It sounds as if you are presenting an argument for smart meters, because it would enable any 'area cuts' to leave selected high-priority installations with power.I still say if the energy companies say they will not use the auto disconnect system, then why include it in the meters? I remember the winter of discontent and having power turned off, and three day week. The problem was then they could not single out houses which were to be left connected, so if there was an area with a hospital that whole area avoided having a power cut.
However, that aside, I have often wondered why the meters have disconnectors if, in general, all the suppliers have said they will not use them to remotely disconnect consumers. Could it be that the SMETS specification was written without too much regard for the views of suppliers, and that when the suppliers' lawyers and PR people (not to mention Ofgem, the media and various 'interest groups') saw that the meters included disconnectors, the suppliers were strongly influenced by advice regarding the possible legal and PR consequences of their using remote disconnection for 'commercial' reasons?
Kind Regards, John