Smart electricity meters can be used to spy on private homes – NBC News

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Smart electricity meters provide power companies with an accurate and streamlined method of monitoring, reading and controlling a home’s power usage. That convenience, however, comes at a steep price and could put homeowners’ safety in jeopardy.

Researchers examining the privacy implications of smart-meter technology found that one German provider’s devices contained vulnerabilities that allowed them to snoop on unencrypted data to determine whether or not the homeowners were home.

After signing up with the German smart-meter firm Discovergy, the researchers detected that the company’s devices transmitted unencrypted data from the home devices back to the company’s servers over an insecure link. The researchers, Dario Carluccio and Stephan Brinkhaus, intercepted the supposedly confidential and sensitive information, and, based on the fingerprint of power usage, were able to tell not only whether or not the homeowners were home, away or even sleeping, but also what movie they were watching on TV.

The problem, the researchers explained, stems from Discovergy’s monitoring frequency; the devices log homeowners’ electricity usage in 2-second intervals, a timeframe they deemed unnecessary and intrusive. The two-second reporting interval provides so much data that they were able to accurately chart power usage spikes and lulls indicative of times a homeowner would be home, asleep or away.

Carluccio and Brinkhaus presented their research in a presentation titled ” Smart Hacking for Privacy” at the Chaos Computing Congress in Berlin on Dec. 30. Flaws in Discovergy’s Web interface also enabled the researchers to send back rigged meter readings to the company, and to tap into the company’s servers and obtain a complete record of all the information collected by a home’s smart meter.

Via: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/45946984/ns/technology_and_science-security/t/smart-electricity-meters-can-be-used-spy-private-homes/#.UwXwDyhOjlq

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

Novel way to prevent a smart meter installation (and keep cool!)

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

We have received this from Andrew, one of our supporters…..

“I am sick of people hassling me on the installation of a smart meter. I know they are not allowed to work on power boards while standing in WATER, SO HERE IS WHERE I HAVE PUT MY WADING POOL. LETS SEE HOW THAT GOES!!!!”

PICT0558

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged | 47 Comments

‘Take Back Your Power’ film wins Transformational Film of the Year award

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

The hard-hitting documentary ‘Take Back Your Power’ has been named winner of the Aware Guide Transformational Film of the Year.  The crowdfunded film exposes in-home surveillance issues, customer billing corruption, potential health risks and other problems associated with utilites’ plans for upgrading to a centralized “smart” energy grid.  It finished atop the list of 33 worldwide finalists along with ‘The Ghosts In Our Machine’, co-winner of the award.

“This is a victory for a growing majority who want to restore sanity to the roles played by technology and government,” said Josh del Sol, producer and director of Take Back Your Power.  “The issues unveiled in our film leave viewers rocked and inspired to see solutions.  Winning this award means people are ready for a positive transformation. ”

“A Transformational film,” according to AwareGuide founder and CEO Gary Tomchuk, “seeks to inspire the movement of society towards ideals, values and practices that create a better world for everyone. They focus on solutions for subjects such as consciousness, environment, health, and social issues.”

Take Back Your Power features interview footage from whistleblower Edward Snowden, former CIA Director James Woolsey, former British Columbia premier Bill Vander Zalm, public health investigator Blake Levitt, rights advocate lawyer James Turner, and other experts, doctors and environmentalists.

“The NSA spying progams are half of the story – we’re exposing the other half, and what we can do about it,” stated del Sol.  “We have an amazing community of grassroots support worldwide, and have held more than 90 community screenings.  Our aim is to work with grassroots campaigners in every city, and to have every public official see Take Back Your Power.”

‘Take Back Your Power’ is available to stream online and on DVD at http://www.takebackyourpower.net, where viewers can also request a community screening.

Via:http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2014/02/05/take-back-power-wins-transformational-film-year-award/

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , | 7 Comments

United Energy – First power distributor in Victoria to acknowledge people’s rights!

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Stop Smart Meters Australia commends United Energy for finally honouring their customers’ persistent requests to not have a smart meter installed.

Thousands of United Energy customers have recently received a letter stating “….we honour your request not to have a smart meter installed…” and “We have now removed the meter at your property from United Energy’s smart meter exchange program.” However, the letters then tacitly intimidate customers to accept a smart meter in the future by citing a possible additional charge from 2015 if they keep their analogue meter.

But aren’t we already paying for a smart meter even if we don’t have one? We all have been paying for one since the beginning of 2010. So how can power distributors charge people twice?  Surely the Australian Energy Regulator will have something to say about this!

Click here for a copy of the letter: SKMBT_C45114020409390

The question arises, when will other Victorian power distributors show some integrity and respect people’s legal right to refuse the installation of a smart meter on their properties?

Furthermore, will other Victorian power distributors still have the audacity to claim that smart meters are compulsory?  Or are lies and deception ingrained in their ‘customer service’ culture?

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 156 Comments

SSMA Media Release – Victorian Government’s Health Safety Audit of Smart Meters

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

MEDIA RELEASE

2 February, 2014

 VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT HEALTH SAFETY AUDIT OF SMART METERS

 “Stop Smart Meters Australia (SSMA) commends the Victorian Government’s decision to conduct an independent audit to determine whether there are any health risks associated with smart meters“ said Marc Florio, President of Stop Smart Meters Australia.

“We are, however, disappointed that the rollout has not being suspended prior to the audit’s outcome.  We call on the Government to immediately suspend the smart meter rollout until the audit has come to its conclusion, in light of the public’s concerns.”

SSMA formally incorporated as an Association in April 2013, in response to the community’s objections to the Victorian AMI rollout. Paramount within our legal purposes is providing support and assistance to people who are opposed to the forced rollout of smart meters for various issues, including health, and to raise awareness of these issues.

Marc Florio stated:

“Our members are most concerned that the scope of this audit will not extend beyond the aims of earlier investigations. Previous safety investigations have suffered from serious systemic faults and have not included health issues. “

“The aim of the AMI Meter Electromagnetic Field Survey, commissioned by the Victorian Government in 2011, was simply to determine if emissions from smart meters met the relevant ARPANSA standard.  As its authors acknowledged, the ARPANSA standard is only designed to protect from heat injury and does not take into account other biological effects. However, a number of scientific studies have shown that non-thermal effects may lead to highly undesirable outcomes. The unique 24/7 pulsation pattern deployed by wireless smart meters (in the mesh networks individual meters transmit an average of 9,600 times per day) appears to be a major culprit. SSMA believes that seeking to confirm that smart meter emissions met the current ARPANSA standard, whilst ignoring non-thermal effects, was a waste of taxpayers’ funds.”

“Similarly, although ESV’s 2012 report into safety was titled ‘Safety of Advanced Metering Infrastructure in Victoria’, ESV abrogated its responsibilities in regards to health concerns, stating that potential health effects was the subject of separate regulatory arrangements administered by ACMA, which incorporates ARPANSA’s exposure limits and that they had also been subject to a Victorian Government review (i.e. the aforementioned AMI Meter Electromagnetic Field Survey).”

“We trust that the Government’s new audit will indeed examine the reality of why so many Victorians and people elsewhere claim to have developed symptoms, or to have had existing symptoms exacerbated, as a result of the rollout of wireless advanced metering infrastructure. Written evidence submitted to the UK Parliament in 2012 attested to the fact that the pulsed radiation from smart meters has resulted in thousands of health complaints world-wide. More than 10,000 health-related complaints were submitted to the California Public Utilities Commission alone, and included personal testimonies from medical doctors, psychotherapists and nurses regarding their own symptoms.”

Marc Florio continued,

“Stop Smart Meters Australia is pleased that the government recognizes the importance of ensuring that the audit is conducted by an independent organization. Further to this SSMA believes, in order to ensure the audit’s credibility, that it is imperative that the personnel concerned have no vested interest in the outcome. As an example, although the AMI Meter Electromagnetic Field Survey has been described as an independent report, there appears to be a close link between industry and one of its chief authors.”

“Clearly, as the issue involves current and potential future health risks to the Victorian population, personnel will need to have relevant medical qualifications with respect to non-ionizing radiation.”

“Stop Smart Meters Australia is particularly concerned that the scope of the audit may not be broad enough to encompass all areas of concern in relation to health risks. Unfortunately, AMI technology has been rolled out worldwide prior to the undertaking of any studies relating to safety. Specifically, the question we have is ‘Will the audit include biological testing to establish whether smart meter emissions are causing effects such as breaches of the blood/brain barrier, selective release of calcium from cell membranes, DNA single and double strand breaks and nerve cell death?’ Additionally, ‘Do these effects vary with the population?’ For example, regulatory bodies in a number of countries are particularly concerned with the effects of radiofrequency radiation on children. “

To view a copy of the SSMA media release that was sent out to media organisations on 2nd February click: Media Release Feb 2014 (4)
Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 43 Comments

Vote for ‘Take back your power’ film

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Big news from the team at Take Back Your Power – the film exposing “smart” meters worldwide.  They just received a big nomination for the AwareGuide 2013 Transformational Film of the Year!  It’s a viewer’s choice award, and is among several Oscar-nominated films.

As it is currently in the top 3 of the vote, we need your vote & support to win.  Winning will significantly propel awareness of the issues, and help TBYP land greater distribution.

Let’s push the film into the mainstream!  Please VOTE and SHARE the link widely: http://dir.awareguide.com/index.php/vote

And, after you’ve voted, please spread this link via your email, facebook twitter, or blog.  Voting ends 7 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings time, Tuesday Feb 4th.

 For more info, to watch the film online, or host a TBYP screening, see: www.takebackyourpower.net.

“Those who love peace must learn to organize as effectively as those who love war.”
 -Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted in Smart Meter, Take back your power film | Tagged , | 12 Comments

Half of users abandon smart meter trial

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Are the ‘House of (smart grid) Cards’ collapsing??

itnews reports half of users abandon smart meter trial with the Australian National Audit questioning the price tag for the under-subscribed retail program:

The Australian Government’s $100 million intelligent energy grid trial has blown its budget and failed to meet key objectives, the national auditor has found.

The Smart Grid, Smart City Program, which has been shuffled among no less than four administrative departments since its establishment in 2009, is due to publish its findings within months.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) has discovered that the program did not attract and retain enough household participants to its retail trial – the largest in the program – to produce “statistically useful” results.

Furthermore, while the retail trial attracted less than half the optimal number of participants proposed by the consortium that won the grant for the program, AusGrid, it nonetheless cost the full $20 million budgeted for the program due to “increased implementation costs”.

The ALP Government announced the program in the 2009 federal budget, aiming to identify energy efficiencies that might result from using smart grids and smart metering equipment in homes.

AusGrid originally proposed a retail trial involving “up to” 20,000 participants. A consultant’s report commissioned by AusGrid later recommended a base participant rate of 8333 households. In December 2013, the Department of Industry – to which responsibility the program eventually fell – advised the ANAO that the final number of participants in the trial was 4000 due to a drop out rate exceeding 50 percent.

“The 4000 participants figure represents 20 percent of the (up to) 20,000 retail trial participants foreshadowed in Ausgrid’s grant application and set out in the original funding agreement. It is also significantly less than the estimates proposed by the other (unsuccessful) grant applicants,” the ANAO wrote in its report.

“Despite lower participation rates, the estimated cost of the retail trial (around $20 million) was not reduced, and accounted for around one‐fifth of total expenditure,” it added.

It also found that the trial did not run over an optimal time period to account for statistical anomalies created by extreme and unusual weather.

“As a consequence of the reduced timeframe and participation rate, the retail trial has not generated the volume or breadth of data that was initially envisaged,” the ANAO wrote.

Nevertheless, the ANAO found that the results of the trial had the potential to contribute to government policy.

“While not achieving a ‘commercial‐scale’ rollout as initially required under the program guidelines, the retail trial has identified the challenges that government and industry will need to consider if implementing a broader rollout of smart meters and their associated technologies”.

Via: http://www.itnews.com.au/News/370919,half-of-users-abandon-smart-meter-trial.aspx?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=editors_picks
Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Minister announces a safety audit on smart meters and health

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Following a large number of complaints related to smart meters, Nicholas Kotsiras, Victoria’s Energy Minister, announced sweeping changes to the electrical billing system.  Of particular interest to Stop Smart Meters Australia was the announcement that Kotsiras plans to commission a top-to-bottom, independent safety audit to determine whether smart meters pose any health risks to the public.  This follows a recent review in which 69 per cent of the public’s concerns with smart metres were health related.

Link to the interview: http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/neil-mitchell-blog/minister-signals-energy-overhaul/20140129-31m0r.html

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 114 Comments

Supply charges are costing up to $550 a year – Herald Sun

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

HOUSEHOLDS are paying up to $550 a year for power before flicking on a switch.

Efforts to save money by using less electricity are being thwarted by new price surges of up to 74 per cent for fixed supply charges, a Victorian energy cost investigation reveals.

“Companies are cranking fixed charges to compensate for falling electricity demand to protect revenue and profit margins,” St Vincent de Paul Society energy expert Gavin Dufty said.

“They also need to pass on the cost of distribution, and government programs such as smart meters and green schemes.”

Electricity bills include a set daily service-to-property charge, which does not change no matter how much you use, and consumption rates that alter depending on use.

The St Vincent de Paul Society’s January review tracked basic “standing offer” supply prices for an average household.

But Mr Dufty said the general cost trends also applied to many customers on market contracts.

Simply Energy’s $552 default charge for the SP AusNet region, up 15 per cent compared with last year, was the overall biggest.

Among the steepest changes were Lumo Energy’s charge in the United Energy network, which surged 74 per cent to $429. Click Energy’s in the CitiPower area climbed 62 per cent to $456.

Origin’s rates rose 7 to 23 per cent depending on location, while AGL’s increased 3 to 19 per cent. EnergyAustralia’s increased 4 to 6 per cent.

Lumo marketing and sales general manager Tim Harrington said its standing offer rises were the first in 18 months and remained competitive.

The “vast majority” of customers were on cheaper market offers.

Click Energy chief Dominic Drenen said: “The increase brings us more into line with the major companies.

“However, Click offers discounts on total bills, unlike most retailers, so overall remains one of the most affordable providers”.

The Vinnies report notes supply charges vary significantly between retailers.

“Low consumption households should look for energy offers with a low fixed daily charge,” it advises.

Via: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/supply-charges-are-costing-up-to-550-a-year/story-fni0fit3-1226808985200
Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , | 26 Comments

The Victorian Government continues to disregard the rights and will of tens of thousands Victorians.

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Stop Smart Meters Australia has learnt that an amendment has been created to the Victorian Government Gazette Order in Council, Advanced Metering Infrastructure, extending the smart meter mandate beyond 2013.  This new clause, 14AA Continuation of remotely read interval meter rollout, can be found at: http://www.gazette.vic.gov.au/gazette/Gazettes2013/GG2013S439.pdf#page=2

14AA.2 Continuation of Rollout states:

“Subject to clause 14.3 and to the extent practicable, commencing from 1 January 2014 each distributor must use its best endeavours to install a complying remotely read interval meter for all of the metering installations for customers with annual electricity consumption of 160 MWh or less for which it is the responsible person on 31 December 2013 and for which there was not a complying remotely read interval meter as at 31 December 2013.”

Distributors are required to report to the Victorian government on or before 31 March 2014 the number of installations which were outstanding as of 31 December 2013.

Obviously the so-called Liberal Victorian government is keen for power distributors to continue bullying and threatening residents to accept and pay for meters they do not want nor need! 

Stop Smart Meters Australia reminds everyone that people cannot be forced to accept a smart meter against their will and conscience, and that there is no law which stipulates people have to accept a smart meter.  Power distributors only need to use their “best endeavours”.

This means we all need to continue to demand our rights, and, most importantly, those with analogue meters need to continue to defend them!

With the blessing of the Napthine Government, expect power distributors to continue their threats and bullying tactics – and remember, keep your meter box locked!

Enough is enough, it’s time to raise the stakes.  The government should no longer be able to get away with this, and with an Opposition siding completely with the government, it’s time to hit them where it hurts – the ballot box.

Stay tuned – as a response to growing public concern with how the Victorian public are being treated by essential service corporations and government departments, and in particular their disdain towards customer’s rights to cost-effective, safe, and privacy-protected services, a new political force is being created to fight for the human and democratic rights of all Victorians.

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , | 83 Comments