by Katherine | 2 Feb, 2014 | Latest News, Users Feedback
Site editor’s note: Counties Power is currently installing “smart meters” in the area in which it maintains electricity lines (Franklin and Papkura areas.) These meters are in a mesh network. For further details see this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/government-and-electricity-industry-positions/counties-power-smart-meter-rollout-now-in-progress/
Below you can read a letter from a retired nurse who asserted her right to say no to a “smart meter” because of the potential effects on her health and privacy.
Counties Power responded to the letter below by informing the nurse in writing that a “smart meter” will not be installed; a great result, so the letter below could be used as a template for other people who do not want a “smart meter”.
(For more information on how to prevent a “smart meter” installation please see this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/how-to-avoid-getting-a-smart-meter/ )
Please note that even if you have a written agreement with your electricity company (or lines company) not to install a “smart meter” it is prudent to put a lock and sign on your meter box in case of communication glitches mean that your name is not removed from the installation list.
NOTICE OF NO CONSENT TO TRESPASS
This is a legal notice.
Be advised, you and all other parties are hereby denied consent for installation and use of any and all “Smart Meters”, “Smart Boxes”, “Advanced Meters” or any other surveillance and activity monitoring device, or devices, at the above property.
These devices can impinge on my privacy, due to it having the capability of being a surveillance system, can impinge on my health due to the possible carcinogen as acknowledged by the WHO, specifically radiofrequency electromagnetic fields, emitted by your wireless ‘Smart Meter’. The ‘Smart Meter’ also emits biologically destructive “pulsed” and “dirty electricity” radiation in one’s home, and that is UNLAWFUL because your power company has no easement (rightful access) to do that!! A ‘Smart Meter’ also has potential to interfere with my freedom, which is inherent – not the benefit of citizenship, nor conferred/granted me by government or any other agency. The potential for ‘Smart Meters’ to misuse my personal data is unethical. With a ‘Smart Meter’ installed, my freedom to do what I want, when I want, in my own home can be potentially curtailed and monitored by Counties Power computers.
Unethical too is the absence of any notification by Counties Power that having a ‘Smart Meter’ installed at people’s homes is optional. Analogue meters are a proven and perfectly reliable and safe technology having been in use since 1872.
Installation and use of any surveillance and activity monitoring device that sends and receives communications technology is hereby refused and prohibited. Informed consent is legally required for installation of any surveillance device and any device that will collect and transmit private and personal data to undisclosed and unauthorized parties for undisclosed and unauthorized purposes. Authorization for sharing of personal and private information may only be given by the originator and subject of that information. That authorization is hereby denied and refused with regard to the above property and all its occupants.
This property is owned under ‘a grant in fee simple title’ and trespass applies for entry without invitation or the express written permission from the property owners.
All contact with the property owners must be in writing.
Yours faithfully,
by Katherine | 28 Jan, 2014 | Latest News, Users Feedback
Hi,
I wanted to say thank you for posting information about which electricity companies are open to changing the smart meters.
I have switched from Meridian to Contact today, but it will still take some time to sort the problem because the smart meter, being new, isn’t registered yet apparently.
Once this is sorted Contact energy will take out the ‘chip’ for $125. Powershop would do it for $160, but couldn’t guarantee it could be done until I’d joined up.
Both companies cannot guarantee that we won’t have to have a smart meter in 2015.
Meridian wasn’t interested in anything 🙁
Thanks so much for having this site.
Kind regards
by Katherine | 17 Jan, 2014 | Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
Editor’s note: The following email was contributed by a site visitor who was suffering from chronic headaches and was concerned that these could be linked to the “smart meter” at his house. Consequently he engaged Paul Waddell from www.safespace.net.nz to test his home for EMR. The result was that the most likely cause of his headaches was identified as the Wi-Fi router in his bedroom – and other sources of electropollution in his home were identified as well.
Hi Katherine,
What a learning curve from Paul, my computer modem was dishing out 20,000 microwatts per square metre in my bedroom!
Since I connect to the modem by cable, he showed me how to disconnect the Wi-FI part of the router. A microwave oven is 8,000 microwatts per square metre.
Also, the office downstairs was being radiated 24/7 by the portable telephone at 20,000 microwatts per square metre! This was a big shock its twice the level of an iphone , luckily these things drop dramatically every few feet from source. However, the lounge above the office was being radiated through the ceiling, so that has been thrown out and a land line installed.
The “smart meter” [on the wall of his home] luckily is only pulsing every 6 hours. I know some are pulsing more regularly depending on their location. Some have to pulse to other meters in the neighbourhood and then pass it to the cell phone tower; those are more dangerous than mine. The “smart meter” was measured as pulsing at 3,750 microwatts per square metre. [See note below – Ed] The electricity company is avoiding my calls as they know I want the meter removed… I’m lucky as my meter is not one of the ones that pulse more frequently, a small relief for me, but this can be deadly for children. (In the case of the Te Horo school boy who died from a brain tumour recently his father discovered after the lad’s diagnosis that he had been sleeping with his iphone under his pillow.) Paul showed they [iphones] pulse at 10,000 microwatts per square metre when they ring or receive a txt but having it near your head for hour on end can be very unhealthy. Now I’m educated about the levels of radiation I can make changes to avoid long term exposure, and my headaches have now gone.
Editor’s comment: The measurement of 3,750 microwatts per square metre was not taken directly at the “smart meter” but about ten metres away from the “smart meter”. (The reasons for this was that it wasn’t possible to set up the equipment at a secure location closer to the “smart meter”. ) As the interior of the wall onto which the “smart meter” was installed has had aluminium foil put up to reflect the radiation away out of the house, the reading inside the home could well have been higher had this precaution not been taken.
This contributor’s experience also shows the importance of identifying other sources of potentially harmful EMR in a home. Exposure to the pulsed microwave radiation from Wi-Fi can cause unpleasant symptoms for some people, such as the contributor above. Cordless phones and their bases can produce high levels of EMR and in fact one study found that people who had begun to use cordless phones as a child or or teenager had almost four times the brain tumour risk of people who did not use cordless phones until they were 20. (Starting cell phone use as a child or teenager was associated with five times greater risk of brain tumours than people who did not use cell phones until they were 20 years old. See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/8606104/Mobile-phones-cause-five-fold-increase-in-brain-cancer-risk.html)
by Katherine | 14 Jan, 2014 | Latest News, Users Feedback
From a site visitor:
“We are with Contact and the lady who I spoke with was supportive of our decision to have the smart meter removed. We told her that since moving into this house, we had not been sleeping properly (waking throughout the night or not being able to get to sleep) and had frequent light to moderate headaches. She put the order in straight away. She said she has been receiving more requests recently and hearing about people becoming ill from “smart meters”.
“I was surprised how straight forward it was. The company was notified of our choice to have a replacement meter and the very next day I received a call from the company, Vircon saying they will be available to replace it that very day! I was thrilled. It’s great to see that freedom of choice is still respected in NZ.
“We had the ‘smart meter’ for about 5 months and didn’t realise our ill health was attributable to it until stumbling upon the information thanks to your website. We noticed we felt less stress and after a week could sleep deeply and properly once more! We have now been free from the ‘smart meter’ for 13 months and no longer get the headaches and feel very peaceful at home again.”
Site editor’s note: Contact Energy is one of the companies which has helped people to get rid of unwanted “smart meters” Other companies are listed at this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/how-to-get-rid-of-a-smart-meter/
by Katherine | 13 Jan, 2014 | Latest News, Users Feedback
Hi,
I just wanted to inform you we are with Contact Energy and I have rung them and asked for them to remove our smart meter as it is situated on the other side of the wall of my daughter’s bedroom. They, without any resistance at all have said yes and are going to come and remove the communication part of the SM and turn it back into a non-smart meter at a cost of $120! I’m more than happy to pay this for peace of mind’s sake and I hope you can publicise this information promoting Contact Energy for doing this.
It would pay to note I have a EMF meter which detected pulses coming out the front of the meter and also through the wall at the back of the meter! With any luck more people will be inclined to join contact and make this request, the more people who do this the more awareness of SM might be made! Thank you so much for this website. It is only stumbling across this and reading how another member changed over with Contact that I got on the phone and had it all organised within > 5 minutes!
Thank you 🙂
by Katherine | 14 Dec, 2013 | Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
At the link below you can read a document written by a large group of medical doctors in Germany expressing their concern about how micro9wave radiation from wireless devices is adversely impacting that health of people in their medical practices.
http://www.justproveit.net/sites/default/files/prove-it/files/FREIBURGER_APPEAL.pdf
NB: The document has been translated from German; at times the English is not perfect. The message, however, is clear; these doctors have been able to trace the origin of many unpleasant symptoms in their patients to exposure to electromagnetic radiation, such as from cell phone towers, cell phone or DECT cordless phone use.
NB: “Smart meters” are not in general use in Germany: See https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/uncategorized/germany-rejects-eu-smart-meter-plan-too-expensive-insufficient-savings/
by Katherine | 16 Nov, 2013 | Events, Latest News, Take Back Your Power, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
The Hawkes Bay’s first screening of Take Back Your Power (the new documentary on “smart meters” and their effects on people’s health, privacy and finances) will take place on December 3. Details for the showing are as follows:
7.30pm Tuesday 3rd December
Clive Hall, 162 Main Road Clive
(Hawke’s Bay)
A gold coin donation/koha is requested to help cover the cost of the hire of the hall.
The poster for this event is at this link:
https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Take-back-your-power-poster-HAWKES-BAY-3-DEC.pdf
It may also be accessed through the Resources page at this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/resources/
by Katherine | 15 Nov, 2013 | Events, Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
Dr Don Masich’s public talk in Christchurch starts at 7.30 (not 7pm as has been previously stated on a previous post, which has now been corrected.) Apologies for any inconvenience.
The correct details for the talk are:
Christchurch Talk
Dr Maisch will be giving a public lecture in Christchurch on Thursday November 21 at St. Mark’s Church in the ‘Wilsons Room’ (entrance at back of church)
101 Opawa Rd, Opawa, starting at 7.30 pm. The topic for his talk is “The Smart Electricity Grid: Claims, Pitfalls, and Unintended Consequences”.
A gold coin Koha is requested.
by Katherine | 14 Nov, 2013 | Events, Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
A public meeting to discuss wireless technologies is being held at Age Concern Wanganui on Saturday November 16 at 2.30 PM.
The address for Age Concern Wanganui is 164 St Hill Street, Wanganui.
The event has been organised by Lorraine from the Natural Science organisation.
by Katherine | 30 Oct, 2013 | Government and Electricity Industry Positions, Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
Website editor’s note: Below is an email from a website visitor, reporting on how Genesis finally agreed to remove the transmission chip from a “smart meter” installed without consent – but only after a formal complaint was made. According to this correspondent Genesis will now be requiring customers to agree to a “smart meter” (which Genesis Energy describes as an “advanced” meter) as part of its terms and conditions.
If any representatives of Genesis are reading this post and this is not in fact Genesis’s policy, please send an email through the Contact form and I will amend this post accordingly.
Thank you.
Email to www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz from a customer of Genesis Energy
Hi there
I discovered to my horror that Genesis Energy had installed a smart meter at my new property without my consent. On initially querying this the company spokesperson stated I could go to another company if I wished but Genesis would not be removing my meter. I then approached the Commissioner for Gas and Electricity and they intervened with a formal complaint. Several weeks later the smart meter has been disabled and from now on Genesis Energy have included in their terms and conditions for any customer wishing to be supplied by Genesis Energy that they are required to agree to allow us to install our metering equipment of choice.
See copy of email below…. A little win but thank you for your website which was a source of support and information for our family.
Email from Genesis Energy to customer
You are correct in your statement that smart meter installation is not mandatory. We have not communicated this. It is mandatory that all of our meters are within the new certification requirements by 2015, smart meter or not. It is Genesis Energy’s choice to utilise Advanced Meters for this purpose.
With the exception of your meter due to the concerns you have raised, we have included it in our terms and conditions for any customer wishing to be supplied by Genesis Energy that they are required to agree to allow us to install our metering equipment of choice. We exercise this right based on the fact that consumers can choose whom it is that they want to supply their power, even after the Advanced Meter is installed.
Advanced Meters do have the capability to feed back into the grid, however the software for this is not yet available. They were built with this very function in mind and are definitely not an attempt to make home generation of electricity more difficult, We have not yet implemented the software required but will be doing so in the near future. They will then be able to provide a better service to consumers who choose to do this as they record the electricity being generated and returned each half hour.
It is not possible for us or the meter owners to remotely change the digital reading, at all. Due to the strict regulations surrounding meter calibrationand measurement of electricity use this function was not built in to the meters.
Mechanical meters, however, are not locked at all…
[Website editor’s note: I have edited out part of this email which included a description of how to interfere with the operation of an analogue meter as this is potentially dangerous.]…
The security and safety of a mechanical meter is immensely lacking in comparison to the Advanced Meter when it comes to altering the readings.
Advanced Meters are sealed and have tampering sensors which will communicate any interruptions to the safety seal. Also, the usage is recorded every half hour and as such any unusual activity or unusual jumps in the amount used can be queried or examined by the consumer, in which case we can obtain the data if necessary to scrutinise it closely. We chose these meters to support greater transparency of power usage for our customers to better manage their costs.
I hope you find this information useful, and wish you the best for the future.
Kind regards
[Representative of Genesis Energy; Name withheld for privacy reasons.]
by Katherine | 10 Oct, 2013 | Latest News, Users Feedback
Hi Katherine
How are you?
I have some good news! Nova Energy will replace the meter with an analogue one, no problem! We have to pay
$55.
Meridian would not do anything despite my complaints.
So please put that out there..change to Nova…. they are still open to not doing smart meters, although they do support them they say, but also understand that not everyone wants them. I had quite a good chat with someone there who says that they are having other people phone them and wanting to get rid of their smart meter. I said that if they keep that policy they will get a lot of customers as people realise the health effects of the smart meters.
Yippee!!
Best Wishes and thanks for your support. If there is anything i can do to help the cause let me know.
– Name supplied
Note: All correspondence received through the Contact form on this website is treated in confidence and will not be posted on the site without written permission from the author. The site coordinator does not have a financial interest in any electricity company.
by Katherine | 9 Sep, 2013 | Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
This message was recently sent through the Contact form:
Recently received my “Good News” letter from Genesis saying they were upgrading the meters in our area. Phoned Genesis to say I did not consent to my meter being upgraded and was told that it was the Law and my options were to change retailer or upgrade. Following their advice I changed my retailer to Nova and then called Genesis to tell them of my switch. I was then told I could in fact now remain on my standard meter and the information I had been given was wrong. “Oh, what a shame!” I said, “Had I been told this last week I would have remained with Genesis, but I am receiving a better rate on my controlled and anytime meters and the discount was greater with my new supplier.”
So the message to all is be persistent, shop around, let your concerns be known.
– Name supplied
Editor’s comment: It is commonly being reported to me that electricity companies are telling customers that it is compulsory to have a “smart meter” but the Electricity Authority has not made “smart meters” mandatory. See: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/uncategorized/is-it-compulsory-to-have-a-smart-meter/
(Note from website coordinator: All correspondence received through the Contact form on this site is treated in confidence. Comments are posted on this site only with the permission of their author. The site coordinator does not have any financial interest in any electricity company.)
by Katherine | 22 Aug, 2013 | Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
Site coordinator’s note: The report below details the symptoms developed after a “smart meter” installation in a NZ home.
“My effects since the smart meter was installed in June 2011:
1. Since having the meter installed I often lay awake for several (2 – 4) hours at a time trying to get to sleep; my insomnia is much worse and when I do sleep it is very broken – often waking up to 6 -10 times a night.
2. Continual fatigue & lethargy – sometimes extreme; I cannot remember the last time I felt enthused or energetic or even ‘well.’ I have trouble completing even simple housework due to absolutely no motivation and will put off simple chores for weeks at a time due to lethargy.
3. Burning and itching skin – I had this for years if I came in to close proximity of something with strong EMF’s. I originally noted it about 20 years ago on visiting a friend who ran a small pizza parlour. EVERY time I went there my forearms & wrists would burn and itch so badly that I would be unable to not scratch or rub them and I would end up drawing blood it would be so intense. I would have to go home and put them under cold running water for about 10 minutes. It took a few times before I realised it was the EMF’s from the Pizza ovens. This has only occurred intermittently up until I had the smart meter installed. Now it happens regularly – every day and when I get in to bed (my bedhead is about 3-4 metres from the meter) my arms and wrists now slightly burn and tingle continuously; the soles of my feet tingle, burn and itch – every night. It is mostly ok to tolerable, but always there and noticeable. On occasion my feet have become so unbearable I have had to get up and go outside in the middle of the night and rub my feet on the grass for up to 10 minutes to relieve the extreme discomfort. I don’t know how I knew to do this – it was just an instinctive thing I think – it seems to ‘ground’ my body somehow…
4. Heart palpitations/fluttering’s and arrhythmia; never had this issue before but it has developed since the meter was installed. The doctor listened to my heart some time ago and said it sounded fine and did nothing further. I have ‘fluttering’ feelings in my heart and pulse almost every night now.
5. Every night when I lay down I can hear my pulse in my ears and inside my head; its hard to describe but sounds like the blood ‘squelching’ through the veins in my upper neck – sorry about the description!! :)) Its not nice and also keeps me awake. I do worry about it as sometimes I feel or worry/wonder if I’m going to have a heart attack right there in my bed. This began after the meter was installed.
6. Inability to concentrate and forgetfulness – sometimes I cannot remember something that should be second nature such as the name of a suburb or street that I frequent every day or even a friend’s name that I see often!! It is quite scary how this has developed so rapidly in the last 12+ months. Headaches, not intense but niggly and frequent. And no, I haven’t got Alzheimers.
7. Depression; which I have suffered on and off for most of my adult life so I cannot directly attribute it to the meter but I have had much more of a ‘low’ mood and ‘unhappiness’ since the meter was installed.
8. Soreness around the base of the back of my neck – as if my head is somehow too heavy!!
– Name supplied (but withheld for privacy reasons.)
NB: Most people do not suffer from such severe symptoms after a “smart meter” installation; many may have no apparent symptoms; however the above description shows how badly “smart meters” can affect some people. Even if your own health is not affected by a “smart meter” in your home, the “smart meter” may affect neighbours who may be more sensitive, especially if your homes are in close proximity.
(Note from website coordinator: All correspondence received through the Contact form on this site is treated in confidence. Comments are posted on this site only with the permission of their author. The site coordinator does not have any financial interest in any electricity company.)
by Katherine | 11 Jul, 2013 | Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
Hi Katherine,
Got my meter changed today by Contact. After waiting a few weeks for Mercury to finally confirm that they wouldn’t do anything, we changed to Contact. On Friday I requested them to change the meter. They said they would come and remove the sim card. Today (Monday) a contractor came and actually changed the meter to another sort. It looks like an analog meter – has a square that they can point a reader at but I was assured it is nothing to do with a smart meter.
So we had a Metrix “smart” meter. The man today said it was the sort that sent radio waves, rather than using cell phone technology. It sent radio messages to the next similar meter which then transfers it on etc.
It has been replaced with a ISKRA Metrix meter Class 2 with an analogue display. It’s a second hand model – they reuse the meter they took away. He said it is registered for use for the next 15 years. The man said it wasn’t really an analogue meter – I’m not sure what’s different about it.
Anyway, I’m happy.
My daughter also had the sim card removed from her meter the other week. She wasn’t home at the time when it was done. She has since found out that her neighbour’s meter is still a “smart meter” and it is also in the same meter box which is on her child’s bedroom wall so she is not happy about that.
So I’d encourage people to try Contact. It seems like the different companies all use different meters which are incompatible with each other. Contact was the only company that was friendly about the change – they charge about $125 for the change but it was worth it. The man was here for about 1/2 hour and I did get another meter. And he explained what the different meters do.
[Name supplied]
by Katherine | 9 Jul, 2013 | Latest News, Uncategorized, Users Feedback
Hi Katherine
I will be keeping an eye out for the installers as I have been given the thumbs up from Mercury that they have sent a request to the installers not to go ahead. If they turn up they will be given an ear-full in no uncertain terms! Thanks for your warning.
When we had a smartmeter installed at our last house we blew around 12 bulbs of multiple different types in less than 2 months. (Of course they claimed that we had high voltage etc etc)
When I spoke to my brother in law who is an electrician, he was very interested when I spoke about it seeming to be since the smartmeter was installed, as he had had multiple complaints about new homes he had wired in the Christchurch region of which he said would have had smartmeters installed.
Of course he googled and found the issues around these things.
[Name supplied]
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