There are many benefits to having a smart meter at your home. For example, a smart meter can pinpoint power outages at a house, so BC Hydro's crew can head straight to the trouble spot, thus getting the lights on faster.
People may ask, "are the benefits really worth the health risk that may
follow?" There are rumours indicating that wireless transmissions can have a harmful effect on health, at levels that are much lower than the safety guidelines. When these guidelines were drafted, it was under the assumption that radiation can damage living tissue if it
generated enough heat.
A study in 2004, however, showed that radiation at much lower levels might have direct electrical effects, which could give rise to illnesses like electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
Some people may think that cell phones and wireless smart meters are sources of potentially damaging
radiation. However, a closer look at the smart meter reveals that it produces a maximum power density of 0.05mW/cm2, whereas the maximum exposure limit for the general public set by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 0.6mW/ cm2, which indicates the smart meter, is in the safe zone. As well, BC Hydro announced that exposure from a smart meter over 20 years is equivalent to a single 30-minute cell phone call, indicating a cell phone has a stronger electric effect than the smart meter. So if you are worried about radiation from a smart meter you should also worry about radiation from a cell phone.
Brian Huang
Prince George
