Smart Meters, Dumb Science

[SidDithers]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-h-bailey/smart-meters-dumb-science_b_2768405.html

Those promoting these bans cite health risks. Some claim "electromagnetic hypersensitivity," or in other words that radiation from devices such as smart meters cause dizziness, fatigue, headaches, seizures, memory loss or other maladies. Others claim that smart meters cause cancer. Similar episodes have occurred in the UK, Canada and elsewhere, but on this as with many similar issues, pseudoscience is making the greatest inroads in the United States.

Scientific facts

So what are the scientific facts here?

To begin with, smart meters use basically the same wireless technology as cell phones. The FCC, after reviewing many scientific studies, has set wireless radiation standards, with which all manufacturers of smart meters easily comply. The frequency of cellular technology microwave radiation corresponds to a wavelength of approximately 30 centimeters, or roughly one foot. This wavelength is thousands of times larger than structures in the brain responsible for mental processes, and so claims that wireless radiation can cause maladies such as "dizziness" or "memory loss" are absurd.

But what about other claims of smart meter health effects? What about claims of cancer? Here again, the scientific evidence is quite clear.

In 2010, a 13-nation study commissioned by the World Health Organization found at most a very minimal and partially contradictory link between cancer risk and heavy cell-phone usage. Along this line, concerns that cell phone usage by pregnant mothers endangers their fetuses are wildly exaggerated.

It is also instructive to compare the radiation levels of smart meters with those of other wireless devices. Smart meters only transmit data for roughly 1.4 seconds per day, at very low wattage. And even if one stands less than one meter (3 feet) from a smart meter when it broadcasts its data, the resulting microwave exposure is 550 times less than standing in front of an active microwave oven, and 1100 times less than holding an active cell phone to one's ear.

Don't buy into the "smart meters are teh evil!!" bullshit. The amount of your total EM exposure from smart meters is miniscule, compared to the other sources you're surrounded by every day.

Science. It's a good thing.

Sid

[Common Sense Party]

1. For anyone else who, like me, isn't smart enough to know what a "smart meter" is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_meter

It's a utility meter that regularly sends the usage info to the utility company. I guess.

[hunter]

2. I don't like them because they can turn off your electricity by remote control.

They used to send a human being out when you didn't pay your bill on time, and that often gave a person a few days past the "deadline" to get the money together.

Now a computer shuts off your electricity the minute your time is up. No human interaction at all. But it's still a big hassle to get it turned back on, and they claim it's for safety reasons. They wouldn't want to turn it on, you know, like if you happened to be sitting in a bathtub full of water trying to make toast.

I miss seeing the friendly meter reader coming by while I'm gardening, and I'll bet the meter reader misses his job.

[Gregorian]

5. Whoops, disregard this post.

They do have switching capacity. Fuck, things sure have gotten small these days. Hard to believe.


You may very well be right. I really doubt it. My dad and I ran an electronics company which has since branched into "smart" meters. I can check with him on this, although if we search it's probably on the net. I have serious doubts that they have switching capacity in them.

[hunter]

12. We've had our electricity turned off this way. Twice.

Kid's in college, medical bills we can't pay, life is great!

Before smart meters we never had our electricity disconnected for late payments, even in worse financial situations.

We've got a 90 amp 240 volt service, by the way, which is code minimum here because nobody has or needs air conditioning.

We used to live in an old house with 30 amp 120 volt service and had to be careful whenever the washer and gas dryer were both running not to use other high wattage devices, hair dryer, microwave, vacuum cleaner, etc...)

[REP]

8. TelCos have been able to disco service remotely for years

And reconnects are done remotely, too; and for some reason, they take longer to complete usually.

[tammywammy]

3. The only concern I had when they installed my smart meter

Was there were news reports about some people's electricity bills shooting up two or three times what they were before. After a few months of constant news articles about it, I haven't heard that again. They installed a smart meter at my home and I haven't had any issues. I really like that I get weekly emails from Reliant with my usage and it's broken down by the hour so I can see my usage on each day.

[REP]

6. I can go online and check my usage and costs daily

PGE is the devil, but the SmartMeter thing is convenient. Of course, my SmartMeter has programmed me to say that.

[tammywammy]

7. I probably can do that too.

I just look at the weekly email. And they tell me how much I spent last month and my predicted bill at the end of the current month. Pretty nifty. They also charge less for electricity in the evening/night than during the day on the plan I'm on.

[REP]

10. I get a bill estimate based on this month's usage

The estimate changes during a bill period like this one, that starts out hot and then goes to, "the coldest winter I ever spent was July in San Francisco." (Mark Twain)

[oldhippie]

13. Where are you that you can get a time of use plan from Reliant?

I have Reliant as my electric provider here in Central Texas, but I haven't seen any time of day/use plan available here. Are you in a different state?

On edit: I see from your profile you are in Texas. Are you in the Oncor service area? I wonder if being close to a bigger city makes Time of Use plans more available?

[sufrommich]

4. You will never convince conspiratorial people

with facts. It can't be done.

[Comrade Grumpy]

9. There is a strong woo-woo movement against smart meters where I live.

And those darned "chem trails," too.

On the plus side, we also have a plentitude of reiki massage therapists.

[zappaman]

11. I disagree!

I live near the ocean, and since these have been installed in many houses around here, I have noticed less mermaids.
In fact, I haven't seen a mermaid in some time!

Do you really think it's a coincidence that mermaids stopped hanging around right when these smart meters started to be installed????

Connect the dots!!!!

[Union Scribe]

14. Rec. nt