Why would you want to hack into your neighbours energy monitor?
Because they try to stop you, when on the Falklands we all had 2 meter radios, if you said on call channel go to 145.400 no one bothered to follow you, if you said go to usual everyone would hunt to see where you were, and listen to what you were saying. It's human nature.
Absolutely right, think medical equipment at home or clinics/hospitals without automatic backup systems.
To be fair if there is medical equipment you are suppose to tell energy supplier so you are on a priority system. However in my house the stairs are centre of the house, so I have a battery backed light above the stairs, however it does not last that long, so there is a danger if you loose power for two long, also there is a cost, we were told if you don't open a freezer door they will last around 6 hours specially if full before food is defrosted, I heard my freezer fail, so did not open door, and switched on spare in garage, waited an hour to allow it to cool then opened the door of failed freezer, already items at top had started to defrost. It all depends on what cycle the freezer was on when power failed, if it has just completed a defrost cycle then you only have around half an hour to restore power.
I still say if the energy companies say they will not use the auto disconnect system, then why include it in the meters? I remember the
winter of discontent and having power turned off, and three day week. The problem was then they could not single out houses which were to be left connected, so if there was an area with a hospital that whole area avoided having a power cut.