XPost: rec.arts.comics.strips   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   On 2025-10-27 00:52:44 +0000, Titus G said:   
   > On 27/10/25 11:15, Your Name wrote:   
   > snip   
   >   
   >> we do have a smart meter, but I don't know when it was installed. We   
   >> certainly never asked for one nor ever paid for it to be 'upgraded'   
   >> (other than being included in the standard, ever-increasing electricity   
   >> prices).   
   >   
   > It is slightly surprising after such inane verbosity claiming a   
   > profundity of ignorance with regard to your meter's housing or   
   > existence, that you now concede that you do have a smart meter in   
   > agreement with your power company which you hate because it keeps   
   > increasing prices.   
      
   As I said (twice) we have owned the house since new and smart meters   
   didn't even exist when it was built, so didn't have one. We never asked   
   for a smart meter and we were never told one had been installed, so we   
   had no idea we did now have a smart meter. Presumably the power company   
   went around installing them (without notice for some silly reason) at   
   some point so they could save on wages and fuel costs of having real   
   people employed as meter readers.   
      
   When we asked once about the free power days, they said we did have a   
   smart meter. The independent website checker I used *today* also says   
   we have a smart meter ... whether we actually do or not is another   
   question. It certainly wouldn't be the first time a big busniness   
   company has incorrect data. (The national health system database has   
   had my birth date and address wrong for decades!)   
      
   The water provider still uses real people for meter reading, although   
   they only bother to read the meter every second month, and 'estimate'   
   the amount used for the month in between.   
      
      
      
   > An elderly aunt of mine tells of how in her youth she could buy an ice   
   > cream (in a cone) for one (yes,1), penny. Whilst not as effective as   
   > electricity powered air conditioning, an ice cream in summer's heat is   
   > more pleasurable. Nowadays, electricity is far cheaper and not so   
   > fattening so you really are getting a bargain. You would be happier if   
   > you realised this or if you want more than just happiness, perhaps great   
   > joy, put solar panels on the roof   
      
   Solar panels are somewhat of a con trick - they're massively expensive   
   to install, provide very little power unless you live in a very sunny   
   place, need constant cleaning to remain efficient as possible, and   
   eventually wear out and then need expensive replacement. There's an   
   even bigger con trick where buyers are told the electricity company   
   will buy the 'spare' power generated by their solar panels - but most   
   power comanies either pay very little for that extra power or aren't   
   interested at all in buying it.   
      
      
      
   > and install a Tesla Powerwall Battery.   
      
   I would touch anything Tesla made with a bazillion mile barge pole.   
   It's a garbage company, with garbage products, run by a drug-addled   
   lunatic.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)