Smart meters, yes or no?.

[Notch7]

There are 2 distinct arguments here.

Water meters put responsibility on householders to save water. If there was no financial incentive nobody would care.
We all remember the days of neighbours having sprinklers on because they like their grass green.

The second argument is that water meters are an excuse for privatised water companies to use water meters to ramp up pricing.

The same argument applies to gas, electricity, petrol.

The more expensive petrol is, the greater the incentive to use less by using more efficient cars or move to electric / hybrid. Those more cynical would say increasing duty on fuel is a way for government to increase tax revenue.

 

[transam]

I assume Noseall knows that it is difficult to fiddle a smart gas meter

 

[ellal]

Those more cynical would say increasing duty on fuel is a way for government to increase tax revenue.

Those with more savvy would realise that tax revenue on fuel is falling precisely because people are using the vehicles they are told is better for the environment and their pockets

So 'government' has started to ramp up the charges on many vehicles that were once exempt in order to fill the financial black hole.

As is the case with solar energy generation, water usage and so on...

The more efficient we get the more ways they find of taxing us in order to make sure their corporate masters don't suffer!

It has f uck all to do with 'saving the planet'!

 

[noseall]

The more efficient we get the more ways they find of taxing us in order to make sure their corporate masters don't suffer

Since when has taxation gone directly into the pockets of the shareholders?

 

[noseall]

Water meters put responsibility on householders to save water.

Gosh. How awful.

 

[ellal]

Since when has taxation gone directly into the pockets of the shareholders?

Are you really that thick?

Seriously!

 

[Notch7]

Gosh. How awful.

indeed!

Without water meters, nobody would ever make any attempt at all to save water.

For anybody thats interested, automatic watering systems are not subject to a hosepipe ban.

 

[Ihavenojob]

Are you really that thick?

Seriously!

Taxation comes OUT of the pockets of shareholders.

 

[ellal]

Taxation comes OUT of the pockets of shareholders.

So I guess that the general taxation we pay to fund public services which are run by private companies which pay out shareholder dividends doesn't count as putting it IN to their pockets?

Silly me...I guess I've been wrong all along and they are providing their 'services' for free

 

[ellal]

Without water meters, nobody would ever make any attempt at all to save water.

Really?

Plenty of people/organisations would argue against that flippant statement!

 

[Ihavenojob]

Silly me

Cant argue with that.

 

[Notch7]

Really?

Plenty of people/organisations would argue against that flippant statement!

Lets see some proof then.

Im saying domestic customers would make almost no real effort to reduce water consumption if there was no cost gain in doing so.

A tiny percentage of those that have an interest in the environment may do. But that would not make any worthwhile difference.

 

[Brigadier]

Lets see some proof then.

Im saying domestic customers would make almost no real effort to reduce water consumption if there was no cost gain in doing so.

A tiny percentage of those that have an interest in the environment may do. But that would not make any worthwhile difference.

Are you saying that most of the population are beyond education, and only respond to "the stick"?
So why not educate them to be more conscious of the planet's limited resources then?

I recycle, even though i get no direct financial incentive to do so. I do it because it is the "right thing" to do.
I am frugal with water, because it is the "right thing" to do. (I am not on a water meter, so no financial incentive there either).
I don't batter around in the car, even though I pay exactly the same rate for (company) fuel, regardless of my usage rate. I do it because it is the "right thing" to do.

 

[Notch7]

Are you saying that most of the population are beyond education, and only respond to "the stick"?
So why not educate them to be more conscious of the planet's limited resources then?

People can certainly be educated, but that doesnt give them the will to change.......thats two different things

A minority will be interested in environmental concerns, the majority wont.

 

[noseall]

I live close to a AONB and it is disheartening to see a trail of discarded Maccies wrappers and energy drinks cans wrecklessly tossed from vehicles. These same people will not give a hoot how much water they use nor will they potter around town in their chavved-up Halfords specials.
No, in fortunately you are in a small minority Brig.

When my sprogs were small I changed the taps over in the downstairs loo so that the most used tap became the cold. This was because when the kids were toddlers they used to leave the tap running (slowly) when they hadn't turned it off properly and the boiler could be churning out heated water for hours.