by Katherine | 21 Feb, 2015 | Government and Electricity Industry Positions, Latest News
It has been reported to www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz by many NZers that they have been told by representatives of their power company that there is a government deadline for electricity meter replacement by April 1 2015.
This is NOT true.
What the Electricity Authority (EA) regulations state is that meters need to have a current certification at that time.
If you live in a relatively new home (built during or after October 1999) your electricity meter may be certified up until and beyond April 1 2015. (See below for how you can check on when your meter’s certification expires.)
If you live in a home with an older meter (those installed prior to October 1999) as of this writing (February 2015) your meter will have “interim” certification that is due to lapse on April 1.
In the case of meters which have an interim certification which is due to expire, electricity companies can variously choose to either:
i) Re-certify those meters which currently have “interim certification”,
ii) OR get an exemption from the EA from having to recertify the meter by April 1, 2015
iii) OR replace the meter with a new meter.
NB: If a meter has reached the end of its useful life, The EA regulations do NOT specify the type of electricity meter that may be used to replace it; electricity companies can CHOOSE between smart meters, electronic meters that are not smart meters and traditional analogue (electromechanical Ferraris) meters. All of these types of meters are on the NZ market.
(NB: To see some of the alternatives to smart meters that are on the NZ market on the website of Legacy Metering Group, please click HERE to visit the appropriate page of the company’s website.)
There is NO government requirement for electricity companies to install smart meters in homes or small businesses.
If someone from your electricity company tells you that they have to install a smart meter because it is a “government requirement” or words to that effect, they are either misinformed or lying.
If you have an older meter (or do not know the age of your meter), there are two ways of finding this out.
- Call your electricity retailer and ask if they have a record of when your meter’s certification is due to expire. Electricity retailers have access this information and should give it to you.
OR
- If your electricity retailer has given you incorrect information in the past (so you do not trust the company to tell you the truth regarding your meter’s certification status), you can obtain the information by making a request under the Official Information Act (OIA) to the Electricity Authority for information relating to the meter at your address.
If you decide to make a request under the OIA, include the ICP number for the electricity the electricity service to your home (which will be on your bill) in the request. A simple statement to the effect that “under the Official Information Act” you require the information held by the EA about the meter at your address, including its certification status and when its certification expires “ should get the information easily.
EA contact details are at this link:
https://www.ea.govt.nz/about-us/contact-us/
You can email a request under Official Information Act; it is not necessary to send it by post.
The next steps…
Once you know whether or not your meter’s certification is going to be valid beyond April 2015, you can make a decision about what to do next. (You may well find you have a certified meter and do not need to make any decisions.)
However, if you electricity meter’s certification is due to lapse on April 1 and/or you are with an electricity retailer that is that is insisting that you accept a smart meter, if you do not want a smart meter, you may have to consider changing companies.
There is information at this link that you may find helpful if this is the case.
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/how-to-get-rid-of-a-smart-meter/
NB: If you are being offered a smart meter that has had its wireless transmission capacity disabled, please read this post so that you are aware the the issues with these types of meters before making your decision: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/government-and-electricity-industry-positions/comparing-analogue-ferraris-meters-with-smart-meters-which-have-had-the-modem-removed/
Want to stay updated on the smart meter issue in NZ?
There is a free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Please sign up to it and you will get email updates.
by Katherine | 21 Feb, 2015 | Uncategorized
Site editor’s report: Here is a report from a New Zealander that I received earlier this week.
Please note that reports of smart meter-related illness made to www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz (such as via https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/contact-us/) are treated in confidence and information not posted on this site unless permission is given in writing.)
I just wanted to report that a smart meter was installed in our house three years ago (in the garage under my bedroom). I suffered intermittent bout of irregular and fast heart beats, especially during the night, four cardiology reviews, treadmills echoes .. No answers…. The modem in the smart meter* was deactivated five months ago, and we hardwired our computers … No more heart problems !!
In my view the smart meter had everything to do with my symptoms.
[Full name supplied – Ed]
*Ed note: The smart meter was an EDMI Mk7C brand which has a modem that can be removed or disconnected. (The modem in a smart meter, also sometimes called a “network interface card” or “comms unit” is the part of the smart meter that produces the microwave radiation.) The family was initially with Mercury but Mercury refused to do anything to help so they changed to Contact which deactivated the modem.
by Katherine | 18 Feb, 2015 | Events, Latest News, Science, Uncategorized
An Environmental Sensitivities Symposium is coming up in 2015. The Symposium is designed to help people with a variety of illnesses, including those who have electromagnetic sensitivity (also known as electrosensitivity or electrohypersensitivity), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), food allergies and other conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Lyme disease.
The Symposium features international experts such as:
Michael Bevington is the chair of Trustees of the charity ElectroSensitivity UK (See
http://es-uk.info/)
and
Prof Olle Johansson, associate professor, head of the Experimental Dermatology Unit, Department of Neuroscience, at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, is a world-leading authority in the field of EMF radiation and health effects.
Other speakers include:
Martin Pall, PhD, Dr Christabelle Yeoh and Lucinda Curran.
Basic access to the online Symposium is FREE while there are upgrades available for modest fees. (A book option is available for people who have severe electrosensitivity issues and cannot use a computer.)
The Symposium website is below:
NB: Please let colleagues, friends and family know about this event as public education about conditions such as electrosensitivity and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is badly needed to help improve the lives of people who have these conditions easier. (The current lack of knowledge among the general public about electrosensitivity, MCS etc. makes life harder than it should be for people who have developed these conditions as neighbours may inadvertently cause harm, by for example, allowing the installation of a smart meter close to the home of some who has electrosensitivity, or by using toxic garden chemicals etc. etc.)
by Katherine | 18 Feb, 2015 | Government and Electricity Industry Positions, Latest News
EMR Australia’s free quarterly newsletter is now available.
This issue is particularly good and features an interview with Melbourne physician Dr. Federica Lamech whose article on adverse health effects from smart meters was recently published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The issue may be downloaded from this link:
htttp://emraustralia.com.au/EMR_and_health.html
The other topics for this issue are listed below:
- France’s new law to reduce exposure to wireless radiation;
- how mobile phones affect the brain and fertility;
- a recent Australian study on smart meters and how they’re affecting people;
- an interview with the study’s author, Dr Federica Lamech;
- the European Union’s new position on electromagnetic hypersensitivity;
- sleeping on spring coil mattresses – is it a good idea?
- chemical sensitivity;
- how digital technology affects sleep;
- a new Australian book on chemical and electromagnetic sensitivity by Diana Crumpler;
- the latest news and research and items of interest from around the world.
SOURCE: http://www.naturalmedicine.net.nz/news/free-emr-and-health-newsletter-new-edition-out-now/
by Katherine | 17 Feb, 2015 | Latest News, Privacy, Uncategorized
The website smartgridawareness.org, which features intelligent commentary on issues relating to “smart” meters and the “smart” grid has revealed a simple strategy that hackers could use to economically paralyse any country that is dependent on so called “smart” meters to measure electricity use at households and businesses.
As you can see at the link below, any person, organisation or country with hostile intent who has programming skills (or the money to hire the services of a programmer) could cause economic and social chaos in a targeted area through the following means:
1) Hack into the computer system controlling smart meters
2) Access the “remote disconnect” feature and switch off power to homes and businesses
As smartgridawareness.org reports:
In 2009, a researcher named Mike Davis developed a worm that was designed to do just this…
“The vendor scoffed at Davis’s simulation, … That’s when Davis delivered his final blow and told the vendor that his malicious software didn’t just turn the power off, it also deleted the firmware update on the meters so they couldn’t be updated again to restore power. …”
The full story is at this link: http://smartgridawareness.org/2015/02/16/smart-meters-not-secured/
The vulnerability of smart meters to cyber attacks is another good reason to keep your analogue (Ferraris) meter or to insist on a non-smart meter if your existing meter has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced. Smart meters are not compulsory in NZ.
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you.
by Katherine | 14 Feb, 2015 | Latest News, Privacy
What impact could smart meters and the “Internet of Things” have on your privacy? This topic is explored on the link below:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/digital-electronic-internet-of-things-and-smart-grid-technologies-to-fully-eviscerate-privacy/5428595
In the meantime, if you want to retain control of the appliances in your home (rather than cede it to your electricity retailer and/or lines company) you may wish to consider doing the following:
1) Refuse to get a smart meter or getting an existing smart meter removed
2) Making sure that any appliances that you may purchase or already have in your home are not s0-called smart appliances.
Please see the link below for information on how a smart meter may allow your electricity company to take control over your heat pump or air conditioner – and how to choose a model that should not be vulnerable to this type of corporate hijacking:
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/government-and-electricity-industry-positions/smart-meters-heat-pumps-and-demand-response-functionality/
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you.
by Katherine | 14 Feb, 2015 | Latest News, Take Back Your Power
The website of the award-winning smart meter documentary Take Back Your Power (www.takebackyourpower.net) has reported on how emails of the former president of the California Public Utilities Commission show that he was aware of adverse health effects from smart meters from as early as 2010 but chose not to do anything to protect public health. He was similarly aware of the problems with high bills after smart meter installations but did nothing to stop the smart meter roll out from going ahead.
You can read excerpts from key emails at this link:
http://www.takebackyourpower.net/news/2015/02/13/utility-commissioners-private-emails-reveal-conspiracy/
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you.
by Katherine | 14 Feb, 2015 | Government and Electricity Industry Positions, Latest News, Privacy, Smart water meters
“Smart” water meters are currently being trialled in Tairua on the Coromandel and are being considered by the Waikato District Council (see links below for details).
The report at this link http://smartgridawareness.org/2015/02/13/how-smart-water-meters-invade-privacy/
outlines how smart water meters can infringe people’s privacy.
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz Thank you.
Tairua smart water meter trial
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/uncategorized/tairua-smart-water-meter-update/
Waikato District Council plans for smart water meters
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/smart-water-meters-2/waikato-district-council-vote-on-water-meters-and-smart-water-meters/
General smart water meter information in NZ
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/smart-water-meters-in-nz-the-situation-so-far/
by Katherine | 12 Feb, 2015 | Events, Latest News, Privacy, Take Back Your Power
Your chance to see the award winning smart meter documentary Take Back Your Power is coming up on February 24 in Auckland. (If you are not in Auckland, the film may be streamed or purchased from www.takebackyourpower.net.)
This highly recommended documentary covers health, privacy and other issues with smart meters.
Details of the screening are here: http://www.naturalmedicine.net.nz/news/a-chance-to-see-the-award-winning-documentary-take-back-your-power-for-free/
NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue, please sign up to the free email list on www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz and you will receive updates on the situation in NZ.
by Katherine | 11 Feb, 2015 | Government and Electricity Industry Positions, Latest News, Privacy
This morning’s Dominion Post features an article by Ben Heather about how the Privacy Commissioner has received a number of complaints concerning how smart meters infringe on people’s privacy.
Smart meters pose a risk to privacy (and home security) because they collect data about electricity use in half hourly intervals 24/7 and transmit it back to the electricity company (and/or another party such as a lines company).
When this data is “deaggregated” by computers it is possible for power companies (or any other company or individual that has access to the data) to work out what appliances were in use when and thereby build up a profile of activities in a household or business. It is also easily possible to work out when people are home or not at home.
You can read the full story here:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/66079055/smart-meters-power-companies-know-when-youre-home
Other links that you may find interesting if you are interested in privacy issues are here:
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/the-latest-on-how-smart-meters-affect-your-privacy/
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/government-and-electricity-industry-positions/network-tasman-there-are-no-privacy-concerns-with-smart-meters-yeah-right/
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/uncategorized/smart-meters-and-your-privacy/
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/government-and-electricity-industry-positions/mike-mitcham-lecture-on-smart-meters-and-the-smart-grid/
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