Consumers May Find Smart Appliances a Dumb Idea 347
theodp writes "As GE readies appliances that communicate with smart meters in the hope of taking advantage of cheaper electricity rates, CNet asks a big question: Are consumers ready for the smart grid? Right now, most utilities only offer a flat rate, not time-of-use pricing, so the example of a drier that reacts to a 'price signal' about peak rates by keeping one's clothes wet until a more affordable time is pretty much a fantasy. And longer-term, a big question is whether consumers will want to deal with the hassle of optimizing household appliance energy usage themselves, or be willing to relinquish monitoring and control to utility companies — with a concomitant loss of privacy. After all, losing one's copy of 1984 is one thing — losing one's lights and refrigerator is another thing altogether."
I, for one... (Score:1, Funny)
...welcome our, um -- ah, screw it.
Re:It is a dumb idea (Score:5, Funny)
why do you need your air conditioner on at all when you're on vacation?
To keep your home's server rack cool. This is /. isn't it?
Re:It's not about money savings, it's about ration (Score:3, Funny)