Smart meters are advanced utility devices designed to measure and record energy consumption, such as electricity, gas, or water, and then transmit this data wirelessly to utility providers. These meters have become an integral part of modern infrastructure, offering benefits like accurate billing and real-time usage insights. Their reliance on wireless communication has led to public inquiries concerning their electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions, often referred to as “radiation.”
How Smart Meters Operate
Smart meters function by capturing energy usage data and sending it to the utility company through wireless communication technologies. Unlike traditional meters requiring manual readings, smart meters automate this process, relying on radiofrequency (RF) signals, similar to those used by cell phones or Wi-Fi networks. This wireless capability allows for efficient data transfer and integration into a broader utility network.
The data transmission from smart meters is typically intermittent rather than continuous. Meters communicate in short bursts, often sending data a few times a day, such as every 15 or 30 minutes, for billing purposes. Some smart meters may also engage in more frequent, very short “handshake” or network management bursts to maintain connection within the grid’s mesh network.
Smart meters commonly utilize various wireless communication protocols, including cellular networks, low-speed wireless protocols like ZigBee or Wireless M-Bus, or dedicated Wide Area Networks (WANs). Many operate in the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz frequency bands. The power output of these transmitters is generally low, typically 1 watt or less, which is sufficient for transmitting data over the necessary distances to data concentrators or directly to the utility’s network.
Assessing Smart Meter Emissions
The electromagnetic fields emitted by smart meters are a form of radiofrequency energy. To understand the levels of these emissions, it is useful to compare them to everyday devices that also use RF technology. Smart meter emissions are typically measured in microwatts per square centimeter (µW/cm²). These devices are usually installed on the exterior of a home, which further reduces direct human exposure.
Measurements indicate that the RF exposure from smart meters is considerably lower than many common household electronics. For example, a smart meter at a distance of 10 feet might emit around 0.1 to 4 µW/cm², while direct contact measurements can range from 50 to 140 µW/cm². In contrast, a cell phone held to the ear can expose a user to between 1,000 and 10,000 µW/cm².
A Wi-Fi router, typically used indoors, may emit between 0.2 and 10 µW/cm² at close distances, and a microwave oven operating at 2 feet can produce 50 to 200 µW/cm². The intermittent nature of smart meter transmissions also contributes to lower overall exposure; while they may send data in short bursts multiple times a day, the total transmission time is often less than one minute per day. This brief transmission duration, combined with distance from the source, means the average exposure from smart meters remains low compared to devices with more continuous or higher power emissions.
Expert Views on Smart Meter Safety
Leading health organizations and scientific bodies worldwide have examined the potential health implications of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from smart meters. The consensus among these organizations is that smart meter emissions, which are low-level and intermittent, do not pose a public health risk based on current scientific evidence.
Organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States, and Health Canada have reviewed extensive research on RF-EMF exposure. The WHO has concluded that no adverse health effects have been demonstrated from exposure to low-level RF energy like that produced by smart meters. Health Canada states that exposure to RF from smart meters does not pose a public health risk, noting that measured levels are far below human exposure limits.
Regulatory bodies, including the FCC, establish safety limits for RF emissions from electronic devices, and smart meters are required to comply with these standards. Exposure levels from smart meters are consistently found to be well below these established thresholds, which incorporate safety factors to protect against known thermal effects. Scientific studies have largely found no adverse health effects from RF-EMF exposure at levels typically associated with smart meters, even when considering potential non-thermal impacts. This scientific consensus underscores that the RF emissions from smart meters are considered safe for the general public under normal operating conditions.