That's not strictly accurate though. If you read the link to the Labour Party website you do discover that, apparently, if you want one, you can have one for free. But actually, it's a misnomer, you are going to be compelled to have one overtime, the site actually says,
"With Labour's plans, electricity suppliers would be required to provide these displays free to all customers who want them. All new and replacement household electricity meters would also come with a visual display."Compulsion of yet more electronic gadgetry design to monitor. This is not a paranoid tinfoil hat response though. this is simply the same point I keep making over and over about these technologies. We are slowly building the infrastructure that should the delicate reality that is democracy ever crumble will be a gift to whoever seizes power.
We already have RFID tags in food, in clothes, on our rubbish bins, in our train tickets, then there's the CCTV that talks to us, and the internal revaluation inspectors of our homes, and now we have electricity usage monitoring via future legislation.
Now I expect there will be the argument that this is a visual aid to help you save energy rather than a monitoring aid for Government. But consider this, how often are you likely to think "oh I must go in my under stairs cupboard, move the boxes and look at my electricity meter to see how I'm saving planet"?
If they're not going to use the data being recorded - and we'll have to wait and see the legislation to actually find out - then what we're actually talking about is a massive outlay of taxpayers money on something that the vast majority will never bloody well look at. It's nothing more than an expensive gimmick.
7 comments:
I'm confused. Everyone with a mains electricity supply already has a monitor that shows their usage. It's called a meter.
Yes, one can see the future now, used in clever conjunction with those nice spy cameras with attached loudhailers.
"You there, Yes you! Smith of #64 walking your dog. You exited your property leaving 4 appliances on standby. You sir are harming the environment. Return to your hovel now and turn them off. Your compulsary fine and 6 weeks of envirofriendly readjustment courses will be sent in the post. Hurry along now, you have 30 seconds to comply.
Of course, please don't take into account the energy used in making this equipment ,especially as it will be made in China and transported to this country.
"We are slowly building the infrastructure that should the delicate reality that is democracy ever crumble will be a gift to whoever seizes power."
Do you know something we don't?
if it government and IT.no way will it work anyway.
although that may be worse if it fires out dodgy results.
When the 'Green Facade' wears off, it will be described as a means to detect potential potential drug factories, then it will move on to some other target as the governments claims are held up to ridicule.
It will be a bit like the ID card, the justification will change depending on the audience, and as it appears they are losing the argument for this they need a new tack. Eventually we will have them, just not in a single piece of plastic, but in a more insidious way, all of our consumption will be measured, through these and our clubcards etc to the following end.
I forsee Herr Chancellor Browns successor moving away from an income tax system and going for a pure consumption tax, just so he can make damn sure he never misses an opportunity to get his slice of flesh.
Later
Gengee
I already have an electricity consumption monitor, it's called the electricity meter.
I already have a mechinism to discourage me from using too much electricity, it's called the electricity bill.
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