Top 6 Common Myths About Smart Meter Danger Exposed
There has been a lot of conflicting information circulating about smart meter technology, including claims that smart meters and the high frequency radio waves they emit may be hazardous to human health. The Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative (SGCC) has recently produced and released both a video and fact sheet designed to inform consumers about smart […]
Natural Gas: Putting the Pedal to the Metal
Vast reserves of previously inaccessible oil and natural gas in U.S. rock formations, as well as new technology that enables us to recover those resources, may give the United States an energy boom and an edge in the global economy. It is estimated that it will take up to a decade for other countries to […]
Conventional Wisdom About Unconventional Oil is Probably Wrong
Before 2010, a conventional belief spread by the oil industry was that there was plenty of conventional oil to last the planet for decades. In 2010, the International Energy Agency announced that oil production had already passed its peak. The good news was supposed to be that production of unconventional oil would rise to accommodate […]
Smart Grids as Enabler for the Shift to Renewable Energy
Peter Altmaier, the German minister of environmental development, recently coined a new word at the U.N. climate summit: Energy-Wende. Energy-Wende is the shift toward renewable energy sources rather than nuclear power, a move the German government has undertaken since the nuclear meltdown in Fukushima, Japan, last year. They plan to supply at least 35% of […]
New Tool Spots Hacking Vulnerabilities in Smart Meters
Researchers at InGuardians have released a tool designed to help find vulnerabilities in smart meters. The tool is called OptiGuard and may be of vital assistance as the Energy Department continues to give out millions of dollars in grants for the development and implementation of Advanced Metering infrastructure. InGuardians has been working with both utility […]
Creating Customer-Friendly Utility Messages
Here’s an example of clear, customer-friendly messaging: it costs you $1.36 per year to charge your iPad. Note the simplicity and the customer-centeredness of the message. It doesn’t offer a range, and it doesn’t include a lot of qualifications about utility rates, iPad usage, or number of users in a household. It may—or may not—be […]
