[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

Quoting makes the comments appear though. I've never 'ignored' a forum member before, because I could simply not read something I don't want to read. If I were to use the ignore feature, it would be to block stuff I'm in wild agreement with, because echo chambers are boring and not useful.

The fella on the right has the most thorough analysis, that politics has created a situation where power is no longer reliable.

While freebeard doesn't trust a thermostat unless it's got a mercury tilt switch in it, that doesn't solve the problem of insufficient power. If people leave their AC on when there is insufficient power, the power goes out anyhow. Is it better to have an entire house without power, or just the AC?

So, switching AC off is a better solution than switching the house off, but is still an inferior solution to generating a sufficient amount of energy to run everything.

My utility pays me to have control over the thermostat. I can override the control, which forfeits that payment. It's super easy to game the system as well, since they announce the day they will increase the AC setpoint. You simply lower the AC setpoint on that day so that their increase brings the temperature right back to where you want it, AND you retain compliance with the opt-in program.

FB and I have almost identical ideas about thermostats. Mercury switches are nostalgic to say the least and have many other uses I'll never talk about.

Giving the power company or government control over any appliances reeks of 1984. I might be willing to settle for a passive frequency switch that turns off an appliance at say 59.5 or 59.6hz and leave it off for say 20 or 30 minutes untill after the frequency is back above 59.9hz. Because once the power grid hits 59.4 a timer starts they have 9 minutes to get back above 59.4hz or power stations automatically kick off line.