Smart Meters: Unsafe Untested Unapproved

Could the power meter outside your home be adversely affecting your health? It doesn't look much different than the old ones did, but the technology is different.

A few years ago, PGE, Oncor and other transmission and distribution providers installed smart meters to send usage information between customers’ homes and the power company using radio frequency waves, or RF. The smart meters allegedly increase efficiency and are a vital part of the industry’s move to smart grids. RF is the same technology used in cell phones, baby monitors, microwaves and Wi-Fi networks.

But there's plenty of buzz on the internet claiming these meters may cause health problems for people who are sensitive to RF.

Opponents on RF technology claim it causes side effects like agitation, dizziness, fatigue, forgetfulness, headaches, interrupted sleep, leg cramps, ringing in the ears, and skin rashes.
 

Some customers in other parts of the country won't even let the meters be installed. In Illinois, two women were arrested for interfering with smart meter installation. In Texas, a woman even pulled a gun on a utility worker to prevent him from installing the smart meter on her home.