This thing buys into the rather cranky health effects of RF theories, none of which have been proven.
And ANY electronic device plugged into house wiring will create a “signal”. Smartmeters are no exception, nor are they exceptional in this way. Your PC or TV set will do the same thing.
Millions of Smartmeters have been deployed in many countries and many locations in the US, with no measurable health effects.
That said, the utility permits health cranks and other silly people to bypass the meters. They are irrelevant. Smartmeters now are bout 80% deployed in California, and will, within a year or so, get to 95%.
And the real benefit of Smartmeters is to utilities - they replace human meter-readers.
This is where the chutzpah really hits you in the face. They know this means they can cut meter readers from the force and the system will pay for itself in a month or so. So do they show a credit on your electric bill to reflect the new efficiency? Oh, no, they stick a charge on there.
Thousands more out of jobs.
And the real benefit of Smartmeters is to utilities - they replace human meter-readers.
That’s the ONLY benefit. However, by reducing their work force, they reduce their expenditures, or cost of doing business. They should reduce everyone’s bill by a proportionate amount of money they reduce their expenditures. *IF* that is all these meters were being used for, I’d be less apprehensive about it.
Of course, I don’t use the ‘self-check-out’ line at the grocery stores either, because I don’t get a discount on the cost of my groceries by doing the work myself.
One would think that the savings would pay for those smart meters in a very short time. So why the (probably permanent) 7% extra charge?
Utilities and government... do the have the same unions? Will there be a warehouse somewhere where meter readers will be paid to be there doing nothing like New York incompetent teachers?