PDA

View Full Version : Big Brother to control thermostats in homes?



stephanie
01-11-2008, 02:33 PM
Posted: January 11, 2008
1:00 a.m. Eastern


By Chelsea Schilling
© 2008 WorldNetDaily.com


Add thermostats to the list of private property the government would like to regulate as the state of California looks to require that residents install remotely monitored temperature controls in their homes next year.

The government is seeking to limit rolling blackouts and free up electric and natural gas resources by mandating that every new heating and cooling system include a "non-removable" FM receiver. The thermostat is also capable of controlling other appliances in the house, such as electric water heaters, refrigerators, pool pumps, computers and lights in response to signals from utility companies. If contractors and residents refuse to comply with the mandate, their building permits will be denied.
The proposal, set to be considered by the commission Jan. 30, requires each thermostat to be equipped with a radio communication device to send "price signals" and automatically adjust temperature up or down 4 degrees for cooling and heating, as California's public and private utility organizations deem necessary.
Claudia Chandler, assistant executive director for the California Energy Commission, told WND the new systems would be highly beneficial to residents.

"From the Energy Commission's perspective, all we're doing is ensuring that this new technology is included in new homes instead of the older programmable technology," she said.

The Programmable Communication Thermostat, or PCT, will allow power authorities to control home temperatures without granting consumers ability to override settings during "emergency events." Nowhere in the proposal does it clarify what type of situation would qualify as an "emergency," but Chandler offered her own explanation: "An emergency is when the utilities need to implement rolling blackouts and drop load in order to be able to meet their supplies because the integrity of the grid is being jeopardized."

Snip:
Concerned California residents expressed outrage with the proposal in several online postings:

"I hate this state. Why don't we just fly a communist flag while we are at it? We are planning a move out of state. I'm done."


read the rest..
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59639

darin
01-11-2008, 02:36 PM
This just in - Senior members of California's government start business which sells devises to counter the government-required Thermostat Controllers.

MtnBiker
01-11-2008, 02:37 PM
Who would want this?

If I want to have my thermostat set at 68 degrees in the summer and 73 degrees in the winter and I pay my utility bill that is my business.

stephanie
01-11-2008, 02:44 PM
From the article...

Gunshinan claims the new system is needed because it will be more beneficial to the environment than building new energy facilities for the state.

"Since utilities have old, inefficient and dirty power plants on reserve to use during peak demand hours, dropping demand will mean less use of these dirty power plants and less pollution."

Gaffer
01-11-2008, 03:05 PM
Once again I'm glad I no longer live in cal-efornia.

manu1959
01-11-2008, 03:06 PM
This just in - Senior members of California's government start business which sells devises to counter the government-required Thermostat Controllers.

unfortunately tin foil already exists....

LiberalNation
01-11-2008, 03:26 PM
If I want to have my thermostat set at 68 degrees in the summer and 73 degrees in the winter and I pay my utility bill that is my business.
Zactly, my thermostats on 74 right now, I get cold.

manu1959
01-11-2008, 04:54 PM
Zactly, my thermostats on 74 right now, I get cold.

well in the future if the government decides you are not cold when it is 68 you better damn well get used to it.....and no smoking, no drinking and no food that tatses good....now go to bed.....

Yurt
01-11-2008, 05:49 PM
this proves my theory that politicians feel they must simply create and create new laws in order to justify their pay and time. i'm tired of new laws being formed literally every day. run the government, don't run into the ground with more and more laws.

Little-Acorn
01-11-2008, 06:06 PM
The needs of the state supersede the needs of the individuals.

This is one of the clearer implementations of that philosophy I've seen.

Yurt
01-11-2008, 06:22 PM
The needs of the state supersede the needs of the individuals.

This is one of the clearer implementations of that philosophy I've seen.

scary