! Who said “1984” had passed and we were not being spied upon? It was just a few years late that’s all. If we want a world that still has some freedoms we need to stop this now because if everything is automatically electronically controlled there will be no way in for us to get our message across.
It’s not known how the smart meter rollout will play out. It’s thus premature to be looking at an impact statement for the “mandating” (I detest that word) of “smart” (spyware radiation) appliances. They are making the assumption that smart meters are here to stay. Some of us certainly have something to say about that.
Anything that is “mandated” I do not go along with even if it is a good thing which in this case it most definitely is not.
Also, it means those people without smart meters (there will be many of us and yes I will be one of them) will possibly not have the option to buy new appliances.
And those who are even now currently off the grid………what options will they have to buy an appliance that they can utilise and not be exposed to wireless communication microwave radiation. And will they dare design these appliances so that even if the owner does not have a smart meter the owner can still be spied on and have their appliance remotely controlled through communication of their “smart” appliance with someone else’s smart meter ? Who’s to say that smart appliances will be designed to communicate with one smart meter only and not be designed with the option to communicate with multiple smart meter possibilities that are located in both near or even far vicinities ?
It is very likely that the wireless circuits that can be removed, defeated or bypassed, so that the appliances will continue to operate (as the current ones do.)
People will put up instructions on Google or videos on YouTube on how to do it, no doubt about it.
The only issue I can see is that doing so would void the warranty (while it’s new and under warranty) but after the warranty runs out, no problem …
Next thing you know they’ll be telling us we that we don’t own the appliances and that tampering with them would be an offence.
An online petition we can sign for this particular issue would be great as suggested by Gwen, so that we can outline our concerns. I have also mentioned the smart meter issue to people and received the same somewhat look that said “what are you on”. I then direct them to the stop smart meter website for further information, this usually changes their mind.
To help people write their response a list of potential issues are listed below:
1. Victorians can only participate in load shedding by using wireless communications, which are a Group 2B Possible Human Carcinogen. It is a breach of its duty of care for the government to encourage consumers to expose themselves and their families to a possible carcinogen, in the same category as lead, DDT and jet fuel, inside their own homes.
2. Concerns about the resulting increases in the cost of all appliances which have been mandated to have the AS/NZS 4755 interface, in return for theoretical savings that are not proven.
2. Concern that some manufacturers, rather than adding the interface, will choose to stop supplying Australia, leaving us with a smaller choice of models to choose from.
4. No information has been provided as to what means will be used to persuade consumers to participate in load shedding.
5. Life threatening situations may be created if air-conditioners are cycled off on extreme heat days when there are elderly people, ill people, or children at a residence.
6. Enabling a direct path of communications between power distributors and consumers’ appliances provides an easy path for hackers, terrorists and foreign powers to take control of consumers’ appliances.
7. Giving power distributors the power of choice about how appliances are run limits the freedom of choice of Australians.
8. There are other ways available to address the problem of providing enough infrastructure to cope with peak demand which are far less risky.
9. Providing a direct path of communications to consumer appliances opens the possibility that appliances may be mistakenly cycled on and off.
10. Transmitting radiofrequencies from smart meters to appliances may create microwave hot spots in homes.
11. Even consumers who have chosen not to participate in appliance load shedding will still be exposed to radiofrequencies if close neighbours have elected to participate.
12. The RIS does not include in its costs the possible health and social costs associated with using radiofrequencies to cycle appliances.
13. The RIS does not consider the possibility that the classification for radiofrequencies may be escalated to being a Probable Human Carcinogen and what impact this would have on costs if cabling has to be retrofitted.
14. Encouraging Victorians to activate their smart meter HANs will lead to a snowball effect in terms of radiofrequency emissions and security risks.
15. Finally it sets up a precedent for corporations to monitor and control our lives directly. It creates a framework to add additional monitoring devices without our knowledge or consent.
I have sent my Submission off tonite, using most of the points above, plus my own thoughts……………..Cheers Pam 🙂
Hi Pam did you watch 4 corners ABC 27.5.13 about computer hackers they can easy hack into smart meters…
The power companies and the government is desperate to have smart meters installed.
In fact when I first showed and interest in installing solar power and made inquiries about the about the subsidy as I was a pensioner. I was told I had to accept the smart meter installation. thy were told firmly and politely that they can give that idea away. Now at least once a week I am contacted by solar energy companies trying to convince me that with a grant I could afford to have one installed and not rely on the power companies. I asked them did it involve installation of a smart meter and the answer was yes. Forget it I have told them. So they are using all sorts of strategies to convince people to install them. The only beneficiary is the power companies and possibly the government as it can ride piggy back on the system to gain information about other pieces of equipment, Including control of heaters and air conditioners. Sorry I will do without air conditioners and heaters. They are a nice luxury but there are alternatives.
I have previously listed the various breaches of Law and constitution and now we should consider some form of action about threats, intimidation, coercion extortions or whatever., including advising the /Victorian government it is acting outside of its authority and is not the lawful government as it is a corporation. We are the lawful government and have not authorised parliament to form a corporation that takes away our rights, etc. under the Constitution. Ask them via a Mandate to show where they have the authority to act signed via a Monarch’s Assent document and a referendum to approve the changes by the Sovereign people (the lawful government)
I believe this can be done in several ways, e.g. a My Will letter (individual demands) and a Mandate (many people signatories to it) presented to your local MP to go to Parliament
If you read the proposal paper the whole thing is utterly wrong-headed. They should be suggesting, like the German government, that we have more solar and energy storage in the home in order to address the issue of peak demand and grid shortcomings. The Germans are considering subsidies for home and business based energy storage implementation now, citing that this is the way of the future. With all the money they are intending on spending on the mandatory grid improvements alone, they could channel more subsidies to off-grid type energy storage for homes, to smooth power demand that way and make for a stronger more resilient grid supply without the ridiculous control-freak agenda (21) which sees them turning down our personal appliances. And of course, this would remove the need to fill people’s homes with carcinogenic pulsed microwave radiation. I’m moving off the grid to remove myself from this ridiculousness and be truly independent of the energy suppliers.
Can someone write a letter that we can sign like a petition, outlining our concerns regarding this control of power companies, and especially not fully making the general Public aware of all consequences. When I have mentioned this to others, their response has been to wonder if I have been watching too much science fiction or conspiracy theories. They have no idea that this is happening. Also they don;t think the government will allow anything that will harm us. Frightening is too small a word for this.
Gwen _ I agree with everythimng you have said. See what is suggested by others..Pam 🙂
Stop Smart Meters Australia is submitting a submission on behalf of its members. However, additional submissions from individual members and non members listing their concerns, however short, will add weight.
SSMA – With the help of my Solicitor I did a Submission to Energy Safe Victoria back in 2012. I can’t afford for him to do another for me. Can you please Post a “DRAFT” of points that we need to put in our personal Submissions. Could it be Emailed (Email address please). I will be protecting my existing appliances like I protect my Analogue meter. I don’t want any new appliance with these ‘BUGS’ in them SPYING ON ME ETC……….. PAM
Dear Readers,
Regarding this posts, “A chance to have your say against corporate control of your appliances !”
I say,” Get your reasons stated clearly.” Something like this. Don’t buy new appliances if they have this special microchip in them which takes control of your Fridge and or Air conditioner or Washing machine or Water heater or T.V or Electric Steam Iron or any domestic electrical appliance away from you. In other words don’t buy any such device ever.
Who wants the Electric Power Company turning off your Air conditioner or Fridge or Washing machine etc., at any time, unless one is really stupid. It is all because of the fact that the demand on Electric Power from Coal Fired Power Stations has not been covered by building sufficient numbers of NEW Coal Fired Electric Power Stations as the Population of Victoria has steadily risen.
How many solar power generators could have been installed for the amount of money the government made us put into the energy companies pockets to “save” energy costs (not energy!) the whole thing DOES NOT SAVE ENERGY, solar power creates green energy, what is wrong with that? With the good old meter…
We live on Nurofen Plus for headaches, I hear the grid buzzing, (we have a smart meter but the antenna is on the tin roof – at the cost of 6oo dollars!) it is a deep murmur in the ears when trying to sleep otherwise simple ringing in the ear, quite loud though, that is all the time. I feel the waives tingling in my mouth/teeth, skin tingling especially my face.
Crazy! We are making plans to leave Victoria, until then I may get the shield over the bed to be able to sleep…no, it is not the mobile phone, there is no mobile phone reception in the bedroom, we have no Wifi, everything is through cables…
@ Beatrix……we too have a problem with low grade constant buzzing and we don’t even have a smart meter!!!! We are surrounded by them in our neighbourhood, as all of the homes bar one across the street, have all had smart meters recently installed.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we can relieve ourselves of this nuisance?? Future plans to leave Vic are on the cards with us also but until then we are furiously resisting & deflecting all efforts on behalf of SP AusNet to install this rubbish device…..imagine the buzzing then???!!! No thanks!!!! Would drive us crazy for sure.
I hear you! None of it makes ANY sense to me but I did purchase a geoclense harmoniser to plug into my power socket a while ago and it seems to be helping my family cope at the moment… also put up mirrors on my garage (inside wall) facing the neighbouring meter that is closest to our home to reflect radiation away… I now don’t get the headache on walking into my bedroom!!! I was able to use old bathroom mirrors leftover after renovating the ensuite. I don’t want to live in Victoria for too much longer either but my husbands job prevents us from moving for now. I am confident in my decision to keep resisting the nutty power company and the government as well if I have to…Keep The Faith – as my Bon Jovi would say 😉
Can someone please let me know just what I need to do to respond to this latest Post????? I am not well at the moment and feel I should do something. Thanks Pam
Here is a must watch YouTube article about privacy that concludes with agencies such as the CIA being able to spy on anyone through home “smart” appliances.
This is not the stuff of the future.. THIS IS HERE NOW and will be facilitated through your smart meter via the built in HAN.
Lindsay. I watched this Video and it is really SCARY. SMART APPLIANCES like SMART METERS are very dangerous. As you said “this is not the stuff of the future….THIS IS HERE AND NOW..” When is this ever going to end??? Pam
Thanks Lindsay for the info. I watched some of the other videos at the end as well.
Shows exactly what they’re up to.