uk stops all smart meter installations

[jas88]

not quite true as all radio waves fm low frequency upto micro wave can have a detremental effect dependant on range, power and timescale. If you were to stand in front of one of her majesties targeting radar on the old type 42 destroyers for a short time at fairly close range, it was my understanding your eyeballs wouldnt work again, your balls certainly wouldnt and your guts would roast.

That sounds about right ... you're basically microwaving yourself. Could be apocryphal, but I'm told that's how the microwave oven was invented ... one of the radar guys discovered his chocolate bar melted from sitting in front of the emitter horn, figured out he had a new way of cooking stuff.

I'm not sure about the various radars on the 42, but naval radars come in sizes of a megawatt or more - the meter will be somewhere around the 1 watt mark, a million times less, and transmitting for a tiny fraction of a second occasionally, instead of being on continually to scan for threats, and you'll be further away from your meter than standing right in front of it - all in, maybe 10,000,000,000 times less exposure than standing in front of the radar. It's a bit like worrying about getting a sunburn from the little standby light on your TV...

 

[snowhead]

It's a bit like worrying about getting a sunburn from the little standby light on your TV...

Thank goodness I covered mine over years ago..

 

[lame plumber]

the main problem now is that in general we are being bombarded by various rf sources fm all round and it just cant be good for the old body in the long term, as far a smart meters go youd have to rest your gonads on them for a few years or so to notice anything , however longterm use of early phones probably wasnt much good to the old brain and a few yuppies may be suffering now but not a great loss to the world in general, more of an issue is kids and mobiles which some scientific sources are beginning to see as an issue, long term there will probably be restrictions once any of todays youngsters are seen to be keeling over in years to come.

 

[zzzjim]

Just remember not to stand too close to microwave-Oven
A wet tea towel will protect you !

Designs change, profits get made .
Looking forward to my fast country wide Wifi , (or affordable 4G)

 

[Pssst]

Of course its all a matter of scale. For example, winter Hill TV transmitter belts out 100Kw at over 900Mhz. One would be foolish to stand close to its radiating element. Equally a local mobile phone mast could be a couple of Kw at high frequency. dont get too close ! Its all about power output,frequency and proximity.

 

[jase158]

The only point I want to add to this is we have a choice to turn off our phone, wireless, sat nav's, computers etc, we cant turn off a smart meter. And this will be good to prevent the utility companies from forcing people to have smart meters.

 

[zzzjim]

Long term more monitoring ( signing away privacy-if want energy )
eventually becomes better fraud detection / trend spotting .
Better prediction of supply/demand (EVEN-less-in-reserve)
Money getting saved by lower staffing/outside contracting costs for reading/better buying strategy.
I'm sure it's important
( Like HS2 its hard to stop )

 

[midge]

From what I gather it isn't compulsary to have a smart meter. However, the long term goal is to provide 1/2Hr billing tariffs which would make energy consumption more expensive at peak times but cheaper at other times of the day. (Rather like a flexible Economy7) thus smoothing out the peaks and troughs in generation. For those able to change their habits, valuable savings could be achieved, those who keep a dumb meter would pay higher rates. If that is the case, I wonder how many may change their minds.

It will of course have benefits for pre-pay meters as there is no card to lose and it will help in the fight to prevent energy theft which ultimately adds costs to everyones bills.