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Old 08-26-2013, 08:46 AM
 
1,915 posts, read 3,975,342 times
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Someone was pounding on my door about 40 minutes ago. I didn't answer, of course....but just opened my door and found a door tag from BGE that said that a technician came by to install a Smartmeter. My meter is inside my house, so they couldn't access it.

I have been researching this Smartmeter and found that these things emit levels of radiation. WTF?

No way in hell will I let someone in my house to install one! I also found this website with some really informative information:

Maryland Smart Meter Awareness

Anyone have one of these crazy meters? Not sure if it matters whether I have them installed or not, since I have a row house and my neighbors most likely are getting them installed. Regardless, I am concerned about the health risks these devices may impose.
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Old 08-26-2013, 12:24 PM
 
Location: Newark, DE
201 posts, read 412,596 times
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We moved to Delaware in 2011, but the apartment complex in which we lived in Baltimore before that installed them in all the apartments in 2010. It was nice being able to program it and operate it remotely, but very annoying when it would cycle off on the really hot days.

I don't know anything about the radiation levels, but I'd be surprised if it were more than that of cell phones, which of course we all hold right next to our heads.
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Old 08-26-2013, 05:23 PM
 
Location: Fed Hill
252 posts, read 422,812 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kristin730 View Post
We moved to Delaware in 2011, but the apartment complex in which we lived in Baltimore before that installed them in all the apartments in 2010. It was nice being able to program it and operate it remotely, but very annoying when it would cycle off on the really hot days.

I don't know anything about the radiation levels, but I'd be surprised if it were more than that of cell phones, which of course we all hold right next to our heads.
That is not a smart meter, it is a PeakRewards thermostat. That is controlled via the same radio frequencies that BGE uses to communicate to linemen in the area. Technically all radio frequencies are radiation.

Last edited by cdmoore125; 08-26-2013 at 05:39 PM..
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Old 08-26-2013, 05:38 PM
 
Location: Fed Hill
252 posts, read 422,812 times
Reputation: 80
Quote:
Originally Posted by kharing View Post
Someone was pounding on my door about 40 minutes ago. I didn't answer, of course....but just opened my door and found a door tag from BGE that said that a technician came by to install a Smartmeter. My meter is inside my house, so they couldn't access it.

I have been researching this Smartmeter and found that these things emit levels of radiation. WTF?

No way in hell will I let someone in my house to install one! I also found this website with some really informative information:

Maryland Smart Meter Awareness

Anyone have one of these crazy meters? Not sure if it matters whether I have them installed or not, since I have a row house and my neighbors most likely are getting them installed. Regardless, I am concerned about the health risks these devices may impose.
I have a smart meter & I am happy with it. It took 5-10 minutes from the tech stepping in my door to leaving. There are a few things you need to know, and I really encourage you to look at the website to read the details.
1. If you do not switch to a smart meter, you will have to pay an opt out fee and then a monthly fee for having someone come out and read your meter each month.
2. It does emit RF, just as any cell phone or wifi does. If it bothers you, you may choose to opt out, but it is costly. Smart meters have been deployed in many parts of the country years ago, and the East coast is slow to adopt. You can read up on some of the issues other regions have had and make your own choice. Microwaves, walkie-talkies, TVs, and radio stations all emit RF. How do you think any signal is transmitted? If you want to avoid any RF, my advice is to avoid any civilization, just because RF is everywhere. What I do think though, the RF emitted from the meter would be so short in length that it is safer than sitting near a WiFi device for more than a minute. The power of the RF should be pretty small since the meters only need to communicate with one another rather than broadcasting a long distance, like a cell phone.
3. They can save you money in the coming years as Smart Energy Manager rolls out (see the BGE website). Smart meters will help them establish your baseline usage and then credit you with discounts for reducing that on hot days.

There is no doubt that smart meters are a hot topic, and they do emit RF. I think you need to present both sides of the argument though.


Also of note, I am a brain cancer survivor. I still use my cell phone and am around WiFi all day, so I was not overly concerned with a little more RF.
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Old 08-26-2013, 06:37 PM
 
450 posts, read 793,540 times
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I don't know if I have a smart meter or not and I wouldn't have any particular problem if I did. All I know is that the BGE meter reader just drives slowly through the neighborhood seems to get the readings.
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Old 08-27-2013, 12:35 AM
 
1,915 posts, read 3,975,342 times
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cdmoore125, thanks for the link. I read through it and came across this:

In January, the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) issued an order that Maryland utilities should provide customers with an additional option related to the installation of smart meters in their homes. The PSC is still conducting proceedings to determine whether customers can retain their current meter or if utilities will have to provide customers with smart meters that operate in an “RF-free” or near RF-free manner. The PSC will require that customers who select the ultimately approved option pay the appropriate costs.

Pay extra to NOT have radiation, really? I am a bit skeptical of these things even more now!

Pages - Can I opt out, or choose not to have a meter installed?
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Old 08-27-2013, 06:16 AM
 
Location: Fed Hill
252 posts, read 422,812 times
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Yes, because with smart meters, your billing can be completed without anyone going to read your meter; the data is collected via the RF. If you do not have a smart meter, you are one of the few that will be paying the costs of having someone physically come out to your house. While that cost use to be borne by all of your neighbors, now it will only be a few.

Further smart meters give the utilities an opportunity to shut power off remotely, saving costs of sending someone out. It can also reduce credit costs for people who do not pay their bills.

The amount has not been set, I do not believe. You can follow the PSC for the amount when finalized.
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Old 08-27-2013, 09:59 AM
 
1,915 posts, read 3,975,342 times
Reputation: 3061
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdmoore125 View Post
Yes, because with smart meters, your billing can be completed without anyone going to read your meter; the data is collected via the RF. If you do not have a smart meter, you are one of the few that will be paying the costs of having someone physically come out to your house. While that cost use to be borne by all of your neighbors, now it will only be a few.

Further smart meters give the utilities an opportunity to shut power off remotely, saving costs of sending someone out. It can also reduce credit costs for people who do not pay their bills.

The amount has not been set, I do not believe. You can follow the PSC for the amount when finalized.
Interesting point of view. Guess I need to do more research. Still not convinced that they pose less health risks than a cell phone. Plus, others reporting that their bills actually increased after the Smartmeter was installed. It puts the consumer at a great disadvantage. Thanks for your input!
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Old 08-27-2013, 12:08 PM
 
Location: Fed Hill
252 posts, read 422,812 times
Reputation: 80
It is quite possible that bills increase (meters spin slower and incorrectly over time), but how can you effectively measure that unless you involve a lot of statistics to tie usage, weather, and number people in your house doing the same thing as the year before?
As far as cell phones, see the Huffington Post.

"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."

I feel like posting from a liberal news source's blog (I think liberals are more against smart meters) should be of some support, but there a ton of articles and videos out there.
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Old 08-28-2013, 08:41 PM
 
225 posts, read 426,761 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdmoore125 View Post
It is quite possible that bills increase (meters spin slower and incorrectly over time), but how can you effectively measure that unless you involve a lot of statistics to tie usage, weather, and number people in your house doing the same thing as the year before?
As far as cell phones, see the Huffington Post.

"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."

I feel like posting from a liberal news source's blog (I think liberals are more against smart meters) should be of some support, but there a ton of articles and videos out there.

This has nothing to do with liberals or conservatives. Radiation just means photons and could be anything from radio waves (harmless) to gamma rays. Obviously in this case it is long wavelength and passes harmlessly through your body, just like the radio waves given off by your cell phone, microwave or the wiring in your house. It is not difficult to understand. What frequency is the radiation, and is it absorbed by the body. That's all you need to ask. Critical thinking people, jeez.
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