Monday, July 11, 2011

Smart Meters. Bad Meters?

Posted on July 11th, 2011 by Nick

We previously informed you about the benefits of smart meters, the most important one being efficient power management for utilities and consumers. However, we didn’t cover the rising opposition to the smart meter roll-out, as recently shown in the New York Times Green blog. Why should we oppose smart meters?

The Problem

A number of advocacy groups throughout the nation have been fighting against smart meters, voicing concerns on things like health risks and interference problems with other equipment; even though we live surrounded by electronics that more or less have the same risks. From the microwave oven to the cell phone, a lot of electronics emit small doses of radiation to simply do the work we ask them to do.

The chart below shows the radio-frequency power density (micro-watts per square centimeter) for various common devices. You can see that exposure from smart meters is relatively low. This chart was obtained from a Utilities Telecom Council study [PDF] refuting the health risks.

Looking from the consumer’s point of view, there are several studies for and against radiation exposure risks from cell phones for example. Such reports always seem to end up in constant dispute of each other, leaving the consumer puzzled.

As far as equipment interference is concerned, I can say from experience that getting a bunch of wireless systems near each other opens the door for potential interference. A cordless phone system can interfere with the wireless router etc. All these wireless products were completed with varying testing practices, using during different stages of communication technology, with an urgency to get the product out to the customer. If that is the case, then any new product is deemed to have some technical issues.

The Solution?

At Sobuka, we believe in the importance of having a healthy and eco-friendly environment. We do not have all the information to make a decision, nor do we fully back the conclusions of one organization over another. All we know is that consumers are confused, if not scared. As such, the only smart thing the average consumer can do is say “too much of anything is bad for me” and use things in moderation, or wait for some general consensus and then make a decision.

The utilities rolling out smart meters must successfully address the concerns of the consumer, and deploy high-quality products. And we’re not the only ones saying that: the Washington D.C. Office of the People’s Counsel submitted a petition in September, to local utility company PEPCO, asking for a delay on the deployment of smart meters until consumers are better educated. One of the posts linked above mentioned the use of different methods to get smart meters to transmit information safely. If alternate methods work better and address all the consumer’s concerns, then utilities should move in that direction.

The bottom line is that utilities with vested interest should not force the technology on the consumer without addressing some of the debatable issues. Similarly, consumers should make the phone calls and ask the questions to better educate themselves. That’s the only way we can move forward.

Posted via email from simplelivinggreen's posterous

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