Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Smart Meters and high consumption

There is a serious problem with the smart meters, reading as much as 4 times the actual consumption.

 

We need to get everyone together.  I have already contacted 2 reporters, and started this blog http://h1ripoff.blogspot.com/

 

It may come down to a class action suit against Hydro One.  This is THEFT!

Views: 1248

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jennifer Garner on April 29, 2010 at 6:48am
Permalink Reply by Andrew Campbell on May 3, 2010 at 7:00am
Wow! Did I read that right in the article?!?!...

"Beckett estimates that most homeowners will see an increase of 25 per cent on a typical electrical bill in coming months. That jump will come from the Ontario Energy Board rate increase, other charges related to the Green Energy Act and the introduction of the HST on July 1."

That doesn't even include the on-peak cost - which will be very costly for us who tend to milk cows through those peak hours.

Jennifer Garner said:
Permalink Reply by Bristow on May 4, 2010 at 3:33pm
Get a gasifer to run your own power.
Permalink Reply by Joann on May 7, 2010 at 1:57am
One has to wonder about Queen's Park and their abilities related to reasonable thought processes.

Premier McGuinty is bound and determined to channel and manipulate social behavior modifications on many fronts including energy consumption.

Smart Meters are being installed under the guise of enabling consumers' conservation efforts and taking firmer control of expenses. While many consumers are shifting consumption to off-peak hours, few are seeing any real savings.

Mr. McGuinty has provided Smart Meters to give the public the opportunity to save on energy use through less consumption and taking advantage of lower rates on off-peak hours. Isn't that the crux of his line? We are also being told that 80% of our hydro infrastructure needs to be replaced in the not to distant future.

If everyone lowers their hydro bills, the power companies will see a shortfall in their revenue. Who will pay for the shortfalls?

Why... that would be us!... one way or another.

So the energy companies spent months preparing for requests for rate increases. Hydro One wanted a 22% increase over 2 years.

No! No! No!. The public is already feeling the financial burdens from the new Smart Meter readings. The Green Tax has yet to be billed out and the HST will be an added sting.

No, the government wants first dibs on revenue so they nicely (sic) told the energy companies not to bother to ask for rate increases.

Woe is us!

Isn't there anyone thinking the process through..... at least until past Oct. 2001?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario/ontario-utilit...
Ontario utilities told not to bother with requests for rate increases



Andrew Campbell said:
Wow! Did I read that right in the article?!?!...
"Beckett estimates that most homeowners will see an increase of 25 per cent on a typical electrical bill in coming months. That jump will come from the Ontario Energy Board rate increase, other charges related to the Green Energy Act and the introduction of the HST on July 1." That doesn't even include the on-peak cost - which will be very costly for us who tend to milk cows through those peak hours.

Jennifer Garner said:
Permalink Reply by garry william slater on May 8, 2010 at 2:50am
I am very energy savy, or I thought I was. 8 months ago I installed a good quality gas dryer,and gas stove,we also use those energy efficient light bulbs.I noticed a comfortable differance in my power usage.I was still using the old meter. My bills were reasonable,I was using about 500 kwh average all the way around. Then came the Smart Meter ,but it wasn't fully hooked up to their new way of reading them.My wife and I knew about the different times to use power efficiently. Well guess what? My power usage went down to average 350 kwh which is pretty low because we thought we were doing things right.Wrong. I seemed like Hydro 1 found out we changed appliances. I'm still consistant at 350 kwh,but the pricing cost went from sort of happy to when I had the old appliances. I realize there are some ifs and buts left out of this letter,but hands down, they are manipulating,dishonest,thats it, thats all.No one wants to disguss your concerns. Are they saying even that I lowerd my consumption I still pay the price. These smart meters are programmed to do one thing, but try to get proof. Has this happend to any one else? I'm sick of hearing from Hydro reps, Oh your meter is not reading correctly. My answer to that is " how can you bill me under these circumstances" One answer I got was " we averaged out from last years billings"I want to pay my fair share ,and pay for what I use. Sincerely ,Garry Slater
Permalink Reply by Bristow on May 8, 2010 at 9:32am
Gary it don't matter, how much you try to save or use less for the envorement, when it comes to buying elecity, oil, gas. The bottom line is revenue and profit for government and companies, do you think for one moment a government will reduce its spending to pay for all those perks like overseas trips, cars and mobile phones, laptops, bonuses, allowances, big pay packets for senior public servants, CEOs, members of the board and politians. The utility companies are out to make a profit and if you use less that means less money for them and the government, so next time when a government or company turns around they are going to do something to save you money, they aren't. Like taxes we stop paying this one, so they increase another. No amount of whining will get you anywhere. Only way is use new form of energy wood gas to run your home.

garry william slater said:
I am very energy savy, or I thought I was. 8 months ago I installed a good quality gas dryer,and gas stove,we also use those energy efficient light bulbs.I noticed a comfortable differance in my power usage.I was still using the old meter. My bills were reasonable,I was using about 500 kwh average all the way around. Then came the Smart Meter ,but it wasn't fully hooked up to their new way of reading them.My wife and I knew about the different times to use power efficiently. Well guess what? My power usage went down to average 350 kwh which is pretty low because we thought we were doing things right.Wrong. I seemed like Hydro 1 found out we changed appliances. I'm still consistant at 350 kwh,but the pricing cost went from sort of happy to when I had the old appliances. I realize there are some ifs and buts left out of this letter,but hands down, they are manipulating,dishonest,thats it, thats all.No one wants to disguss your concerns. Are they saying even that I lowerd my consumption I still pay the price. These smart meters are programmed to do one thing, but try to get proof. Has this happend to any one else? I'm sick of hearing from Hydro reps, Oh your meter is not reading correctly. My answer to that is " how can you bill me under these circumstances" One answer I got was " we averaged out from last years billings"I want to pay my fair share ,and pay for what I use. Sincerely ,Garry Slater
Permalink Reply by Peter on May 9, 2010 at 3:05am
I am with u ...things in this province are at a boil .. the silent majority are not organized ..we the people hold the strings .. have we forgotten that ... .
Permalink Reply by garry william slater on May 9, 2010 at 6:10am
Thanks for that reply, GS

Peter said:
I am with u ...things in this province are at a boil .. the silent majority are not organized ..we the people hold the strings .. have we forgotten that ... .
Permalink Reply by Nelson Laporte on May 10, 2010 at 9:27am
Richard:

I read the article in the London Free Press and decided to respond. We were away for the period January 5 to the end of March this year. That means our house was empty and using very minimal electricity. We have electric heat but all thermostats were down to 10 degrees C. Our hot water heater is gas heated. I came back to a whopping hydro bill of over $800.00 for the billing period January 21 to March 23. The house was empty!

I wrote to Hydro One on April 21 contesting this amount. I have yet to hear from them. I also emailed the Ontario Ombudsman about this matter yesterday.

There is definitely something very wrong with that meter!

I am interested in participating in any activity that can correct this situation.

Nelson Laporte
Permalink Reply by Richard Wakefield on May 10, 2010 at 11:05am
Please email me at jrwakefield@mcswiz.com so I can add you to the list. Keep an eye on my blog h1ripoff.blogsopt.com.

Nelson Laporte said:
Richard:

I read the article in the London Free Press and decided to respond. We were away for the period January 5 to the end of March this year. That means our house was empty and using very minimal electricity. We have electric heat but all thermostats were down to 10 degrees C. Our hot water heater is gas heated. I came back to a whopping hydro bill of over $800.00 for the billing period January 21 to March 23. The house was empty!

I wrote to Hydro One on April 21 contesting this amount. I have yet to hear from them. I also emailed the Ontario Ombudsman about this matter yesterday.

There is definitely something very wrong with that meter!

I am interested in participating in any activity that can correct this situation.

Nelson Laporte
Permalink Reply by garry william slater on May 10, 2010 at 2:09pm
These meters are made to rip you off! Thath's it thats ALL!!!GarrySlater

Richard Wakefield said:
Please email me at jrwakefield@mcswiz.com so I can add you to the list. Keep an eye on my blog h1ripoff.blogsopt.com.

Nelson Laporte said:
Richard:

I read the article in the London Free Press and decided to respond. We were away for the period January 5 to the end of March this year. That means our house was empty and using very minimal electricity. We have electric heat but all thermostats were down to 10 degrees C. Our hot water heater is gas heated. I came back to a whopping hydro bill of over $800.00 for the billing period January 21 to March 23. The house was empty!

I wrote to Hydro One on April 21 contesting this amount. I have yet to hear from them. I also emailed the Ontario Ombudsman about this matter yesterday.

There is definitely something very wrong with that meter!

I am interested in participating in any activity that can correct this situation.

Nelson Laporte
Permalink Reply by Roadrunner on May 15, 2010 at 3:35am
Is there a technology that the consumer can use to estimate their real electricity consumption....it seems to me that the Utilities have all of the information and power and consumers don't have any information to challenge is the smart meter really working? Nelson was away and still the smart meter was rolling at the $800 dollar clip...does not seem logical.

There must be a way to measure or accurately determine your electricity use...it does not really need to be that accurate.

RR

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Alberta Crops Still Above Average, But Moisture Extremes Mean Farmers Can Expect Two Different Harvest Stories

Provincial crop ratings remain stronger than the five-year average, but Alberta farmers are dealing with a sharp regional split: declining moisture in the South and Central regions and persistent wet conditions farther north. Alberta’s 2026 crop is still looking comparatively strong heading into August, but the provincial average masks very different conditions from one end of the province to the other. As of Aug. 4, 58.1 per cent of Alberta’s major crops were rated in good-to-excellent condition. That is well above the five-year average of 42.7 per cent and close to the 10-year average of 53.9 per cent. At the same time, the provincial rating slipped from 60.3 per cent a week earlier, reflecting growing pressure in several regions. The bigger story for farmers is the province’s moisture divide. Parts of southern and central Alberta continue to dry out, with soil moisture reserves declining. In the North East, North West and Peace regions, producers are facing almost the opposite p

Survey-Based Yield Estimates Show Mixed Outlook for 2026 U.S. Corn, Soybean Crops

The USDA’s first survey-based yield estimates of the season point to a lower average U.S. corn yield in 2026 but only a modest decline for soybeans, with wide differences among major producing states. In its August crop production estimates released Wednesday, the USDA pegged the national corn yield at 180.7 bu/acre, down from 186.5 bu in 2025. The U.S. soybean yield was forecast at 52.7 bu/acre, just below last year’s 53 bu. In the biggest Corn Belt states, Iowa’s 2026 corn yield is estimated at 216 bu/acre, up 6 bu from 210 last year. Illinois is projected at 212 bu/acre, down 2 bu from 214. Closer to the Great Lakes, Michigan slipped to 174 bu/acre from 178, while Ohio posted a notable increase to 195 bu from 185. Meanwhile, the average North Dakota corn yield is forecast at 142 bu/acre, down sharply from 158 last year. Despite Iowa’s higher yield, lower harvested acreage is expected to pull state corn production down slightly to 2.765 billion bu, a decline of less than 1% fro

USDA Forecasts Smaller U.S. Durum, Spring Wheat Crops

U.S. wheat production is headed for a steep year-over-year decline in 2026, with the USDA forecasting total output at just 1.53 billion bu, down 23% from 2025 and the lowest since 1970. Most of the decline is in winter wheat – with output now forecast at roughly 990 million bu, down about 29% on the year. However, Wednesday's USDA crop production report pared the 2026 U.S. durum and other spring wheat estimates as well. The drop in the durum estimate was particularly steep. The USDA now forecasts this year's American crop at 66.4 million bu, down 6% from its July estimate and 23% below last year. Following a review of acreage data, USDA reduced estimated durum planted area to 1.78 million acres, down 3% from the previous acreage estimate and 19% from 2025. Harvested area is forecast at 1.73 million acres, also 19% below last year. At the same time, the national durum yield was reduced to 38.4 bu/acre, down 1.5 bu from the July forecast and 2.2 bu from 2025. Farmers in North Dak

Saskatchewan Harvest Progress Stalls

Harvest stalled across Saskatchewan this past week as cooler weather slowed field operations, leaving just 2% of the provincial crop in the bin as of Monday, unchanged from the previous week. Progress remains behind both the five-year average of 6% and the 10-year average of 5%, although it is slightly ahead of last year’s 1%. According to Thursday's weekly provincial crop report, harvest activity continues to be concentrated in winter cereals, early seeded pulses and a few spring cereal crops, while much of the province’s crop is still developing. The Southwest remains furthest advanced at 5% harvested, followed by the Southeast and East-Central regions at 1%. Harvest has not yet begun in the West-Central, Northeast, or Northwest regions. Among individual crops, fall rye was 27% harvested and winter wheat 18% complete. Barley was at 4% harvested as of Monday, with oats at 2%. Spring wheat harvest remains negligible, while field peas are 5% complete and lentils 2%. Canola, soyb

On the Road with 4-H Alberta: 2026 Ag Next Gen Tour

Follow 12 4-H Alberta members as they spend 10 days exploring agriculture across central and southern Alberta during the 2026 4-H Ag Next Gen Tour. Day One | July 13 Tour Highlights Began the tour at the Alberta 4-H Centre Visited Colin Rice Feedlot and learned about beef production Took part in an interactive producer journey challenge at AFSC’s Lacombe Central Office Explored lending, insurance, claims and financial processing through hands-on activities Visited Pleasant Valley Oil Mills to learn about value-added agriculture Travelled to Rochon Sands Provincial Park for the evening Ag in action at AFSC Participants visited AFSC’s Lacombe Central Office for an interactive experience that followed the journey of a producer. Working in teams, participants moved through a series of stations focused on lending, insurance, claims and financial processing. Along the way, they worked through real-world scenarios and learned how different parts of AFSC support producers through every st

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service