“The Australia Coincidence”: Power Companies to Begin Switching Off Appliances During Peak Periods

the logo of a power company

[Dear Australia.  Kinda’ funny that you’re having this thrust upon you at precisely the same time as us, no?  Almost comedic timing (but without the funny bit)?  Or are you in the EU now as well?  With love from the (colder, wetter, less sunny, different energy profile, differently-governed) UK… [/]

Due to the introduction of Smart Meters, power companies in Australia are now proposing to switch off house-hold appliances during peak periods in order to reduce electricity consumption and reduce costs.

In what could be described as an initiative that the totalitarian government depicted in George Orwell’s 1984 would implement, the proposal seeks to target Australian homes that use appliances such as air-conditioners and TV’s during extreme weather (hot or cold) in order to reduce costs and total electricity consumption.

However, even more alarming than the prospect of having air-conditioning systems of the elderly shut down during periods of extreme heat is the fact that the Australian Federal Government now seeks to have all new appliances produced after June 2014 fitted with an inbuilt switch that would allow power companies to shut them down.

The Australian Government Agency that has publicized the proposal predicts that the cost to the average Australian consumer would be around $10, with a potential saving of $120 in reduced electricity consumption.

However, although the Australian Federal Government claims that the initiative will save Australian households up to $120 if the ‘switches’ were installed, no policy or proposal has been communicated about how and who power companies will target when they decide to switch appliances off during peak periods.

Obvious risks of this ill-conceived proposal include having air-conditioning system shut down where elderly and frail people live and having heating systems shut down where children reside.

However, the greatest two risks and concerns are:

  1. Power companies will now have the power to make choices on behalf of others without any consideration or compromise, effectively limiting freedom of choice of Australian families.
  2. The bureaucrats running the power companies could put innocent lives at risk by shutting down appliances that could in effect cause death or serious injury due to heat exhaustion or hypothermia.

The Australian Government, especially the current Australian Government, has taken extraordinary measures to inhibit and control the lives of ordinary Australians. Whether it be via the introduction of Smart Meters, or the introduction of Carbon Taxes, Australians are facing a threat from the Government that is eroding their rights and freedoms that were once considered sacrosanct.

via Power Companies to Begin Switching Off Appliances During Peak Periods.

3 Comments
  1. I call it sneaky, also there power consumpsion will go up with smart meters as they eat up electric, They want to make you sick and pay for it, its insane

  2. Time to stop going in a lift then?

  3. Consistent with UK political doctrine sending us to a Basic World plus Premium World future, I expect we will see the emergence of Basic (Interruptable) and Premium (Uninterruptable) tariffs. I also think that something similar will apply to the unit rates for those who allow a Smart Meter compared to the unit rates paid by those that don’t – assuming Smart Metering actually happens.