Rob Hutchins died from a medical event at his home in Oamaru on May 4, 2017.
Among his many other achievements, Rob Hutchins founded the Electrosensitivity NZ Trust (ESNZ Trust). He was in touch with literally hundreds of people around New Zealand who have electrosensitivity, offering support and advocacy to people affected by this debilitating condition. (Electrosensitivity is also known as ES, electromagnetic sensitivity (EMS), or electrohypersensitivity (EHS).)
(For some of the information about electrosensitivity on this website, please click HERE, HERE and HERE.)
Rob’s knowledge of the effects of electromagnetic radiation and health was extensive.
Rob was also a key part of the very effective community push-back against smart meters in Oamaru, where he and others helped to organise screenings of the smart meter documentaryTake Back Your Power, newspaper advertisements and other local initiatives.
Rob was well-known locally – in part thanks to his having been the past chairman of the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust that looks after the town’s beautiful historic precinct. He was able to inspire many people to get informed about the smart meters and spread the word about smart meters potential negative impacts on health (including research linking smart meter emissions with the development of electrosensitivity), privacy and electricity bills. He also very effectively spread the message that smart meters are not compulsory – even though electricity company staff may claim that this is the case.
Below is an article published in the Otago Daily Times shortly after Rob’s death.
New Zealand researcher Mary Redmayne PhD recently presented an electronic poster (an e-poster) at the 2017 World Congress on Public Health in Melbourne.
Dr. Redmayne’s research interests include the effects of electromagnetic radiation and health as well as how the use of wireless devices impacts on educational outcomes.
Smart meters are not the only source of potentially carcinogenic microwave radiation (microwave radiation is a Class 2B possible carcinogen) in your home.
The purpose of this post is to help you choose a safe internet system if you want ultrafast broadband for your home or business or live in an area where access to the copper system is going to be phased out. (If you want a lower cost – but not as fast – safe internet system, the click HERE for a budget hardwired internet option that may be used in areas that still have the copper phone line system.)
Considering ultrafast broadband?
Be aware that some systems may have adverse health effects
With the roll-out of fibre optic cabling in many parts of NZ, a number of companies are offering new ultra-fast broadband deals.
While these may certainly be attractive if your current internet access is not reliable, there are some potential health and other disadvantages to consider prior to making a decision about this new technology. (However there are also potentially solutions, too, please read on for details.)
How ultrafast broadband works
While there may be variations, as a general rule, the basic set up to access ultrafast broadband via the new fibre optic cabling system goes like this.
Fibre optic cables are installed in a street. (This is a programmed roll out and you have no control over when your street gets this new infrastructure.) The fibre optic cabling in your street may be installed under your footpath or it may hang from the poles that support your local powerlines.
Once there is fibre optic cabling in place in your street, you may choose to get ultrafast broadband, should you want to do this and have the necessary permissions. (See below.) In some cases there is a charge for fibre installation. In other case it is free.
If you want ultrafast broadband, the first step is to engage a company to install the technology for you.
Very briefly, the major installation steps are:
1) Connecting a fibre optic cable from the fibre optic cabling in the street to the home.
(The fibre optic cable between the street and the home may be above ground – as are the power lines and phone line for most older homes in NZ – or it may be underground.)
The point where the fibre optic cabling is attached to a home is called the External Termination Point (ETP). It looks like a small box affixed to an exterior wall. (NB: If any part of the property is shared (such as a shared driveway or a property for which there is a body corporate) consent from neighbours is needed prior to the installation of the fibre optic cables. People who are renting need the consent of their landlord.)
2) As part of the ultrafast broadband system an Optic Network Terminal (ONT) is installed inside the home.
This has to be placed close to an existing power point with access to household wiring. The ONT will not function during a power outage unless it contains a battery back-up system known as a UPS. (This may not be a standard feature and it may increase the cost of the ONT.)
3) A “Residential Gateway” is installed.
The Residential Gateway can wirelessly control devices such as a smart TV and a cordless phone.
A Residential Gateway also includes ports at the back into which devices such as a corded VOIP (“Voice Over Internet Protocol”) phone or, in some cases other type of phone can be plugged in, either directly or via an adaptor.
(NB: For the link on this website that discusses the different options for a safe corded phone with a fibre system, please click HERE.)
Cable-based or wireless internet is also available via the Residential Gateway. (NB: The wireless internet (wi-fi) capacity of a Residential Gateway will probably be ON as the default mode. However, the wireless capacity can be turned OFF so please ask your internet provider or technician how to do this so that your Residential Gateway does not radiate potentially carcinogenic microwave radiation into your home.)
Also: Some Residential Gateways have a cellular (3G, 4G) backup link option. If they are fitted with a SIM card, this type of Residential Gateway can use the cellular system when the ethernet cable feed from the ONT fails. A user may need to check with an EMF meter or the manufacturer’s documentation that the Residential Gateway doesn’t send cellular queries or heartbeats even without a SIM card installed.
4) Fibre optic cabling may be installed in some of the walls of the home.
(NB: If you want this option you are likely to have to pay extra for it.)
5) In some systems, the existing copper phone line and phone jacks may be disconnected/removed.
Potential drawbacks and health impacts of an ultrafast broadband system of this type include:
If the existing copper phone line and phone jacks inside your home are removed or disconnected, this could leave you without a landline phone in event of a power failure.
(NB: Don’t count on a mobile phone service being available in your area if there is a major event that causes a power blackout. In the part of Auckland where I lived which lost power after the fire at a substation in 2015, the local cellular phone network transmitters also lost power. This meant that the only people in our street who had a functioning phone were people who had corded landline phones, which do not require mains electricity to work (because the local phone exchanges currently have diesel generators to supply power to the exchange and copper phone lines in the event of a black out in their area).
NB: Please note that it is possible to have a corded phone with a fibre system but it may require a new phone that will cost more. Also, any corded phone that is part of a fibre system will require a back up power system (known as a UPS) or you will lose phone access during a power cut. UPS system are NOT standard part of the fibre systems that are being installed in NZ and will be an additional cost. The link below gives more information: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/can-corded-phone-fibre/
If the existing copper phone line and phone jacks inside your home are removed or disconnected, you will have no other option for a landline phone other than a phone that is connected to the fibre system or a cellular phone.
NB: Having to rely on any sort of wireless phone is highly undesirable as cordless phone use has similar brain tumour risks to mobile phones. (See here for a discussion of this issue on the website 5G.org.nz.)
Homes where there are children should prioritise having a corded landline so that children can make calls safely because children’s thinner skulls absorb more potentially carcinogenic radiation than do the larger and thicker skulls of adults. if they use a cordless phone or cell phone. Moreover, for most models of cordless phones, the phone bases emit microwave radiation 24/7 even when the phone is not in use.
It may be possible to find a good quality compatible corded VOIP phone if you do some research but voice quality on VOIP phones can be poorer and some may not be good enough for people who have any hearing deficits or those who need to speak on the phone in a language that is not their native tongue. VOIP phones do not work without electricity so (unlike a corded landline phone connected to the copper system) it would be useless if your home loses power in an emergency unless you pay for an additional back up system. (Please see this link for details: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/can-corded-phone-fibre/ )
Are there solutions?
Theoretically, it should be possible to enjoy ultrafast broadband via fibre without the disadvantages and potential health risks of wireless phones and wireless internet.
If you are considering an ultrafast broadband system key points to check with any potential provider would include the following:
Whether the existing copper phone line and phone jacks will be retained and be in a functional condition if you choose to have the ultrafast broadband fibre optic cabling installed. (If you can retain copper cabling and phone jacks then this gives you the option of a safe, inexpensive corded phone via the copper system for as long as the copper system is operating in your area – although possibly you may have to pay more for this.)
What sort of line filters (if any) you may need for a corded landline phone with the system and how much they cost.
If you use extension cords for your landline corded phone, whether these are compatible with the system.
Whether the WANs (Wireless Area Networks) of the “Residential Gateway” can be disabled and how this can be done. (If the WANs can be disabled you can connect to the internet via a safe fibre optic cable rather than being constantly exposed to pulsed microwave radiation as you would be if the WANs cannot be disabled.)
Whether the Residential Gateway that the company plans to install has a cellular (3G, 4G) backup link option. (If a Residential Gateway is fitted with a SIM card, this type of Residential Gateway can use cellular when the ethernet feed from the ONT fails. If you want to be sure that your Residential Gateway doesn’t send cellular queries or “heartbeat” pulses of microwave radiation even without a SIM card installed, ask the fibre installer to provide you with the manufacturer’s documentation to show that this is NOT the case (or the manufacturer’s data that advises you how to turn off this capacity of the Residential Gateway, assuming that this is an option.)
How many Ethernet cable connections will be provided on the “Residential Gateway” supplied by the company.
Whether the External Termination Point (ETP) and the Optic Network Terminal (ONT) that would be installed have any wireless capabilities, and if so whether or not this capacity can be disabled (and how this can be done.)
What the system will cost.
What provisions there are for a refund if you are not happy with the performance of the system or if any components of the system do cause adverse health impacts.
What sort of back up system that the company recommends so that any corded phone that you may have connected to the fibre system will still function (at least for a while) even if there is a power cut. (NB: To read about the different options for safe corded phones with a fibre system and the need for a UPS (“Uninterruptible Power Supply”) system needed to keep phones that are connected to the fibre system running during a power cut, please click HERE.)
NB: There may well be other questions that you may want to ask; I am not a digital native and the above list of questions is not exhaustive.
I would suggest asking these (or any other) questions in writing (such as by email).
This would potentially provide some protection in the event of a staff member from any company providing incorrect information to you – as an email would provide proof that you were not given correct information about the system you purchased. This should potentially give you a greater chance of getting a refund or negotiating another satisfactory solution if the ultrafast broadband system did not perform as advertised and/or if there were undisclosed wireless emissions (or any other components of the system) caused symptoms necessitating removal of the system.
Stop Smart Meters NZ would welcome feedback from website readers who have had good or bad experiences with providers of ultrafast broadband internet services.
It would be especially useful to know if there are providers who will ensure that people who want to enjoy ultrafast broadband can do so while retaining a corded landline phone, cable-based internet and no microwave radiation emissions from any of the ultrafast broadband system components.
Thank you for reading this post! If you have found it valuable, please share it.
NB: If you are on Facebook, please consider “liking” and “following” the following pages so that you can get updates on the landline phone issue and smart meter issues.
Interested in the smart meter or landline phone issue?
Please note that if you would like to receive email updates on the smart meter issue for NZ, you can sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
There is also now a dedicated website for the landline phone issue at www.saveourlandlines.nz
The Bay of Plenty Times has recently reported that meter readers in the Tauranga area could lose their jobs if a trial of smart meters is successful.
Wherever you live in NZ, if you have an analogue meter at your home, if you would like your friendly local meter reader to keep his or her job you can help by refusing to have a smart meter installed at your home.
(You will also be doing yourself – and your neighbours a favour- because by refusing a smart meter you will not have the risks to your health, privacy and safety posed by these so called-smart meters. To read why many Kiwis are refusing smart meters, please see this link )
The link to the Bay of Plenty Times article is below:
Roll outs of wireless so-called “smart” electricity meters are ongoing in many areas of NZ. (Some electricity companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the “next generation” meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a so-called smart electricity meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
An email has been received by www.stopsmartmeters,org.nz relating to a large bill increase following the installation of a so-called “smart” water meter to measure water use at a home. The new “smart” meter does not appear to be measuring the household’s water usage accurately.
The water bill for the household has approximately quadrupled since the installation of the smart water meter despite no increased water consumption and no leaks able to be detected by a plumber.
Do you live in an area where smart water meters are being trialed?
Have you (or a friend) had an excessively high water bill following the installation of a smart water meter?
If you email www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz through the contact form that you can access by clicking HERE you can report your smart water meter problem in confidence. (Information is posted on this website only in cases where permission has been given to do this.)
You can refuse to have a smart water meter installed or get one removed if it has been installed
Roll outs of wireless so-called “smart” electricity meters are ongoing in many areas of NZ. (Some electricity companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the “next generation” meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a so-called smart electricity meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
The following text comes from the latest email newsletter produced by the team who produced the award winning smart meter documentary Take Back Your Power.
The text in italics is quoted from the newsletter. The comments in [ ] are notes from the editor of www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz.
As you can see by reading the exchange, it appears that at least one company in the North American telecommunications industry is exposing its workers to illegal and dangerous levels of microwave radiation because the transmitters are not turned off when there are workers in the vicinity.
If any readers work in the telecommunications industry in NZ (or other countries) and are concerned that the practice of exposing workers to illegal levels of microwave radiation may be occurring in your country, you can share your concerns via the Contact Form at this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/contact-us/
Reports are treated in confidence and information is not posted on the website unless permission is given in writing.
NB: If you would like to keep up with smart meter related (and other EMR related) news in NZ, you may wish to join the email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Figured I’d tell this story here about how things are shifting even within the industry…
I saw the AT&T trucks today, the guys were working on the cell towers. I’ve been wanting to talk to them for months but I never get a chance to talk to them.
So I walk over there today and just then a guy comes down and says “Hey”.
So I said “Hey man, do you mind if I ask you some questions about the cell towers?”
He said “Sure thing, go ahead”, real friendly.
I then asked a bunch of technical questions about the design of the towers and stuff, just saying I was fascinated by the technology. He answered them and I learned a bunch of stuff. He mentioned that the round antennas are higher frequency microwaves.
Then he said that the US is soon going to 5G, Korea (I think) is already going to 5G and “they’re ahead of us”, but that “lots of countries are holding off on 5G because of environmental concerns and health concerns”.
I said “really?”
He said, “Yeah, and the head of the FCC recently said ‘We’re not going to let research slow us down.’”
I said “Wow, he said that? That’s really bold.”
He said “Yeah I think so.”
So I said, “Are you interested in the health concerns from this stuff?”
“Yeah, I mean…yeah.”
Me: Me too
Him: Really? Lots of us in this line of work are getting leukemia and cancer. [NB: Recent research has shown a link between exposure to microwave radiation and cancer – see this link for details.]
Me: I’ve been interested in it for a while because I work here, so close to two towers.
Him: They used to turn off the transmitters when we worked on them. Now they refuse to turn off the transmitters while we work on them and they don’t let us carry around a RF meter anymore. They’ve got transmitters on top of buildings now. . .
Me: Yeah I’ve seen them!
Him: Yeah! You know the M****** H****** Hotel? I was just up there. And you just walk right up to them.
Me: Really? Man you’re right in front of those things!
Him: Yeah, and they’re not turning them off anymore. I’m just getting blasted.
Me: I’ve got a meter and I get readings at this school of 10-20 mW/cm2 per channel. And a cell tower has like 70 channels right?
Him: You have a RF meter? (He couldn’t believe it).
Me: Yeah! I drive around town and see what the levels are like.
Him: No way… Like I said, they forbid us from having them now.
Me: So I just looked up the federal limits on Saturday. It says the federal limit is 10 mW/cm2. On this playground I’ve gotten a reading of 15 mW/cm2 on one channel… but the cell tower puts out 70 something channels, does that mean it’s putting out roughly 15×70 mW/cm2?
Him: Most likely, yeah. Yeah all of us are worried about it. It’s high enough levels to heat things up. My face burns whenever I use a cellphone. [This symptom suggests that the telecommunications worker has become sensitised to microwave radiation and could be on his way to developing electrohypersensitivity (EHS). Some case histories of people who develop EHS suggest that exposure to high levels of microwave radiation may be a causative factor. So-called “smart” electricity meters are suspected of causing EHS in some people. More information about EHS may be found below.]
Me: Everybody at the school is always hot, even when the air is cold.
(Note: radiant heat [long wave light] heats up a body without heating up air).
Him: Really? The industry people are actually worried that 5G is going to have a really big, even more noticeable thermal presence because the high frequencies have so much more power in them.
The following text is excerpted from the latest newsletter from the team at www.takebackyourpower.net
People everywhere, including those in media and wireless companies, are waking up to the reality and huge implications of wireless/EMF harm.
And the wake-up is happening faster than we probably think. Here are 4 cases in point:
#1: CNN just aired an episode on toxins that included EMF on prime time (Morgan Spurlock’s Inside Man: The Truth About Toxins). More info / view it
#2: Legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog’s new feature “Lo And Behold” (from Sundance 2016) about the Internet-of-Things was just released, which features a segment on electrosensitive people that was respectfully done. Watch trailer / see it in theatres
#3:The GFIM World 2016 Congress (Oct 7-9, 2016 in Santa Fe, NM) will feature a special EMF PANEL with Camilla Rees MBA, Dietrich Klinghardt PhD, Martin Pall PhD, and Yury Kronn PhD. (GFIM stands for Global Foundation for Integrative Medicines.) More info / trailer / registration
Roll outs of wireless so-called “smart” meters are ongoing in many areas of NZ. (Some companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the “next generation” meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a smart meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
Please share this link widely and encourage your family and friends to make time to watch it before the free screening window ends on Tuesday (US time). Take Back Your Power is one of the best tools there is for helping people realise the threat that so called “smart” or “advanced” meter pose to their health, finances and privacy.
NB: Do you have family or friends in Australia?
(Please note that if you have family and friends in Australia, there are smart meter roll outs taking place in some states there, too, but in some areas the authorities are using the term “digital meters”to disguise the fact that the new meters are “smart” meters.
Smart meters are NOT compulsory in NZ
Roll outs of wireless so-called “smart” meters are ongoing in many areas of NZ, including, currently, the Hokianga region. (Some companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the next generation meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a smart meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
The leading US experts on wireless radiation and human health impacts participate in a live press conference prior to their panel at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting in Baltimore. Featuring Dr. Devra Davis, Dr. Hugh Taylor, Dr. Martha Herbert and Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair.
Please note that cordless phones and cell phones, wi-fi and microwave ovens are among some of the highest sources of the wireless radiation in many homes.
A traditional landline with a cord and a safe hardwired internet connection is a good way to start to protect your children’s health. (Here and here are links to help you.) Also: Avoid using a microwave because a lot of microwave radiation can leak out of these ovens.
Smart meters are not compulsory in NZ
Roll outs of wireless so-called “smart” meters are ongoing in many areas of NZ, including, currently, the Hokianga region. (Some companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the next generation meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a smart meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
At the video at the link below, you can hear Dr. Devra Davis briefing the Massachusetts State House on wireless radiation and health.
Smart meters are not compulsory in NZ
Roll outs of wireless so-called “smart” meters are ongoing in many areas of NZ, including, currently, the Hokianga region. (Some companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the next generation meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a smart meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
In 2015, the late Dr Nicholas Gonzalez who was famous for successfully treating people who had advanced cancers (whose condition was usually considered “incurable”) gave an interview about the health hazards of wireless technologies, including so-called “smart” meters.
(You can learn about Dr. Gonzalez and his work at the website of the Nicholas Gonzalez Foundation at this link: www.dr-gonzalez.com )
You can see the interview with Dr. Gonzalez at the link below:
Smart meter roll outs ongoing in many areas of NZ, including, currently, the Hokianga region starting (Some companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters in their letters to customers or simply state that the company plans to install the next generation meter or upgrade or a replace the existing meter.)
If you live in an area where smart meters are being installed you may receive a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
You can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a smart meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
How to get updates on the NZ smart meter situation
If you have found this information interesting or useful, please sign up to the free email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Stop Smart Meters NZ is now on Facebook and you can get updates by visiting our page at this link:
Smart meter roll outs are planned for the Northland area encompassing the Hokianga region starting from the week beginning July 25. (Some companies may describe smart meters as “advanced” meters.
If you are in this area, you may have received a letter stating that your meter will be upgraded or replaced, however sometimes letters get lost in the mail and do not arrive prior to a planned installation.
If you are in the Northland or Hokianga area, the link below gives you the information you need to keep your home or business smart meter free. Or you can click HERE for information on how to avoid getting a smart meter.
Please note that while some electricity company representatives tell customers that smart meters are “compulsory” or are a “government requirement” or use other words to this effect, this is not true. The legal situation regarding electricity meters is explained at this link.
Website editor’s note: The text below is supplied by the editors of the free EMR Aawrenewsletter
Welcome to the July-August 2016 edition of our free EMR Aware newsletter. In it you will find a selection of the latest science and media reports on the biological, social, and environmental impacts of electro-technologies.
To view, please click on the link below. While at our website, why not also explore our previous newsletters? As a whole, they form a comprehensive overview of current issues relating to EMR.
So-called “smart” or “advanced” meters (a source of EMR) are not compulsory in NZ
Please note that while some electricity company staff claim that smart meters are compulsory or some sort of government requirement it is NOT compulsory to have a smart meter in NZ.
Please note that it seems to be quite common for smart meters to be installed without prior notification, so if you still have an analogue meter and want to keep it, it would be prudent to take steps to prevent a smart meter installation NOW.
Resources to help you refuse a smart meter, including bilingual Te Reo/English options may be found at this LINK of www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
Professor Olle Johansson (who is a neuroscientist and expert on electrohypersensitivity) is talking at a FREE summit on Alzheimer’s and dementia that is coming up soon.
One of the unfortunate truths of our times is that exposure to non-ionising microwave radiation (the type of radiation produced by cell phones, cordless phones and smart meters) can harm the brain and potentially lead to neurodegenerative disease.
That’s the bad news.
The good news is that if you want to keep your brain in good working order there are lots of things you can do such as avoid the use of mobile and cordless phones and say no to a smart meter.
Plus the FREE online summit also has information about treatments for dementia that you might not otherwise learn about. (Yes, there are treatments for some types of dementia; unfortunately many doctors are not up to date with them.)
You can register for the summit at this link:
http://alzheimersdementiasummit.com/
NB: Please share this post via email and/or social media to help other people learn how about this event. Thank you.
Smart meters are not compulsory in NZ
Please note that while some electricity company staff claim that smart meters are compulsory or some sort of government requirement it is NOT compulsory to have a smart meter in NZ.
Please note that it seems to be quite common for smart meters to be installed without prior notification, so if you still have an analogue meter and want to keep it, it would be prudent to take the above steps to prevent a smart meter installation NOW.
Resources to help you refuse a smart meter, including bilingual Te Reo/English options may be found at this LINK of www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
I have received a recent report of a locked meter box being broken into for the purposes of installing a smart meter. This report came from a New Zealander. (If any readers have similarly suffered forced smart meter installations, you can contact www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz for advice via our contact form at this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/contact-us/
The forced smart meter installation took place despite the person who made the report having previously informed their electricity retailer that a smart meter was not wanted and was under the impression that a smart meter would not be installed. (There was no notice on the meter box at the time of the forced installation.)
The following steps should prevent other such forced installations:
1) Put a sign on your meter box that prohibits entry to the meter box for any activity other than meter reading or maintenance of the existing meter unless you (as the home owner or tenant) have specifically authorised access to the meter box for any other work. The notice at this link can be adapted to your needs www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/New-notice-for-meter-boxes-February-20151.docx
If you want you can add your name and address to the bottom of the notice.
2) Put a lock on your meter box (you should check your Terms and Conditions first to make sure that this is not prohibited under your supply contract) and then take a photo of your meter box with its sign and lock and keep this somewhere safe.
2) Inform your electricity retailer in writing (email is OK) that you will not accept a smart meter at your home or business. Keep a record of the email sent or use registered mail or a signature required courier if you send a printed letter. Archive any reply that you may receive from your electricity retailer.
NB: Please share this post via email and/or social media to help other people learn how to prevent a smart meter installation.
Smart meters are not compulsory in NZ
Please note that while some electricity company staff claim that smart meters are compulsory or some sort of government requirement it is NOT compulsory to have a smart meter in NZ.
Please note that it seems to be quite common for smart meters to be installed without prior notification, so if you still have an analogue meter and want to keep it, it would be prudent to take the above steps to prevent a smart meter installation NOW.
Resources to help you refuse a smart meter, including bilingual Te Reo/English options may be found at this LINK of www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz
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