I have this in my home. I don't think it's been used at all this year, but last summer it was on multiple occasions.

How it works (in my area at least) copied from your linked site. Essentially, radio signal.

> If the demand for electricity escalates to a critical point, a "system emergency" or "peak alert" is announced, and Alliant willl turn on the radio signal that activates the switch on your air conditioner. The receiver will be activated to cycle the outdoor cooling unit according to the program option you elected.

Yeah we have one and I assumed it was activated by signaling on the power lines themselves, because it's not connected anything else.

I've seen one (in Austin) that uses internet-connected thermostats: http://austinenergy.com/wps/portal/psp/residential/offerings...

I think if this is really not noticeable, then people are setting their AC to run far more than necessary to maintain the right temperature...

But to let them control the temperature of your house, that seems rather Orweillian.

I'm starting to wish Orwell had never written anything, given how often people name-drop him in, apparently, every single conversation about trying to run or build a more efficient society.

How, how is it Orwellian? Is the power company determining whether you can have air conditioning based on your party loyalty and commitment in the 5 minutes hate?

Or maybe, and I know this will sound crazy to the most vocal HN people on this, it's a line item on your bill which lets you have a lower rate in exchange for allowing load management on a large, dumb energy hungry appliance?

I think that many people here bristle (me included) at the notion of treating electricity as nonfungible. I think there are at least two reasons for that:

  * There seems to be a slippery slope once power companies start to care what do you use your electricity for.
  * People are possesive of stuff that is inside their home and do want to retain control over it.

I think most of those people (me included) would be happy to have a varying price of electricity instead.

Except electricity really isn't completely fungible. It entirely dissimilar to something like oil, where once it's transported to a location it's out of your control. If you wanted it to look more fungible, you'd have to give up watt billing and accept volt-amps instead, and even then, what you do to the power line does affect other users regardless. It's only fungible in as much as we've broadly regulated it to act so.

Moreover, the notion that there's a slippery slope is as fallacious as it has ever been. What additional change will be implemented without forethought or public debate, that this change implies?