Smart Meters - Public Service Commission

valuable trends in how and when you use energy that is very useful for the power
company. Smart meters eliminate the need for meter readers, allow power to be turned
on and off remotely, and help utilities avoid widespread blackouts. Also, as GOOD
points out,
“the big benefit of smart meters is ‘dynamic pricing.’ By providing utility companies with
near real-time information about how much energy people in a given area are using,
smart meters allow them to set the price for electricity according to the current
demand.”
Many power companies have mandated the use of smart meters, hoping that it will help
save both they and their customers some money. It’s important to note that while smart
meters do increase efficiency, they are not the same as in-home energy monitors, or
“smart thermostats” that enable residents to track and reduce their energy use
automatically–smart meters are installed by and provide information to the utility
company only.
Recently, however, there’s been some backlash against smart meters. Some concerned
citizens claim that the radio frequencies that smart meters use to transmit information
are harmful to human health. Many of these residents say they’ve experienced new or
worsening health problems since a utility smart meter system has been installed on their
home or in their neighborhood. Complaints range from insomnia, anxiety, and
headaches to skin rashes, heart palpitations, and nausea. They claim that these health
problems are the result of radio waves emitted by the smart meters as information is
transmitted to and from the power company, and they want the right to opt out of
installation.
This may sound like a little outlandish and conspiratorial, and might normally be
dismissed with a laugh, but there are several substantial websites and grassroots efforts
dedicated to furthering this theory. “Wireless technology is a public health hazard,
claims a website called StopSmartMeters.org. “Smart meters can violate already high
FCC limits on human exposure to microwave radiation, and are being installed even as
people are developing ‘electro-sensitivity.’ There are also reports of ‘smart’ meter
interference with pacemakers and other implants.”
Another, known as the EMF Safety Network, went so far as to file a request with the
California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Application in April of 2010 asking for a
moratorium on the deployment, public health hearings and an RF emissions study.
According to the group’s website, the request was denied last month, so they’re now
moving to sue the CPUC for failing to address serious smart meter issues, including
health and safety impacts.