Smart Grid a potential invasion of privacy?

My thoughts:

The Smart Grid is a proposed system that logs data concerning how much electricity you are using and perhaps, with a little bit of databasing, it could let the utility company know exactly which outlet in your home that you are currently drawing from. Perhaps there will be required queries as to what you have plugged into your outlets at any given time, and maybe the smart grid might selectively turn off your toaster at peak hours to conserve energy because it deems one appliance as less important than another appliance. Furthermore, perhaps the electric company could manually turn off your electricity to your computer or television, say, if it is given the orders to do so by the feds if you happen to be looking at something they don't want you to know. Another potential risk is that your electrical information, your daily appliance use activities as it is, could be sold to or hacked into by marketers who want to sell you something as well.

reply to post by quantum_flux


Interesting topic. I do not think that it would be possible though to turn off specific appliances or outlets through this system. With more advanced wiring systems it could be possible, but not the way my house, and others I have seen, are wired.

Each house is sectioned into "blocks" through the breakers. The entire breaker would have to be shut off. Now that may be a possibility, but not each outlet or appliance. Just my opinion, I wait to see what others think.

Wasn't there something about Police using grid information to see how much electricity an establishment is draining to look for ppl who are using resource hungry lights to grow marijuana.

Government getting into every aspect of lives, and putting it into a database to establish patterns for market research or other nefarious purposes.

Ok, just thinking here a moment.

I suppose you could use some sort of Broadband over Power Line setup to theoretically control individual appliances. However those appliances would have to have been manufactured specifically with that capability built in. But if they did have that capability, I suppose that each appliance or device could report it's current and historical usage, and be able to be adjusted on the fly by whomever had access.

Problem with all this is there are those such as myself who would never allow that to occur in our own homes. That, and it'd be hacked in less than a day

Data can be transmitted using the 60 Hz as a carrier wave.
Been possible for a long time.
Transformers would make it harder, and every device would need a unique identifier.

As far as networked meter reading, I have no problem with it.
Any agency can look at your electric bills right now....but this tech could show your power usage in a trend line.

For instance if they detect both phases increasing in amperage draw for x min, every x min. they could potentially estimate your thermostat setting. Trending the usage one could see the difference in load between your tv and computer, or disposal and fridge.

They could most certainly tell when someone is home by variations in the readings, and what your sleep habits are.

reply to post by stasis


They could install outlet covers with integrated circuit chip ammeters which transmit a rc signal to a receiver meter box whenever it is drawing amps, and if you take the outlet cover off it trips the circuit breaker switch and also alerts the electric company to tampering.

They can already see how much energy you use. That is how they charge you but its like the way cable used to be, a one way thing. There is no way of telling where in the house it is used or what it is being used for. They do have things now where everything goes through a computer and if said computer is on a network they could probably start doing stuff like that but even then they would prob only know the big items like water heater, heating and air, cloths dryer. A lamp for instance your prob not going to type into the computer that its a lamp so its just going to show that outlet is being used. It would take a massive amount of manpower to monitor a system like that.

Maybe some day they will be shuting off everyones air at peak hours but I just don't see them matching that to my computer when some of the best hackers work for the government and they could just shut me down that way.