Reply to: Smart Meters gas & leccie

[SueEllen]

Nobody has mentioned the health effects and why I definitely won't have a "smart" meter:

Smart Meter Health Complaints | EMF Safety Network

List of symptoms:

Sleep problems (insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, night waking, nightmares)
Stress, agitation, anxiety, irritability
Headaches, sharp pain or pressure in the head
Ringing in the ears, ear pain, high pitched ringing
Concentration, memory or learning problems
Fatigue, muscle or physical weakness
Disorientation, dizziness, or balance problems
Eye problems, including eye pain, pressure in the eyes,
Cardiac symptoms, heart palpitations, heart arrhythmias, chest pain
Leg cramps, or neuropathy
Arthritis, body pain, sharp, stabbing pains
Nausea, flu-like symptoms
Sinus problems, nose bleeds
Respiratory problems, cough, asthma
Skin rashes, facial flushing
Urinary problems
Endocrine disorders, thyroid problems, diabetes
High blood pressure
Changes in menstrual cycle
Hyperactivity or changes in children’s behavior
Seizures
Recurrence of cancer
Taken from EMF Safety Network Survey 2011
Symptoms after Exposure to Smart Meter Radiation By Dr. Ron Powell

Everything in the home can cause health issues - haven't you read the Daily Mail?

[AtW]

I'll wait until they announce New Smart Meters, with lower weight, longer battery power, faster GPU etc etc

[SantaClaus]

Nobody has mentioned the health effects and why I definitely won't have a "smart" meter:

Smart Meter Health Complaints | EMF Safety Network

List of symptoms:

Sleep problems (insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, night waking, nightmares)
Stress, agitation, anxiety, irritability
Headaches, sharp pain or pressure in the head
Ringing in the ears, ear pain, high pitched ringing
Concentration, memory or learning problems
Fatigue, muscle or physical weakness
Disorientation, dizziness, or balance problems
Eye problems, including eye pain, pressure in the eyes,
Cardiac symptoms, heart palpitations, heart arrhythmias, chest pain
Leg cramps, or neuropathy
Arthritis, body pain, sharp, stabbing pains
Nausea, flu-like symptoms
Sinus problems, nose bleeds
Respiratory problems, cough, asthma
Skin rashes, facial flushing
Urinary problems
Endocrine disorders, thyroid problems, diabetes
High blood pressure
Changes in menstrual cycle
Hyperactivity or changes in children’s behavior
Seizures
Recurrence of cancer
Taken from EMF Safety Network Survey 2011
Symptoms after Exposure to Smart Meter Radiation By Dr. Ron Powell

[Antman]

How much electricity is needed to make the coils and magnets and little wheels work and do we pay for it?

Yes and for the comms hub and in-house display unit.

[VectraMan]

My thoughts entirely.

Nothing wrong with a meter full of coils & magnets & little wheels & stuff.

It's when it's got silicon in it you want to worry.

And if the silicon is computery, then it's time to really worry.

How much electricity is needed to make the coils and magnets and little wheels work and do we pay for it?

[Dark Black]

I've had several "we need to change you meter to a smart meter" type letters from our energy supplier - each one with a slightly stronger tone, and each suggesting that it was "necessary" because our meters were old.

I eventually rang them, told them fair enough they could update the meters but that I didn't want a smart one.

Chap on the other end of the phone said "ok, I'll take you off the list"

That was it, so nothing to do with the age of our meters, just a scam to try and get smart ones installed..

[Antman]

Bump.

Has anything changed on this since last year? My supplier (OVO) sent an email saying do I want one. I'm naturally cynical so thought if a company wants me to do something, it's going to be in their interests not mine.

The FAQ doesn't give much info (apart from "Q: Can I still use it if I switch? A: Maybe[...]"

Not bothered about being cut off (I pay), security (it's 3G not Wifi innit?), more about them having 15 minute granularity on usage data for future day/night tarriffs, house value (not got a water meter for that reason as I've heard once one is fitted you can never have it removed?). etc.

This depends on the actual meter you get installed. It was only discovered last year that the first standard woudn't stay smart if you changed supplier. The second standard SMETS2 came out, however due to various procurement strategies, you maybe with a supplier who has a lot of SMETS1 meters which they will install before using moving to the second type.

The business case for the public doesn't stack up, however it is important for the suppliers who want a Smart grid to stop wasting so much energy.

[DaveB]

Of course crims would not think about leaving the lights and TV on when they go out...

Or of checking 'leccy usage on houses they want to burgle. Among other things.

Smart Meter Hack Shuts Off The Lights

[BrilloPad]

Bah! The government will use them to spy on us. "You say you were at home when this crime was committed sir, but your smart meter shows no significant electricity usage although it was cold and dark"

Of course crims would not think about leaving the lights and TV on when they go out...

[vetran]

A valid point, but if they send you a massive unwarranted bill, it's time to wrap the device in tinfoil until it's sorted out.

got a water meter at the last place, they configured the billing wrong so I apparently had an imperial meter (I didn't it was cubic Metrem installed in 2012) so they multiplied the readings by 4. It took me weeks to sort it out. They couldn't see why I shouldn't pay £2500 a year for water.

By the way a water meter will be fitted automatically when you move. Maybe they start doing this with Electric / gas? In the old place the meters were 30 + years old.

[rl4engc]

What would paying have to do with it ? A computer or operator error in a highly bobified industry and your leccy goes off.

Currently, an error (like a massive unwarranted bill ?) would leave you with time to sort it out.

A valid point, but if they send you a massive unwarranted bill, it's time to wrap the device in tinfoil until it's sorted out.

[OwlHoot]

Then it goes on to detail who they were. ...

Yes, that completely spoiled my theory that having such an easy to remember and dial number, the deceased owners must have been chronically lazy and had all died of heart failure due to lack of exercise

[NotAllThere]

Mobile phone number suspended after three users die in 10 years - Telegraph

A mobile phone company has suspended the number 0888 888 888 – after every single person assigned to it died in the last 10 years.

Then it goes on to detail who they were. I fancy this isn't cause and effect, rather that people who had that number were the types more likely to get bumped off.

[xoggoth]

Bah! The government will use them to spy on us. "You say you were at home when this crime was committed sir, but your smart meter shows no significant electricity usage although it was cold and dark"

<xoggoth in usual paranoid mode>

PS Apparently they can track a mobile phone even if location is turned off. Can't find link now.

But did finds a more interesting link re phones

Mobile phone number suspended after three users die in 10 years - Telegraph

[TestMangler]

Bump.

Has anything changed on this since last year? My supplier (OVO) sent an email saying do I want one. I'm naturally cynical so thought if a company wants me to do something, it's going to be in their interests not mine.

The FAQ doesn't give much info (apart from "Q: Can I still use it if I switch? A: Maybe[...]"

Not bothered about being cut off (I pay), security (it's 3G not Wifi innit?), more about them having 15 minute granularity on usage data for future day/night tarriffs, house value (not got a water meter for that reason as I've heard once one is fitted you can never have it removed?). etc.

What would paying have to do with it ? A computer or operator error in a highly bobified industry and your leccy goes off.

Currently, an error (like a massive unwarranted bill ?) would leave you with time to sort it out.