"Smart" Power meters - watch your electric bill

Almost a year ago, I warned of the disaster that is "Smart" power meters:

And the Obama administration - no doubt at the behest of the Greens - is paving the way. Billions of dollars in the "stimulus" plan is for purchase and deployment of "smart" power meters, centrally controlled network devices that can let power be remotely turned on or off. The power companies like them because it makes it easy to implement "rolling blackouts" - think California in 1999. The Obama administration and the Greens like them because they now can make you use less power.

The bad guys like them because they can now use automated malware technology to take over the entire power grid at once ...

There's no security in the Smart Meters - by this I mean no security: no encryption, no authentication, no password, nuthin'. Seems some of the companies that make the meters were starting to add security, until the Obama Administration touched off the market-share landgrab. Billions of dollars of meters entirely lacking in security are being deployed.A recent demonstration showed how easy it was to take control of the power meter:

The attacks could be pulled off by stealing meters - which can be situated outside of a home - and reprogramming them. Or an attacker could sit near a home or business and wirelessly hack the meter from a laptop, according to Joshua Wright, a senior security analyst with InGuardians Inc. The firm was hired by three utilities to study their smart meters' resistance to attack.

Any bets that the power meter network is isolated from the Internet? Heck, we can't even keep classified Defense Department networks from being compromised via the Internet.

The power companies say don't worry, be happy:

California's largest utility, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., has installed more than 5 million SmartMeters throughout its territory. Company spokesman Jeff Smith said the utility, based in San Francisco, has taken steps to protect the meters from hacking. For security reasons, he declined to describe those steps.

"We've done extensive preparation to ensure the security of the SmartMeter network," Smith said.

Any bets that he's a clueless PR flack, and that their "extensive preparation" is to set the password to "T0pS3kr3T"?

It gets more interesting. Power companies love this program because it makes it easier for them to cut off your power - think of the rolling blackouts in California in the late 1990s - and the Fed.Gov is picking up the tab (OK, we're picking up the tab, but work with me). Anything else?

The Smart Meters raise the monthly bills:

But as Green Inc. has reported, ratepayers from Texas to California have reported disappointing results and even higher electricity bills after converting to smart meters.

In Toronto, the local utility estimated that 92 percent of its customers would see an average 7 percent rate increase because of time-of-use metering, according to The Toronto Star.

...

PG&E is facing consumer lawsuits over inflated energy bills following smart meter installation.

Ah, but there's an explanation, say the Utility Companies:

“Educating users on how to manage their electricity use is under-emphasized, especially with smart grid grants,” Mr. Fromer said, adding that smart meters alone are “insufficient” to change behavior.

Stupid users.

So, we have a poorly conceived government program throwing Billions of dollars into an incompletely designed technological "solution" that screws the public with higher monthly bills on top of higher taxes to pay for the program. Regulatory Capture, anyone?

Can lefties in general and Democrats in particular please just shut up about how they're looking out for the Little Guy?