Smart Meter Dangers–Are They Safe or Not?
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Are you wondering if smart meters are safe? Trying to sort through the claims about smart meter dangers? Here is information you should know about the potential risks involved with these meters and how they might affect your health and privacy.
We've had to go against the norm many times in our quest for better health. I've gone sugar free, gluten free, stopped eating foods my breastfeeding son was allergic to, and have tried all kinds of natural treatments in order to avoid antibiotics and other meds when dealing with conditions such as sinus issues and earaches.
Now I'm not getting a smart meter.
Why not?
If it's “smart”, it must be a good thing, right?
Well, when I was younger, I was called smart in school. Most of the time it was a compliment. Well, sometimes it wasn't but my mom told me those kids were jealous. It didn't feel like it but in hindsight I think she was right.
Anyways, in most cases you'd like to be the smart kid in class.
And when people say “you look smart” they mean you look nice.
(I guess folks say “sweet” and such these days…..but that's beside the point.)
So how about a Smart Meter? Are smart meters safe?
Must be a good thing.
Think again.
There are a lot of smart meter dangers that you need to know about.
I got a notice in my mailbox about 3 weeks ago stating:
YOUR UPGRADED METER IS COMING.
ENERGY THAT WORKS SMARTER FOR YOU.
THAT'S OUR PROMISE TO MICHIGAN.
and another letter than said something like (this one I must have thrown out):
Congratulations! Smart Meters will be coming to your neighborhood in the near future.
I guess that's supposed to make me feel good about this Smart Meter coming to my house.
But I am not.
I'd heard about smart meters, but I didn't know much about them so I started to poke around.
It's not typical for me to be excited about some technology thingamabob being added to my home without my knowing anything about it.
I didn't like what I found.
Now let me tell you the truth. (Not that I typically–or ever–lie to you all or anything.)
I read A LOT. And I talked to a bunch of folks on the phone.
And I spent a lot of time emailing experts about smart meter dangers and EMFs (one who wrote a post that I will share here soon).
I read articles on both sides of the topic and I even called my electric company several times.
Today's post is the result of my having digested all of these conversations and emails.
And I've come to the conclusion that–
I DON'T WANT A SMART METER ON MY HOME.
And neither should you.
First of all, let's talk about what a Smart Meter (NOT a good name for this thing, by the way) is:
What is a Smart Meter?
A Smart Meter (also called AMI or AMR) is a type of meter designed to eliminate meter readers (can you say “more unemployment”?). It's a fairly expensive piece of wireless machinery that send information about your energy use (how much you are using at different times of the day) to your utility company.
They relay data about your energy.
Proponents of these meters say that they will be used to show consumers how much energy they use at certain times of day and that they will help them budget their energy use (and therefore money) better.
Opponents say there are many risks involved.
After doing literally tens of hours of research, I've come to the conclusion that:
I DO NOT WANT A SMART METER ON MY HOME!!
Here's why.
7 Smart Meter Dangers
1. Health
There are sooo many health problems with these smart meters.
Basically we're talking about the same effects of EMFs (electromagnetic fields).
Now we all know that EMFs have been in the news a lot and that there is a lot of evidence mounting about the health risks of such radiation from microwaves, cell phones, WIFI, and the like.
In case you haven't seen some of this, or aren't convinced of it, following are some health conditions that are reported to be as a result of EMF exposure (Source)
- Insomnia
- Heart palpitations and blood pressure increases
- Ringing in the ears
- Concentration, memory or learning problems
- Dangerous increases in blood-sugar levels
- Strange sensations in the body—including buzzing, shooting pains
- Anxiety and/or an anxious feeling in the body that is inexplicable
- Fatigue
- Flu-like symptoms
Scientists have shown that the electromagnetic frequencies emitted by smart meters and digital meters:
- disrupt the blood-brain barrier, contributing to diseases like dementia and Parkinson’s
- disrupt nerve transmission, causing attention-related problems, insomnia, heart palpitations, and muscle pain
- disrupt cell reproduction and damage DNA, causing cancer and rapid aging
- disrupt the redox balance through oxidant/nitrosative stress
And here's a biggie.
CANCER.
The World Health Organization (WHO) as classified the radiation that comes from Smart Meters as a potential carcinogen, in the same class as DDT and lead. (Source) Now, I am not always in agreement with the WHO, but in this case I am listening.
And besides, even if you think that the FCC has protected you enough with their limits on human exposure to microwave radiation, Smart Meters have been known to exceed the FCC limits.
There's been a lot of debate out there about whether or not this type of radiation (RF, or radio frequency waves) causes cancer or not, but some of the studies coming out are quite compelling. This recent one from Sweden being one of them.
I think of it like this. Years ago:
– we were told that cigarettes were healthy (they were even promoted as a way to have a lower weight baby). We know better now.
– we were told that fluoride should be in our drinking water. That is being called into question.
– we were told that RoundUp would evaporate and not cause harm. We know better now.
It seems that these EMFs are a big deal and we are just starting to see the damage.
If you REALLY want to read some downright frightening and well-done research about EMF radiation and health problems, the BioInitiative Report will keep you busy for awhile.
For me, this is all a HUGE deal, considering that the Smart Meter would be right by my sons' bedroom.
Nice, huh?
2. Privacy
The data collected from Smart Meters is detailed.
And it's worth money.
Think about it.
Data is ALWAYS worth money. Companies pay BIG money for information on your buying habits, for your email address, and more.
Technically, according to one of the Smart Meter experts I talked with, Smart Meters could track what TV shows you watch, and potentially what food you eat, if your refrigerator is equipped with “Smart” technology. The fridge could scan your Ben and Jerry's and potentially report this to healthcare corporations. Perhaps it's a good idea to start making your own Homemade Ice Cream!
YIKES!
These are the potential privacy concerns regarding Smart Meters (Source):
Identity Theft
Determine Personal Behavior Patterns
Determine Specific Appliances Used
Perform Real-Time Surveillance
Reveal Activities Through Residual Data
Targeted Home Invasions (latch key children, elderly, etc.)
Provide Accidental Invasions
Activity Censorship
Decisions and Actions Based Upon Inaccurate Data
Profiling
Unwanted Publicity and Embarrassment
Tracking Behavior Of Renters/Leasers
Behavior Tracking (possible combination with Personal Behavior Patterns)
Public Aggregated Searches Revealing Individual Behavior
In California, the sharing of this type of data is already going on.
transparency reports filed by the California utilities companies and obtained by the ACLU of California show that a significant amount of data about the energy use of Californians is also ending up in the hands of third parties. In 2012, a single California utility company, San Diego Gas & Electric, disclosed the smart meter energy records of over 4,000 of its customers.
Interestingly enough, there is a BIG movement in California against Smart Meters, while Marin County has criminalized the installation of Smart Meters.
Perhaps this is a smart response?
Yes, modern conveniences can help with some things, but are we trading our freedom for convenience?
We really need to count the cost.
3. Fire Risk
There have been hundreds of fires caused by Smart Meters.
You can see some of the horrible photos and information about smart meter fires here, here, and here.
I have not been able to find a source of analog meters causing fires. Additionally, here is a quote from Mindy Spatt of TURN (The Utility Reform Network) regarding analog fires:
Comparing analog to the new meters, she added, “In the collective memory of TURN, we have not seen similar incidents with analog meters.”
In fact, if you do an internet search of “fires caused by analog meters,” all that shows up is report after report of Smart Meter fires.
Moreover, here's something you might be surprised to hear: Most (if not all) Smart Meters are NOT UL Certified.
Now, how smart is that?
Which begs the question – if your house causes fire due to one of these meters, will your homeowners insurance pay for it since the device is not UL certified? I called my homeowners' insurance company to find out.
They told me that in my case, my insurance would NOT be cancelled, but that if a fire were to be caused by the meter, they would go after the utility company for reimbursement.
They did advise, however, that every insurance company is different, so you should check with your homeowners' carrier to find out their stance on this issue.
4. Lack of Energy Savings
These Smart Meters are supposed to save us money.
Well, none of this savings has been proven, and in fact, there are some pretty important people saying that they think the savings simply aren't going to happen. (Source)
– “It costs too much, and we're not sure what good it will do.” – John Rowe, CEO of Illinois utility ComEd.
– “[Smart meter] deployment . . . allows utilities to lower operating costs while increasing revenues.” – Frost & Sullivan
– “No net economic benefit to ratepayers.” Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette (yea for my home state!)
– “Smart-meter conversion represents little more than a boondoggle that is being foisted on consumers by the politically influential companies that make the hardware and software that are required for the smart-meter conversion.” – Consumers Digest
In one poll I read, (site seems to be having trouble so link was removed) about 1/3 of the people who had Smart Meters installed had an increase in energy costs, and one quarter saw their costs double, triple, or more.
This article talks about one citizen who found much higher bills as well.
Hmmm…doesn't sound so good now, does it?
5. Personal Safety
Something to consider–if this data tells what electricity you are or aren't using, couldn't hackers get this information and know whether or not you are home or whether your kids are home alone?
Seems like a valid concern.
6. Legal, Constitutional and Human Rights Violations
Our Constitution has been shredded recently by many government officials and courts.
Should we let it go even further?
So now we have utility companies forcing this technology on us that:
1. Is a health risk
2. Is a violation of privacy
3. Is a fire hazard
4. Costs too much
5. Has no real benefit
6. Potentially puts our personal safety at risk
Can you think of anything else that a corporation or government entity forces you to put on your house?
And you need to pay money if you don't want it?
This huge list of violations will really get you thinking.
7. Exorbitant Cost
Check in your area how much money your utility want to charge you for not getting a Smart Meter.
Our charges in Michigan were really high and our Attorney General pressured the utilities to reduce their fees, which they did.
Now, our utility wants about $69 to opt out of the Smart Meter program, plus $9.72 a month.
Forever.
That amounts to about $120 a year for something I don't want, that:
– puts my family at risk for health issues
– seems to be a fire hazard
– violates my privacy
– quite possibly doesn't save any money (in other words, it doesn't do what it's supposed to do)
– puts our personal safety at risk
– violates the Constitution, plus comes with legal and human rights concerns
– has overpriced fees associated with not taking it
Conclusion
Whatever a smart meter is, I don't want it.
I hope to share with you what happened when I called our local electric company and told them that I didn't want their “Smart Meter.”
Seriously, instead of calling it a Smart Meter, I think I'll call it a “Dumb Meter” or “Invasive Meter” or “Cancer Causing Big Brother Technology Doohickey.”
So now the questions are:
1. I don't want a Smart Meter. What should I do next?
2. I have a Smart Meter already. What can/should I do?
I hope to tackle all of these questions, including:
– sharing with you what happened to me when I contacted my local electric utility and told them I didn't want a Smart Meter
– what I have done about Smart Meters coming to my neighborhood
– what I am planning to do
I hope you all will help get the word out. Even if you have a Smart Meter installed, it's not too late.
Protect Yourself from EMFs
I will be adding some different options for protecting yourself from the damaging effects of EMFs.
1. Limit EMF Exposure
One thing that our family does is limit EMF exposure as much as possible. We still have some work to do but we love the protective devices from DefenderShield.
We use their Cell Phone Cases & Laptop Shields and I feel so much better knowing that we are protecting ourselves this way.
2. Know Your Risks
It's a great idea to have an EMF Meter to measure different devices and areas of your home.
Here are two options:
This EMF meter was recommended to me by a blogger friend who is very concerned about such things and seems like a great option. It's mentioned by a lot of people as being a solid model.
TriField EMF Meter Model TF2
This EMF meter is the one we have in our home. It's a bit more expensive than some, but it's the one most often recommended by EMF specialists.
It measures not only radiation from 4G and 5G, but also from Cell Towers, WiFi routers, Bluetooth, AC Powerlines, and Smart Meters.
Here's a more affordable option that has great reviews as well. One of my friends has it and really likes it.
Hopefully you don't have a smart meter, or if you do, you can get it removed from your house. If you can't, here's a Smart Meter Shield to help protect you from the EMFs it's emitting.
4. Get a Router Shield
Your WiFi router is one of the strongest sources of WiFi in your home. A router shield like this one can help shield you from EMFs while allowing your router to work.
5. Consider Eco-friendly Routers and More
This company has some highly regarded more eco-friendly routers, baby monitors, and more. A great option for reducing exposure in your home.
6. Reduce the Effects of EMFs
What if your jewelry could counteract the effects of EMFs?
This LOVELY interchangeable jewelry addresses the energy depletion of cells that comes from EMFs and even possibly repels mosquitos to boot! The pieces look amazing (the online photos of the individual products don't do them justice.
I love the Zen base, this base, and this bracelet. They have women, men, children, and pet pieces too.
The Boxed Sets are a great way to get started and save.
My oldest notices he's sleeping better with them, my youngest has noticed that his hands don't bother him anymore when he's on a device, and I have a lot more energy.
Comment or reach out at adrienne {at} wholenewmom {dot} com if you need any help picking things out. Also if you order on Party 550, I will be doing a drawing for a free piece.
I'll have more ways you can get involved in future posts so make sure to sign up for blog post updates so you don't miss anything.
More on Smart Meters:
For Part Two Read here: Smart Meters Are Coming to YOUR Neighborhood. What Should You Do?
What do you think?
Do you think Smart Meters Are Safe?
I’m coming here after seeing a link on pinterest.
One day a guy came and went from our home and, ta-da, we had a new meter. My husband came home and was sort of upset, I’d not heard anything about them before that time. He had apparently, and didn’t want it. He stuck a very unattractive rubber tire over it, I think it may be futile lol
You have to understand my husband. He’s a good ol southern boy (In SC) and usually everything rolls off his back so when this didn’t, I got worried.
I realize you’re doing your best to prevent any real conflict in your responder discussions, but I am seriously put off by the “now, now little lady” attitude coming from the massively uninformed men in here. Including terms like “calm down”, and “over the top” is extremely condescending.
No research is shown in any of the “soothing” replies, just opinion based on conjecture coming from an expertise in one thing that has little to do with the other. Like a pediatrician trying to help you feel better about your brain tumor.
It’s an antiquated response to any woman with any concern that means any kind of change to something many men feel is fine because hey, why would the utility company try to screw you? Or the government for that matter?
Before the rebuttals, I want to be clear that I’m far from a feminist. I just like to have any concern of mine, especially when backed by actual research, to at least be given the respect of true consideration. No one posting (male or female) with a contrary view is providing any sort of support.
Even if I wasn’t of the same opinion as the author I would still have written this response.
As for us, we’re going solar. Tougher in MI, I know. I’m a Michigan transplant, Lansing specifically, MSU woo! I miss it. Just my people, not the snow though. Ugh.
I’m subscribing, signing up, or whatever I need to join your blog. If for no other reason than you’re one of the few blogs in this vein that actually has backing and education, along with the good sense it takes to conduct a kind and fair debate. Without condescension.
I agree w/ you on the attitude of folks saying this is no big deal. This article indicates it is a HUGE deal. https://www.wired.com/2012/03/petraeus-tv-remote/
I’m so happy to have you reading here. Thank you for the vote of confidence! I’m in MI too. I like your style :). Hope to see you around again!
Hi, not wanting to start an argument, but to offer some more information. Concerning the EM radiation, google smart meter radiation EPRI studies. EPRI is one of the top research organizations concerning electric power. Anyway, they did several test, and in worse case studies, the radiation at maximum is always less than 30% of the FCC mandated. Each of the studies you can pull up has test configurations, equipment and references. As an electrical engineer of 15+ years, (not with them) I find their studies and information invaluable. When I first learned of the type of transmit power of smart meters, I was a bit nervous, as I have a 4 year old. However, after reading and doing a lot of research, plus what I have personally seen and tested, I have no fears or qualms at all.
Smart meters starting fires is another issue, and one to be concerned with. the majority of them came from one manaufacture, and that was due to a flaw in the enclosure allowing moisture and contanaments into the enclosure causing arcing across the bars.
Higher billing comes from a couple of reasons. One, the older electro mechanical could not be accurate, and the new one is. Two, when the new meter was installed, the billing structure changed from total to peak demand or time of use. Three, the meter was programmed incorrectly. In any case call the utility and request a meter verification test. Demand they test it in the socket to verify it is correctly metering your location. If they won’t comply, ask them for the as found test of the old meter and look at its accuracy at the time of the removal. If they do not have this information, contact the local regulatory board.
You have a very well written and informative article, good luck in all you do.
Thanks for commenting, Eric. I don’t know enough about EPRI but couldn’t it be the case that there are some that send out more radiation? I have read many reports of people testing them and saying that the radiation is much higher than is typically reported.
As for the billing, why could the old meters not be accurate?
For me, regardless of whether or not the meters are less than 30% of the FCC mandates, when we add all of these EMF producing devices, it ends up being a concern to me. Cell phones, WIFI, smart meters, cell towers….I think it’s all too much and I would like to reduce whatever I have the capability to reduce. I would love to hear what your thoughts are on that.
Thanks for the compliment :).
@Jody I realize I’m very late to this party, but I think you’re a little off on the definition of ‘feminist’. And your comment, ” I want to be clear that I’m far from a feminist” is just as condescending IMO. In a nutshell, a feminist is simply someone–male or female–who thinks the sexes should be treated equally.
Other than that, I agree wholeheartedly with you. And “I just like to have any concern of mine, especially when backed by actual research, to at least be given the respect of true consideration.” is a good example of a feminist attitude. ?
Most of what you have written about are facts taken out of context. For example health concerns. Cancer regulations exist for more than just information to consumers. Smart meters are required to have a grounded shielding plate that blocks the signal from going towards the residence. In the US grounding is highly regulated and followed by utility companies, since proper grounding saves them money. In foreign countries where you here smart meter complaints, grounding may not even exist or is faulty. Second fire hazards, if you look at them, they are caused by replacing the meter, or loose wiring. not the smart meter. Happens all the time regardless of meter type. Smart meters just get more press that’s all. Smart meters actually have the ability to shut off power of it senses wiring faults, analog meters just continue to burn the house down. Third, invasion of privacy. Statistically speaking only 3 to 4% of a population would need smart meters for them to invade your privacy with a high degree of accuracy. Statistics don’t need to look at you to know everything about you. Walmart and Amazon know what your going to buy before you ever step foot in that store or even think about shopping there. Statisticians can do amazing magic with data that most people don’t know is possible. Privacy is gone, might as well get some personal benefit for you out of it.
Personal safety, well after you watch one of those documentaries about the criminal mind, you’ll quickly realize there is little you can do against a determined attacker, physical harm is what you should focus on, I’d recommend enrolling children in martial arts, they should have it. You should take self defense, and make sure your insurance plans are up to date. There are common sense things you can do to minimize being a random target, but you can’t prevent it entirely.
one note on radio waves, all those risks are not linear. Recall geometry, Cancer and all risks decrease dramatically with small changes in distance. 1 inch might cause cancer in 1 year, 2 inches would cause cancer in 8 years, 3 inches 64 years, 4 inches 256 years. Think of it like a regular light bulb, touching it burns you, real close its just hot, but a foot away you can’t barely feel the heat it’s just slightly warm. Your body may notice the warmth, but won’t have any damage whatsoever past a couple inches.
Hi Joe. Sorry for not responding sooner. I got inundated and am finally trying to catch up. I have a few thoughts:
1. About cancer – I have heard of too many people having health effects from these meters to think that the signals are not going into the houses. It just doesn’t seem possible to me.
2. About the fire hazards, there are a bunch of issues going on here. One of my friends just had her water shut off b/c of poor installation. Another town (Toronto??) had a huge power outage b/c a truck hit some wires and the smart meters couldn’t handle the loads. Here is an article about issues w/ Lakeland, Fl meters that is for sure not installation issues: (Link deleted by Whole New Mom due to it not working anymore.)
3. About invasion of privacy, perhaps you could address this article w/ disturbing information from General Petraeus. https://www.wired.com/2012/03/petraeus-tv-remote/ I don’t want my privacy gone.
4. I am thinking about enrolling my kids in martial arts so we do think alike there :).
I would be happy to hear what you think. Thank you!
1. The simple fact is that eSMOG is a real thing and health issues can result. You must seperate perceived fear vs actual danger. 40 years ago, no one feared that electromagnetic radiation could cause any health effects, therefore they did nothing to safeguard against them and danger was very high. They did however recognize, UV, X-rays, Beta and Gamma rays were dangerous, and regulated them. The real danger was almost completely wiped out due to basic safety awareness and simple precautions like a lead vest, and limited exposure times during a dentist visit. I mention this because Electricity, and every other form of electromagnetic radiation is tested, monitored and regulated today. Another fun fact, Coal power plants have no fear of nuclear radiation, yet emit 100 times more radiation than an actual nuclear power plant, where people do take safety precautions. Nobody feared Cell phones in the 70’s, therefore the danger for brain cancer was high. Once they recognized the danger, they tested for it, and took safety precautions called SAR limits, which now incite fear of cancer, without any actual danger. Today it’s widely recognized that electricity, and radio wave equipment if not properly designed, regulated, tested and maintained poses a real danger to human health. Therefore, everyone pays attention to prevent those safety problems. If there is an incident, highly likely that someone didn’t follow safety precautions, or it’s all fear from an external source and the danger wasn’t actually there. Regulations include specific mathematical equations such as the radiated power per square and safe distance between human tissue, exposure algorithms. WiFi and bluetooth is another big area of fear today. They have high power, and people get scared. If you look scientifically though, Wifi and Bluetooth actually turn on and off so rapidly at the precise safety limits set so low that the health effects disappear, yet they are still powerful enough to transfer data to your computer, or earpiece. Fear still exists, but the danger doesn’t. Obviously malfunctioning equipment, like a battery fire can cause damage.
2. If you research closely none of those are “Smart meter” specific. The fire and overload hazards apply to all electric meters, and have been happening since the early days of electricity. Researching the history of electricity, death rates for installers were 50% on the job in the beginning. For the past decade or longer installer death is near 0%. Comprehensive and continuous safety training, and evolved engineering are the reason electricity is a relatively low danger today compared to 100 years ago. If you poke around the asian news, you’ll find that developing countries with electricity, but without regulations, still have a high death rate, high fire rate, bad everything really. Safety features that are physically responsible for reducing the danger are taken for granted today, like plugs! They didn’t have plugs for decades, they just screwed wires together and strung them around the ceiling. Modern things like polarized plugs to prevent sparks between appliances, grounded plugs to prevent deadly shocks, circuit breakers and GFCI outlets save lives, isolation transformers, RF chokes. Oh don’t forget surge protectors.
The question I would like answered, is not why did the smart meter burn, that’s obviously an out of spec installer safety issue. But why didn’t the utility company respond when the smart meter indicated a problem? The smart meter is supposed to benefit people by automatically immediately notifying the utility where problems exist, without a smart meter, the house would just burn down, until someone else around noticed.
3. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but American privacy disappeared some time around world war II era. First Hitler was demonized for invading the privacy of his citizens publicly, then the Allies decided to do it in secret to avoid the public protests. The article about the CIA is quite funny, for anyone who follows privacy. You can blame J Edgar Hoover if he were still alive for instilling the lead by fear and secerecy leadership model we have today. Did you know that anybody with a science kit from eBay can deduce your DNA from a disposed coffee cup in the trash? Or that they can get a facial and nude picture of you from just a strand of your hair in a hotel room 3 years ago? That’s creepy, unless you’r a crime scene investigator looking for a suspect description.
The question anyone really has to answer is, “Am I worth the spies money and time to invade my privacy?”. Satellite spy camera’s cost somewhere in the millions of dollars per minute, Intelligence Analysts make ~$200,000 a year, is that minor violation worth millions of dollars to catch you and not some other bad guy? Sure there are over 30 agencies in America alone that have secret surveillance going on. But the FBI doesn’t have the money or man power to spy on you for not picking up dog poop when you think no one is looking. They focus their time on the violent big time offenders. Of course you will hear about the scorned ex-wife who uses her top-secret clearance to ruin the ex-husbands life, but they get caught, and arrested for violating the law and public trust.
The bad, corporations and advertising companies do feel they have every right to your personal data for their gain., Sometimes they open up security holes for your data to get stolen without knowing it, or without a way to recover from it. Have you purchased an LG television recently? Those TV’s actually scan your whole network and report in the clear for anyone to see. Did you know that all cars equipped with OnStar that have been disabled, still give away all your data, you just don’t get the benefit of it? the list of privacy invasion is so large, one can’t have any expectation of it, or anyway to avoid it.
Sorry this was so long, but it’s a topic I research regularly.
Hi there. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have been swamped. I only have a few moments but will respond as I can.:
I do appreciate your research, but here are my thoughts:
1. I don’t think the SAR regs are tight enough – and regardless of what they are, the radiation is increasing in exponential proportions. I also think that more and more people are becoming sensitive to EMFs and other things due to all the contamination in our whole world so this is a problem regardless.
2. There are so many smart meter fires that I can’t respond to this. I would have to look into all the cases to see what is going on. I personally haven’t heard of regular electric meter fires, but I will take your word for it. Or perhaps you could send a link verifying that? Thanks.
3. I am aware of the privacy problems. The problem here is that the gov’t is changing what they think is worth their time and conservatives are clearly becoming the target. So they apparently do have the time and money to check up on them. As for LG – no, I hadn’t heard of that and I haven’t bought that. In fact, we have no flat screen TV at the moment and I am glad you shared this with me. I would suspect this is coming to all smart TVs so perhaps I should hurry up and get my TV now :).
I have a vehicle made in 91 so no worries there either but I will be careful. Yuck.
Basically, this all is very disconcerting. My aim in posting this was not to suggest that we could avoid all privacy invasion by not getting a smart meter, but to limit it by one means, if possible.
I would love to hear your thoughts – thanks!
Adrienne thank you for the research you have done. It’s very interesting. We’ve had a smart meter for a couple months now, so far so good . I have noticed a slight increase in our bill but nothing too significant yet. It’s weird we got one because we have read our own meter for years & not having a meter man come out will save $? They never did in the first place. Anyway too soon to know any effects yet. I’ll let you know.
Thanks again
Please do. I am still not happy with them and trying to learn more. Thanks!
Okay, a few weeks ago, got the notice they will be “in your area” soon. Someone came today. We have a meter guard across our meter – they’d have to destroy an area of our garage to get the thing off. No truck came. A man with an orange reflective vest over his coat (no name or identification on it) came trasping back here. We’re rural and have a private drive. It was cleared, he could have driven. By the time I got to the door, he was almost back out to our garage driveway, & since I didn’t know who he was, I didn’t chase him down. He was carrying something about the size of medium sized suitcase in his right hand. Then about 10 minutes later, I see him further out on our private drive! Where had he been all that time? Now, he had something much smaller in his left hand, the suitcase thing still in his right. I opened the door to see what he was doing & I found the tag on the door that says “Your upgrade meter is installed. Energy that works smarter for you…blah,blah” By the time I find my boots & get out there, he’s gone so I check the meter. I cannot see any difference in it whatsoever. It still has fluffy snow covering the top of it, doesn’t look at all tampered with. Does anyone have any ideas on this? I talked with the gentleman that makes the meter guards and sent him new pictures today, and he doesn’t see how they could have changed anything out, and hadn’t run across anyone that had this same experience. I’m posting this just to see if anyone has had a similar experience?
Weird. So did you wipe the snow off and you don’t see digits on it? Still the same meter?
Hi Adrienne,
No, I didn’t wipe off the snow, just took pictures of it like it was. That’s light fluffy snow you see there. If you blew on it, it would come off, so I don’t see how he really could have done anything. But it bothers me that he put that notice on the front door that a SM had been installed. Do we have some kind of “fake” analog meter?? I had thought the analog meter covers were glass, but this one is plastic. I just know that we do NOT want a SM on our home. Too many people are suffering from them mentally, physically, and even financially from the higher costs they’re experiencing plus there are the fire dangers! We just can’t discount all that information, and don’t want to purposely expose ourselves any more than many, many others do. I’m just hoping that if this type of experience has happened to others, that they’ll see that post at your website and respond. I don’t like mysteries, and I don’t see how he could “get away” with saying there’s a SM here. Consumers Energy will certainly notice that nothing is being transferred for billing if we still have our analog meter, right? I mean if they meter reader won’t be around any more? PS: After my husband looks everything over, I’ll ask him to wipe away the snow to see if anything is under there.
Lynn
Weird. I don’t know what to say. Perhaps follow some of the links in the post to connect w/ some others in your area or outside of your area? Maybe they can help?
Thanks Adrienne, I’ve followed so many links & searched so many sites that I’m just giving up on it. We;re hoping that he actually put the note on the doorknob BEFORE he looked at the meter, which would mean, thank goodness for his laziness in not removing the note before he left w/o installing the meter, lol! We cannot find anything suspicious about our meter at all. It still appears to be an analog meter. We will be watching for the meter reader to show up this month, and if/when he does, I want to talk to him & see how he feels about losing his job!
Very odd indeed. Well, you sound like how I feel when I get loads of emails and comments asking me to evaluate oil companies. I can’t – there are thousands of them! Take care.
Just thought I’d let you know that they did NOT install a smart meter on our house, even though he hung the tag on the door that said they did. Unfortunately, consumers called my husband telling we had to pay $69 to keep our meter and a monthly charge. I’ve forgotten what the charge is now but I think it’s around $10/month. We’re very unhappy about that, but when they’re telling you that you have to pay it or have a SM installed, w/o knowing the exact law that may be applied to that, we had to allow it. Would like to hear any experiences others have had in this regard. For info: We’re in west Michigan.
Hi there. Are you in touch w/ this group? I was hoping to write a post about keeping the smart meter off your house. I put a no trespassing sign up and a shackle lock and a guard. This is what I did. I never opted out but they are charging me so I have to fight them now. Doesn’t seem right to me. https://michiganstopsmartmeters.com/electric-meter-guard/
Adrienne, I’ve tried sending you 2 e-mails twice but they are just bouncing back to me. It’s in regards to your msg above, but it has some information in it I didn’t want to put on line. One of the notes has an attachment, but the other ones doesn’t.. It says the messages are ‘delayed’ but after 2 days, they just don’t get delivered at all Can you EM me? Maybe if I reply to your EM I can send you the information that I have?
HI there. I am sorry – what email are you using? wholenewmom {at} gmail {dot}?
Depending on the meter they could have installed an adapter to make your analog meter “smart”. Take photos of all sides of the meter. Look for an FCC number. Google the name of your meter and see if it is of the type that can be upgraded to Advanced or Smart. Finally, contact your utility and inform them in writing of your demand to keep a non-transmitting, data collecting meter on your home.
So Maureen, do you think that there’s any hope of telling them you don’t want a smart meter, but you won’t opt out and pay their fees? I tried that here and they are charging me anyway.
At the moment, extortion rules. You have to pay the extortioner to ensure you do not get a Smarting Meter. My opinion is to do whatever it takes to keep a non-transmitting, non-data collecting meter on your home. Absolutely, no digital meter…any computer that you have zero programming and upgrade control over will collect data. and do things that you have not authorized.
Find a group in your area fighting this boondoggle Smart Grid and push back. They are counting on apathy to push in a totalitarian electrosmog state.
I have a small group. They are doing a presentation today but at present I have no ride b/c we only have 1 car and it’s in use. We are doing what we can. Thanks.
There are small groups all over the world opposed to the Smart Grid. Send me an email if you would like to connect further. Maureen@StopOCSmarts.com
Sure will. Thanks!
Hi, Adrienne. You’ve written a very good article with much for people who are new to this issue to ponder. We in British Columbia have been fighting this for years and we would be happy to share info. with you. Right now I am concentrating on the fire issue which is major. All smart meters are made basically the same way with the same design flaws, many of which can lead and have led to fires, with 1000s across North America. All of the risks you’ve mentioned are real — the microwave radiation is very strong with Rf coming from the meters virtually constantly in a mesh grid set up. Then there are the relay meters, the cell transmitters. etc. Yes, they could have gone the route with wired meters but the initial expense is greater for utilities don’t go this way.
A major hazard you did not mention is the fact that utilities are usually hiring Corix to install the meters. Corix hires people off the street, trains they as little as 8 hours and then sends them out to do a job usually done by a fully qualified electrician or linesman. It’s a wonder if someone doesn’t get electrocuted, or appliances get destroyed at each home where the exchange is done with the power on!
If you want more info. please contact me or look at the website for the Coalition to Stop Smart Meters.
There are many large and active groups across North America fighting these and more people are joining each day.
Thanks for your kind comments. Many many people are not getting their power turned off here. The postcards say that they will do it but I don’t believe that I have heard of anyone having a Corix employee knock on their door to turn the power off. I will be in touch. Thank you!
Yes, that’s the EM I’ve sent them to. Tried twice, but they just keep coming back.
Hi there. I think that you responded to someone else? Did you attach something to it and did you get an error message?
Adrienne, No EM will go through. Here’s what the error message says:
This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification
THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.
Delivery to the following recipient has been delayed:
wholenew {at} wholenewmom.com
Message will be retried for 1 more day(s)
Technical details of temporary failure:
The recipient server did not accept our requests to connect. Learn more at https://support.google.com/mail/bin/answer.py?answer=7720
[(0) wholenewmom.com. [104.237.147.119]:25: socket error]
Hi there. I see the problem. The address should be wholenewmom {at} gmail {dot} com. Not wholenew {at} wholenewmom.com. Does that help?
Adrienne, I would have to do more research on the numbers from the Hirsch study, but not all smart meters work off of cell phone signals. Some smart meters use what is called power line carry, I would hazard a guess that these would not give off near the amount of radiation that the meters with cell phone boards inside do.
There’s a difference between energy star appliances and smart appliances. My hot water heater is an energy star, so are my washer and dryer. However none of them contain the chips required to communicate with a smart meter like smart appliances do.
I read the bloomberg article, seems to me like they are grasping at straws here. Someone, is going to figure all of that math for a certain show/movie, then hack your meter, convert all of your usage into what you’re watching? All the meter sees is power, volts times amps over time. That’s it. Rarely is just your television on. A hot water heater, well pump, lights, I’m not saying it’s impossible, it would just be easier to hack the cable company if you wanted that information!
The lower cost comes from the off peak times, in my area we do not pay on peak or off peak. Our rate is roughly .09 cents a kilowatthour. This changes from month to month, based on what TVA calculates. In other systems, their on peak price may be .24 cents, and off peak might be .07 cents. By shifting what usage you can to off peak times, bills could be cheaper. This is how the companies are saying you can decrease your bills. Yet as you can see, if definitely works both ways.
I guess I would need to look at it more also – but I would say to contact someone w/ a lot more expertise in smart meters than I have. I will run your comments by someone who does and is in my area.
Southern California Edison is spending $5 BILLION to install the Itron Centron Smart Meter in Southern California. The intention is not to save money for the customer as we have been paying 1.6% in our bills for this new communications infrastructure since 2008.
The Smart Grid is a billing and communications infrastructure. It does nothing to increase capacity or repair our aging power grid. It is a fraud.
The Itron Smart Meter comes equipped with 2 antennas. The first antenna transmits at 900 Mhz back to the utility company. This one is operational. The pulses max out my Acoustimeter.
The second antenna transmits at 2.45 GHz to create a HAN or Home Area Network or WiFi to communicate with the appliances as well as other devices. This is not yet operational. I fear the levels of electrosmog to come.
Both of these antennas also ‘chatter’ among the neighboring meters.
Even with Opting Out on your own home after the second transmitters are activated among millions of homes there will be no place to get away from non-stop pulsed RF microwave radiation. It will blanket entire neighborhoods.
All new appliances are required to be Smart chipped using the Zigbee platform in order to communicate with the Smart Meter.
Yes, it will be possible using these computers to track copious details of what you are doing and watching in your home. General Patraeus admitted such in the March 2011 Wired Magazine article.
Wow. Fascinating. Can we get that information from the Wired Magazine? I did a search but couldn’t find what I needed. Thanks much in advance.
We have it up on our searchable website which you can access through either clicking on my name or following http://www.StopOCSmartMeters.com. Here is the direct link https://www.stopocsmartmeters.com/privacy-concerns.html
It is interested timing that shortly after this interview with Wired Magazine General Petraeus was taken town with the mistress story, etc. Perhaps he said some things he was not supposed to disclose.
I just searched for petraeus and it had no results. I find that interesting as well. That whole thing seemed very odd to me for sure. I didn’t look into it very much but why would Clinton be allowed to be head of our country and then this?
Here is the direct link https://www.stopocsmartmeters.com/privacy-concerns.html
Not sure where you are going with the Clinton comment. However, politicians are all part of the same cabal. There is no left/right, Republican/Democrat, liberal/conservative. There is only freedom or oppression. The cabal keeps us infighting amongst ourselves while they usher in GMO’s, Smart Grid, fluoridated water, forced vaccines, etc Then when the people speak up they are ridiculed and called ‘conspiracy theorists’. Nope. Just pointing out facts here of government conspiracies.
I’m not really going anywhere. Just saying that in my humble opinion that our leaders should be held to higher standards than they are. I agree w/ you on freedom / oppression but typically the conservatives appear to be a little more against oppression but not always. Glad I have God or I think I would have a nervous breakdown, you know?
At the same time. I think that overall that kind of thing can’t be tolerated especially in the military. But then it shouldn’t have been tolerated in Clinton’s case either.
I really don’t want to go down this line….My point was that the General spoke to Wired and then he was taken down. Coincidence? Who knows?
btw…I am posting your blog post all over Facebook under our Stop OC Smart Meters FB page. Your article is well researched and has a genuine viewpoint from a ‘concerned mom’.
I hear you on “this line”. Thanks for sharing. I would like to write another post on how to keep a smart meter off your house. We have a ton going on personally right now so I am strapped for time but perhaps you could help? Would that be an option to get some info from you? Happy to write a few more beyond that too. Thanks!
Absolutely! The Smart Grid is an expensive, toxic fraud. Do NOT willingly participate in it.
CIA Chief: We’ll Spy on You Through Your Dishwasher, Wired Magazine By Spencer Ackerman 03.15.12 https://www.wired.com/2012/03/petraeus-tv-remote/
Terrible article. So – not a great question, perhaps, but is there any chance to turn this around?
No idea…however Truth always wins.
Yes, THAT is true :). Maybe not this side of eternity but it does. Thanks.
When they installed smart meters in my rural neighborhood in Texas the pain was so bad it would literally make me scream. Eventually it subsided some. I moved to an even more rural area because there are no cell towers within 4.5 miles and only 2 anywhere near here. There are only two meters within visual distance. My health consistently improved for over a year and I started being able to be sleepy before midnight.
Then suddenly sinus headaches came back. The Tinnitus I always have in my left ear got really loud (sounds like the noise you hear when you hold a sea shell to your head. I never have Tinnitus in my right ear, but a steady whistle started and progressively got louder. The pressure behind my left eye is really bad. I wake up with dry mouth.
This house already had a digital meter, but it didn’t have FCC on it and it didn’t flash like the “smart’ meters do. We should call them ‘torture meters’ or maybe even ‘death meters’. Fortunately, my room is the furthest from the meter. I wondered why my symptoms were progressively getting worse again instead of continuing to improve. Friday they switched out the meters for a ‘smart meter’ on another frequency.
That night I couldn’t get to sleep until 5:30 a.m. then slept all day Saturday and then last night never got to sleep. After daylight I finally went out and unplugged the router and phone and got some sleep. I’ve tried covering the meters with window screen wired to the box. I hope they still transmit enough to measure electricity for the bill, but not so much that I get worse.
No one should use wireless phones (2.4ghz), wi-fi, microwaves, baby monitors, wireless security systems or anything else wireless. If you don’t believe me, go to YouTube and search for EMF and the device to see the readings people have taken.
If you can’t go to sleep until the wee hours, or are always tired, or have pain anywhere you need to minimize exposure as much as possible. I’ve done what I can. I unplug everything that I’m not using at that moment. There is no power to the outlets on 3/4 of the room or overhead. Sometimes I even unplug everything in the entire room just to get some decent sleep. My next stop will be to sleep in a tent or building or camper that doesn’t have any electricity in it. Or move to a wireless-free zone. There is at least one in the U.S. near an observatory of some kind; there might be others.
P.S. Thanks for using the GASP (anti-spambot) plugin named after my blog. Small world.
Wow. That’s horrible. I am looking at devices to minimize the EMFs and am hoping to hard wire my computers soon. We never use our microwave and are done w/ baby monitors. I use a lower EMF phone so I am glad about that and don’t hold my cell to my ear.
Have you looked at some devices to help you?
And I think you and I talked on the phone a number of years ago = in fact I think I have emails in my inbox from you :). Good to hear from you again.
I’m writing to tell you to calm down and breathe a little. Smart meters are not safer or more dangerous than analog meters. The emfs produced are no greater than what is produced by cellphones, the computer you used to type this article, or frankly, the conductors in your house carrying electricity.
As for a Smart meter being a fire hazard? This is simply uninformed. One type of meter is no dangerous than the other, voltage however is another story. If your house is served with a 480v service, the amount of fault current available is extremely dangerous. The vast majority of residiential houses have 120-240v service entrances, which are much safer than 480v. If a short occurs inside your house, fuses or circuit breakers should protect your house. If a short occurs in your meter, usually the meter stops working, and you may see loss of power. This is not always the case, rarities occur, but I’ve never heard of a fire actually being caused by a meter failing. I’ve heard of fires from improperly installed meters, as in single phase meters installed in three phase installations.
I understand about the risks to privacy, but you overestimate the power of these smart meters. All the meter will see is load. Volts times amps over a period of time. It will not be able to sense what’s in your refrigerator, or what certain appliance is on, or what show you’re watching. (Which is tracked by your cable/satellite provider anyways) If you are concerned about communication between your smart meter and smart appliances, don’t buy those appliances. Are meters hackable? Well sure, but most meters must be physically accessed by the hacker, so, if you see anyone outside that’s not the electric company fiddling with your meter, you should call the law.
As for saving the customer money, this comes from action from the customer. With AMR most companies are measuring TOU(time of use) and you are billed according to kilowatt hours used On Peak and Off Peak. On Peak having more cost than Off Peak. Looking at your bill you can see what times are which, and the amount if usage in each time frame. With this, you can move your usage by doing more things during Off Peak time, i.e. washing clothes and dishes, turning thermostat up or down depending on the season and so on.
Last but not least you mention cost. I can tell you, $120 a year, won’t buy that smart meter, nor will it pay for the installer’s wage, nor for the installation of the infrastructure. On top of that, you may want to check if it’s legal to lock the utility out from THEIR meter. In most systems you own the service entrance, not the meter.
I’m sure you will have rebuttals, but as an informed and trained system electrician I wanted to bring some “light” to the subject.
Hi Graham. There is a lot of information about smart meters and their radiation issues. And the fire issues. Even if the EMFs are only the same as cell phones, adding more and more makes some people very sick.
From what I have read, there are different people saying different things about the radiation. Here is one source that looks reputable that is very concerned about the levels coming out of the smart meters. https://www.electrosmogprevention.org/public-health-alert/smart-meters-radiation-exposure-up-to-160-times-more-than-cell-phones-hirsch/
What do you think about that?
Also, you can turn off your cell phone and your microwave (I stopped using mine) and yet you can’t turn off the smart meter, so it’s a problem.
As for the fires, I have read articles that state that the risk is increased so I would need to look into that more.
As for privacy, apparently you are incorrect accordingly to this article on Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-10/your-outlet-knows-how-smart-meters-can-reveal-behavior-at-home-what-we-watch-on-tv.html Could you tell me if you still think what I said is incorrect?
And it is getting harder and harder to not buy energy star / smart appliances, which I assume you know to be true.
And I have heard of more and more people (some of them have commented here) about how after the installation of the smart meters, their bills have increased dramatically. So I don’t know what else to say about that.
I find it very interesting that the utilities are willing to install the smart meter for free, but want money for us to keep what we have, when we can log our usage by internet. Seems very backwards to me indeed.
I had a very interesting conversation w/ a local utility employee about why I needed to pay the opt out fee. 1 reason cited was that I am not participating in lower costs. I assure you that my bills are quite low. We use very little power compared to other families so I don’t need any more coercion.
I don’t mean to be argumentative but I think you are wrong. I am, however, happy to respond if you have more points to make. I for sure am no expert nor am I an electrician so please let me know what you think.
Thanks.
They want you to pay to keep analog for a very simple reason. The new meters report usage on there own. You keeping an analog meter requires the power company to send out an employee every month. This is something the company did for free in the past because there was no other option. Now the company has another option but some problem people want to keep their old meters so the power company is basically saying “fine, keep them but you have to pay to have them checked now because we have a better option you are refusing. It’s called economics.
Hi Glenn.
I believe I stated in the article, but this doesn’t make sense to me. There is a way to self report and then they could check annually to balance the account. There is really no need to have meter readers come out monthly. Thanks.
Your article is really over the top. I think you should try and be less “out there” and biased. Its really extremely evident.
Hi Justin. What exactly do you think is “over the top” with the article. And as far as bias goes, everyone has a bias. Are you not biased that smart meters are fine? I’d love to hear your thoughts….
What a joke of an article. I could debunk just about all of your points but I’ll just point out the first and most funny of them….EMF. The power coming into your home produces EMF all by it’s little lonesome. You have EMF in your house whether you have a smart meter or not….PERIOD. They have been few fires proven to be the smart meter. Generally increases in bills are in fact due to bad appliances. Refrigerators are the #1 culprit. The signal that Smart meters put out are not much different then your cell phone so you better get rid of all your phones. I’m not saying you don’t have a point here and there but most of it is just BS. Best line of all “After doing literally tens of hours of research…” Ohhhh so you’re an expert. ROFL. I’m an electrician, (don’t work for any power company) and you really need to loosen the tin foil hat.
Hi again. Without a question the smart meters produce much more EMF than the analogs. Here is an article with more information on the EMF’s of smart meters: https://patch.com/california/lamesa/bp–revealed-sdge-smart-meter-technical-data-and-bio-97594c0a40 Here is a video comparing smart meters to cell phones so you can judge for yourself: https://stopsmartmeters.org/2011/09/04/comparing-cell-phone-and-smart-meter-radiation/
I never called myself an expert – I merely stated the amount of time I spent.
If you have other points you would like to debunk please do. Thanks.
I have a smart meter on my house but didn’t even know it. I live in PA. My electric bill tripled this month so I called to find out why. Nothing has changed in my household. It just my husband and myself. Weather has not been too cold yet. We built this house and lived in this house house 20 years now. Raised two kids in this house. My highest electric bill was never over $200.00. Summer months it runs around $100.00. Cold winter months it might go up around $200.00 max. This month Nov. it was almost $400.00. Like I said it wasn’t even cold yet. We run gas heat, gas hot water, gas dryer , gas stove. No pool or hot tub. It’s a simple 3 bedroom bi-level. She did a basic analysis of our home on the phone and told us our elec should run between $400 and $600.00 a month!!!! She must be on crack. I told her I want someone to come and check my smart meter and she said they will for a fee!
Was told by PP&L it must be a bad appliance not running efficient. I said maybe it’s your meter not running efficient. She told me that does not happen. So my appliances can go bad but not their smart meters. She said their meters can run slow or stop running all together but they never run high!!! Really!!!
We are all getting ripped off by these electric companies using these smart meters!
How terrible! You should contact the smart meter people in your area and do something. This is horrible. I have heard of some cities banning them so I think it can be done.
We have had them installed in British Columbia canada. Since then almost everyone’s bills have gone from around 150.00 per month to about 400.00 to 500.00 per month. It’s such a rip off. I think one of the other provinces has ordered all smart meters removed because of the fire risks
UGH!!!! I can’t believe that. Terrible. You should connect w/ that other province and see if you can do the same where you live. Terrible.