Residents smart at sick meters

By CASEY NEILL
A COCKATOO woman is urging residents to lock their meter boxes and refuse smart meters, claiming hers is making her sick.
Fiona made the impassioned plea at an Emerald Smart Meter Awareness Meeting on 6 September.
Meeting convenor Wilma Semmens said the event was “very well attended” and that Fiona’s story was one of many.
“People were angry their concerns weren’t being addressed,” she said.
All households and small businesses are to receive digital smart meters by the end of the year.
They record electricity usage every 30 minutes and can automatically send this data to electricity suppliers, bringing an end to estimated quarterly bills and manual meter readings.
Ms Semmens said Fiona’s smart meter was installed in February and she had since experienced nausea, head pain and burning eyes.
“With the surges she has experienced electric shock type sensations to the heart and brain and a wave of heat that washes over her body,” she said.
“At times she describes feeling like she is laying on a washing machine on the final spin cycle.
“She has limited sleep and is now stressed physically and mentally.”
Ms Semmens said a doctor had verified that the smart meter was causing Fiona’s symptoms.
“Results show high levels of various radiations, tremors to the brain and a pre-cancerous condition in her body,” she said.
“She has documented proof of this and is currently being tested for tumours.
“The doctor has strongly advised her to shift.”
Aside from health issues, those who attended the meeting raised concerns about overcharging stemming from smart meters.
“One electricity customer had retained his electricity accounts for the past 10 years, which were never above $300,” Ms Semmens said.
“With the smart meter he has a bill for $1600-plus and he was advised to contact the Ombudsman.”
A State Government fact sheet on smart meters said they complied with electromagnetic exposure limits developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
“The communications system associated with smart meters involves lower electromagnetic exposures than many other household devices, such as mobile phones and baby monitors,” it read.