The original idea for smart meters - meters that allow public utilities to monitor customer usage of electricity and water, date back to around 2006. Without much testing, and due to government corruption, a lot of public utilities are widely adopting smart meters, much to the disdain, disgust, and chagrin of the public.
While touted as a way to have more accurate readings of energy usage, they’ve been proven to not only be the opposite, but also have some undesirable (and previously undisclosed effects).
The smart meters use WI-FI, and RF (radio frequency) radiation, as a way to send the usage of the customer, to the utility company that owns it. Unfortunately, this radiation, while supposedly a fraction of that of a cell phone/mobile device, can be 100s of times that, throughout the day.
What should be disturbing (but not surprising), is that none of this has been peer-reviewed, or tested for any health effects on the population.
It’s bad enough we live in an environment where there’s widespread EM (electromagnetic) radiation via the cell phone towers, as well as radio towers. But now we have companies using smart meters that haven’t been proven to be safe.
The FCC, the governing body that’s supposed to regulate things of this nature, has been silent.
As far as being able to opt out of having a smart meter on your property: you can expect to pay a monthly fee that ranges from $15-50, depending on what utility company/PUD you receive your power from.
The real question is: if there’s an abundance of energy for everyone, why charge people for choosing something that won’t affect their health? In my not so humble opinion, this reeks of extortion and agendas. Why companies are allowed to do this, should definitely be questioned.
keep in mind, that this is my opinion, and I never said I was always right. But there's something unwholesome about being charged a monthly fee to have technology that won't harm your health.
I naturally wonder what the angle is...
i've been battling Puget power and now the gas company. They're forcing the smart meter. And they want to charge me $25 a month to not use it but it will still be installed. And then I have to take a picture with my smart phone and send it to them so basically I'm reading my own meter with my smart phone. It's still Wi-Fi ,right after they installed a smart meter for electricity on my house, my husband got bladder cancer. And I kept fighting them ,I did not want it but they snuck it in anyway. I did some research I know in Texas there's a lot of lawsuits going on trying to stop the smart meters. I haven't checked into it lately, but that's what it was about two years ago. Now they're getting ready to install another smart meter on my house. For the gas company. My power and gas are so outrageous there's no way I can afford an extra 25 or $50 a month. And what if I have a flip phone and I don't do apps ? Or text? there just cramming this down our throat. Sorry for the rant . but thank you so much for bringing it up, I also talked to the meter reader last week he said there's 800 of them who are now going to be without a job. And he's been doing this for 20 years and has kids to support. So sad so greedy these companies