Regarding privacy, appliances have energy use signals.  Your take a shower and your water heater cycles.  Wake and make breakfast on your electric stove, which draws a certain anount of power.  See https://smartgridawareness.org/privacy-and-data-security/how-smart-meters-invade-individual-privacy for a nice graphic.  Please keep comments civil and leave the foil hats alone if you want to participate in the comments.