>do you really mean to imply the smart meters have microphones and listen like the Echo/Home do?
Not at all bud, I was just making a simile on the 'this is why us semi-paranoid old farts are resisting potential monitoring technology' front. I don't believe that the devices with mics are plotting some nefarious scheme, I'm just uneasy with potentially paying to be free unlimited market research.
I'm not a man of many morals though, provide me with a smart speaker for free and you can have all the marketing research that you want whilst I brace myself for adverts pertaining to used books, pc parts, pizza, cat food and rum. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯