A DELAY IS STILL A WIN
To be clear, the government isn’t forcing my town to adopt smart meters. It’s optional, at least for now. The challenge of my current situation is that the decision doesn’t solely lie with me, but with all the residents living in my building. Hence, why I have to persuade my neighbors it’s a bad idea.
That said, based on what has happened in other countries, I think you are correct. Chances are, it will eventually become mandatory. However, if I can delay by years, that’s win I will take. Moreover, years can afford people the time to build a campaign and raise awareness about the privacy concerns of smart meters.
If what works? If I am able to persuade them? Sure, I’ll give an update. But right now, I am not confident they will be swayed.
CONVENIENCE CAN BE A TRAP
That’s the thing. I am not convinced the savings are significant, nor that they will last. I’ve been watching an episode of the BBC documentary show Panorama that was released last year, and was about smart meters. They interview various people who have been overcharged and were never refunded.
I’ve also seen negative reviews saying the same thing for the smart meter company that wants to install them in my building.
Surge / dynamic pricing, also allows the smart meter company to overcharge their users during peak hours, which is exactly what Uber does.
Exactly. I hope I can make them understand.
SELF-INTEREST > ALTRUISM
I knew the word luddite, but I just realized I remembered its definition wrong. I thought it described a newbie to technology or an activity. But it’s not that at all. 
I was completely unaware of the origins of the word, which I now just learned thanks to you, after looking it up on Wikipedia. 
Yeah, I personally do not think this angle will work with my neighbors. It’s probably best to appeal to their self-interest.
SURVEILLANCE HARMS COMMUNITIES
I’ve been following what is going on in the US right now, and it’s horrible. It’s even more devastating that surveillance technology is being used to stigmatize, hunt, and imprison people without due process.
It’s also hypocritical, and I guess ironic, that the government goes out of its way to protect the identity of ice agents by making it a crime to identify them.
Have you heard of the app ICEBlock?
It’s an app that alerts people when ICE agents are nearby. You should check it out, it might be able to help your community.
People don’t appreciate this enough. That’s why we must keep fighting and raising awareness about these issues and keep defending right that have already been won, because we can lose them if we lower our guard.
Thanks again for your feedback.