Energy Strategy Submissions
Department of State Growth
GPO Box 536
Hobart
Tas 7000
To the Department of State Growth,
I, Michael Meyer
Of, West Hobart, Tas 7000
Write this submission in reference to the "Restoring Tasmania Energy
Advantage Draft Document" that was mentioned in the Mercury
Newspaper on the 22/12/14 in the article titled “Pay Less Power
Strategy”
In the Draft Energy Document pdf on page 15 smart meters are
specifically mentioned in a highlighted box and on page 21 (4.3.5) and
(4.3.6) it is obvious that the introduction of Smart Meter technology is
considered as an essential part of the Tasmanian Draft Energy Strategy.
As there is worldwide controversy relating to the introduction of Smart
Meters and smart-grids that involve consumer dissatisfaction as well as
real dangers surrounding this technology, I feel that Smart Meters
should NOT be mandatory.
Therefore, I would like to retain my power of choice by keeping my
existing analogue meter and I support a moratorium on the introduction
of Smart Meters and the wireless grid system to Tasmania.
Tasmanian’s need to thoroughly examine the precedent roll-outs of this
technology and the host of negative consequences that accompanied
this. For example look at Victoria and the smart grid roll-out, which
resulted in a 60% increase of the projected cost of the roll-out (from
$1billionAUD to $1.6billion1), and a substantial increase in the cost of
1 Reported
by the ABC – refer to the link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-05-18/500-million-smartmeter-blowout/831076
power to the end user, despite the promises by politicians and utility
companies that this system would deliver cost savings. This echoes
similar failures of the federal government in the blow-outs surrounding
the implementation of the NBN, still an ongoing saga of inflated costs
and disappointment.
As a result of the failures of the roll-out of smart meters in Victoria the
entire mobile phone network had to be upgraded due to large additional
amounts of data. This also begs the question, that all of this data about
household usage can be sold to third party data-mining organizations,
who use this for further invasion of citizen privacy and leveraging this
information against the population by driving costs up in other areas.
This is not some kind of conspiracy theory, on the contrary it’s already
happening as the Mercury recently reported (Feb 2015) – that
Samsung’s voice activated TV’s2 eavesdrop on users and transmit their
conversations to third parties. Although the smart-grid as proposed does
not literally eavesdrop it does collect and transmit private usage data,
which can tell third parties when you are home, when you are using your
microwave or TV etc., as more smart appliances are purchased due to
their growing availability, these link to the smart grid. This is a violation of
privacy at the most personal level. Additionally and critically this
information is used to develop Time of Use charging systems which
effectively and secretly increase revenues and profits to the utility
company, also proven by examples of smart meter roll-outs in the USA
and Canada.
2 Another
reference to this can be found here: http://theweek.com/speedreads/538379/samsung-warnscustomers-discuss-personal-information-front-smart-tvs
3 Electromagnetic radiation
Experience in the USA and Canada has shown a significant increase in
property damage due to house fires caused directly by malfunctioning
smart meters.
I have further serious concerns about the so-called "smart grid", which
amounts to unregulated EMR3 pollution of our environment. I have very
serious concerns for our Tasmanian economy in general and such an
infrastructure will cause wide spread health issues which will have much
larger on-costs for our economy into the future caring for all the sick
people that this smart-grid technology will create. In particular in multiresidential buildings banks of smart meters caused such high levels of
EMR that occupants in the USA just through the wall of their bedroom
had daily nose bleeds and other serious health problems. These health
issues, which are well documented, are a direct result of wireless smart
grid technology. The levels of EMR pollution emitted from these devices
is well in excess of all recognized worldwide safety limits.
All the major cost increases in electricity historically in Australia (NSW
study) are due to infrastructure upgrades of the distribution network
which results in increased fixed charges (over 50% of current costs
result from fixed charges). This smart-grid proposal is a wholesale
infrastructure upgrade which will result, whether poorly managed or not,
in a major increase in electricity costs. Given the huge increases in
electricity costs to the consumer in the last ten years already (doubled
cost), households are finding the current costs highly burdensome and
this proposal will exacerbate the situation further making the cost of
living untenable.
Investigative journalist Jess Hill, published an enlightening but damning
report, called Power Corrupts, on the state of the electricity industry in
Australia. Her main topic of investigation is whether the sharp electricity
price increases of recent years have been due to the carbon tax,
Renewable Energy Target and other ‘green schemes’, as their
opponents contend. Ms Hill’s findings offer an emphatic and resounding
‘no’: She concludes that erroneous projections that electricity demand
would continue to grow – and the billions in needless infrastructure
investment that happened as a result – ‘may be one of the greatest rorts
in Australian history’. Since 2009 electricity network companies that own
the infrastructure have spent $45billion, with very little government
oversight, on largely unneeded network upgrades.4 The facts show that
demand for electricity in Australia has consistently fallen since 2009,
when it began a new trend of falling by approx. 2.5% per annum. This
fall in demand is due to renewable energy roll-outs in the grid and public
awareness of carbon footprint etc. The “smart grid” is not responsible for
this reduction and will do the opposite by bringing power costs up to
match the lost profit large companies are facing as a result of falling
demand and increasing competition from the renewable energy sector.
Therefore the old model of continuing to build more infrastructure and
sell more power no longer works or applies, and the $45billion spent and
charged to consumers was wasted money for the consumer, but hugely
profitable for companies.
4 http://www.solarchoice.net.au Jan 2015
This smart-grid proposal amounts to an extension of the “greatest rort in
Australian history”. Just to provide one concrete example to illustrate this
problem, the cost of fixed Power charges in Victoria applied to a
typical household in 2009 was $31 (pre smart meter) and currently in
2015 are $165.5
5 http//www.aer.gov.au.
Sourced from AER’s public forum, Melbourne 21st August 2009
6 Article
published in:-
Would it not be better to consider an energy grid of de-centralized home
battery systems fueled by renewable energy with existing the Tasmanian
Hydro system as our “battery backup”, enriching Tasmania and
disconnecting from the national grid based on mainland polluting coal
power stations – all of whom use “Tasmania clean green power” to make
them look “green” on their books. Since the Bass Link has been installed
it has consistently lost money each year to the tune of over $300
million6. Again we, the tax payer, are paying for this as the Hydro still
has a 50% government ownership. Why then are we proposing a second
Bass Link as part of this proposal?
All of this old fashioned grid will be redundant very soon anyway, so
investing further in it is a complete waste of money and extremely short
sighted, we are supposed to be the smart country, lets leap frog off other
countries developments in battery back-up off grid smarter home energy
management systems and solar thermal, wind, tidal, etc. for a diversified
power mix for a sustainable future. As the technology continues to
reduce in price for completely off the grid systems, which is already
cheaper in rural areas than connecting to the existing grid, and delivers
zero on going costs to the consumer, people will inevitably consider this
in urban areas given all the cost increases, which this short sighted
policy will simply increase further.
I refuse to have a smart meter on my property, and I’ll take all measures
to exercise my rights to block such an installation if it is given
government approval.
Yours Sincerely,
Name Michael Meyer
Signature
Date 14-02-2015