Smart Meter Radiation: What Every Consumer Needs to Know
By Marilee Nelson |
If your home doesn’t contain a Smart Meter, a radio-frequency (RF) electrical meter that transmits data about your electrical usage to your power company, consider yourself lucky!
Just a few years ago, homes had analog electrical meters that were manually checked by electrical company staff once or twice a month.
However, thanks largely in part to government funding through the Smart Grid Investment, there are now over 100 million Smart Meters attached to American homes
Here’s what you need to know about Smart Meter Radiation.
The Problems With Smart Meter Radiation
There are several problems with Smart Meter technology from a health, safety, and consent perspective.
Let’s start with the health and safety concerns.
Although these meters make things easier on the power companies, no one ever studied the potential human health impacts of their 24/7 microbursts of RF radiation. This is troubling and puzzling given they emit 60 times more radio frequency radiation than the United States’ Safe Limit
Plus, RF radiation has been classified as a possible carcinogen to humans by the World Health Organization International Agency for Research on Cancer
Finally, Smart Meters produce wireless RF radiation (EMFs that ride on air) as well as dirty electricity, an EMF that rides on wires (we’ll cover dirty electricity more in a future post).
Yet, most Americans have had Smart Meters installed on their homes without their active consent.
You even hear stories of homeowners formally telling power companies that they wished to “opt out” (as is their right), only to discover that one had been installed while they were out. This violates informed consent.
Most power companies send out notifications when they’ll be installing Smart Meters in a specific area, but they do not inform the public of any potential health risks, nor do they necessarily make it easy or obvious to opt out.
One of the industry arguments against giving people the right to opt-out is that people already have cell phones and WiFi in their homes, so having a Smart Meter doesn't matter.
The salient point missed is this; we have the ability to turn off our cell phones, electronic devices, and WiFi at night and/or put our cell phones on airplane mode when we sleep; with a Smart meter, we do not have that choice.
Though studies into the effects of Smart Meters specifically are sorely lacking (despite over 6000 studies collaborating a connection between EMFs and serious health issues
What’s even more concerning is the potential health impacts to developing babies and children who have been shown much more vulnerable to the dangers of electromagnetic fields.
Currently, there are many personal injury lawsuits against utility companies that unfortunately have gag orders in place for settlement. Gag orders often delay public awareness of vital information.
Consider that the key element of “The Precautionary Principle” is to stir us to take anticipatory action in the absence of scientific certainty. You can opt out of the Smart Meter!
The Solution! Swap Your Smart Meter and Opt Out*
Hands-down, our first recommendation is to have your Smart Meter removed. This is entirely within your right as a consumer and only takes a quick phone call to the power company.
The downside? They’ll probably charge you a one-time removal fee and nominal monthly fee to use the old analog meter. While this is hardly fair, it is a small price to pay for reducing one of the biggest sources of household EMFs.
We’d also recommend placing a laminated note on your meter saying: “We have opted out of Smart Meter installation. DO NOT INSTALL A SMART METER at “your address,” and take a photo of it so you have proof should the power company make a mistake.
If removal is not within your budget and/or you live in a rental, the next best thing is to use a SmartMeter shield which buffers radio frequencies by 90-95%.
Smart Meters also create dirty electricity which is another type of EMF pollution that travels on building wiring. This dirty electricity can be reduced with dirty electricity filters. If possible, consider relocating your bedroom, and your children’s bedrooms, away from the meter.
If you live in an apartment complex and/or are planning to move to one, be sure you do not rent a unit that abuts the Smart Meters connected to the building’s many units. Be aware that apartment companies do lease apartments that back right up to dozens of Smart Meters. Inquire with the apartment before signing a lease!
Finally, if you happen to live in a home that does not have a Smart Meter, put that sign on your analog meter and encourage your neighbors to do the same.
And if/when the power company starts installing them in your neighborhood, inform them via phone and email that you opt-out. That way, even if they accidentally install one, they’ll have to remove it for free.
Your Voice Matters! Speak Out Against Smart Meters
The only way to stop the spread of Smart Meters is to make our voices heard. The best place to start is by sharing this information with your friends and neighbors, as most people are unaware of the safety issues.
If they’re skeptical, refer them to this article and the BioInitiative Report linked here and referenced above.
We’d also encourage you to write your local, state, and federal representatives to encourage more research and make your objections known. Believe it or not, the government has a huge say in how technologies like this are used via Smart Grid legislation.
Learn more about your state’s stake in Smart Grid legislation here.
*A Thank You To The People of California
The precedence for opting out was set by California several years ago when people started having physical repercussions from the installation of Smart Meters. Californians (many of them were my clients) fought a bitter battle and finally won the right to opt-out of a smart meter. Their battle won is the reason you also have the right!
Further Reading
For more on this topic, check out:
Marilee Nelson
Marilee Nelson is an Environmental Toxins expert who has spent nearly 30 years advocating for the chemically-sensitive and chronically-ill. She is a Board Certified Nutritionist, Certified Bau-Biologist and Bau-Biology Inspector and specializes in Food As Medicine. She has helped thousands of families and individuals identify, heal and recover from toxic exposures and is on a mission to revolutionize the way American families view their health.
