Today’s Otago Daily Times features an article entitled “My Advice is to Say No to Smart Meters”.

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/350660/my-advice-say-no-smart-meters

The person quoted in the headline is Rob Hutchins from Electo-Sensitivity NZ Trust which provides support to people who are electrosensitive.

People who are electrosensitive – who may also referred to as  being “electrohypersensitive” or as having electromagnetic sensitivity – suffer from a variety of unpleasant symptoms from levels of exposure to electromagnetic radiation, including the emissions from so-called “smart” meters – symptoms from exposures that may not provoke overt symptoms in other people.

For more information on electrosensitivity please see this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/EMF-Guideline-OAK-AG-2012-03-03.pdf

Smart meters are of special interest to people who are electrosensitive because smart meter emissions may provoke severe symptoms for people who have been unfortunate enough to develop this condition.

Electrosensitivity can have profound effects on people’s lives. (For example,  people who are electrosensitive may be sensitive to the emissions from other people’s cell phones;  they may not be able to maintain their employment at an otherwise suitable and congenial job if emissions from routers in free public wi-fi zones permeate their work environment and cause debilitating symptoms.  Even their own homes may not be a safe haven for people who are electrosensitive as radiation from neighbours’ wi-fi routers may cause symptoms such as severe fatigue, headaches or heart palpitations.

 

Moreover, smart meter roll-outs may well increase the number of people who suffer from electrosensitivity. 

This is the message from the peer-reviewed paper published  on adverse health effects reported following the aggressive roll-out of smart meters in Victoria.

(The abstract for the study may be read here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25478801 and a discussion of how the smart-meter related symptoms affected people’s lives may be read at this link.  http://stopsmartmeters.com.au/2015/02/07/australian-study-puts-victoria-at-centre-stage-of-the-smart-meter-controversy/ )

While this paper was written by an Australian physician, it is very relevant to NZ as Landis+Gyr smart meters are used in parts of NZ as well as in Victoria.  In fact, you can read about a New Zealander’s experience with a Landis+Gyr smart meter at this link:

https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/headaches-disappear-after-comms-device-removed-from-smart-meter/

Fortunately the health of the woman who shared her experience (above) returned to normal after removal of the microwave emitting device from the smart meter.  (Other people who have had substantial exposure to smart meter radiation have developed electrosensitivity as a result of their smart meter radiation exposure, which has severely impacted on their lives; for an example, please see this link: http://stopsmartmeters.com.au/2014/03/26/sofias-story-punitive-power-and-the-smart-meter-tyranny/.)

It’s a pretty clear message as I see it. If you don’t want to risk becoming electrosensitive (and no one who suffers from this condition would recommend it), don’t allow a smart meter to be installed at your home.

In my opinion, it is also wise to limit unnecessary exposure to EMR in general, as some electrosensitivity sufferers suspect that over-use of EMR-producing technology like cell phones contributed to their developing the condition. (For an example, please see this link: https://stopsmartmeters.org.nz/latest-news/retired-ceo-speaks-out-on-electrosensitivity/)

 

NB: If you are interested in the smart meter issue you may like to sign up for the email list at www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz