In a national effort to create a “smart” electrical grid that can better predict peak energy use and system overloads while accommodating renewable energy sources, power companies are in the process of installing thousands of wireless meter-reading devices known as “smart meters” in homes and businesses across the United States. However, many consumers continue to voice concerns about the health effects of the radio frequency radiation emitted by the smart meters and are pushing for the removal of previously-installed devices and the prevention of additional installations.
According to Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL) spokeswoman Elaine Hinsdale, the company’s meters only transmit data in short bursts, so “they give off a fraction of RF emissions compared to cell phones or other common household devices.” She adds that “no credible study has ever showed that an RF-emitting device operating within the limits set by the FCC has caused adverse health effects.” However, FPL customer Elke Lawrence claims that her 6-year-old son Alexander was often sick until she moved him into a different bedroom—away from the smart meters positioned on the outside wall of their condominium complex. Many other FPL customers have also reported headaches, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitations and insomnia they believe to related to recent smart meter installations nearby.
