A petition to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), which is the statutory body that has instigated the electricity rules requiring all households and small businesses falling within its jurisdiction to have a smart meter installed by 2030, is gathering momentum.
As the petition states, ‘Mandating a technology while refusing to take liability for its safety, imposing financial penalties, and compromising household privacy undermines basic consumer rights and regulatory accountability’.
The petition points out that the enforcement of this mandate is fundamentally flawed for several reasons:
- Zero Safety Guarantees: There is no conclusive, independent evidence proving that long-term, continuous exposure to the radiofrequency (RF) radiation emitted by smart meters is entirely safe.
- Shifting Liability: While the AEMC relies on safety guidelines set by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), ARPANSA’s official legal disclaimers explicitly waive liability for the health outcomes or accuracy of their information. If no agency takes accountability, a mandate cannot ethically be enforced.
- Invasion of Privacy: Smart meters harvest highly granular, real-time data about a household’s daily habits, appliances, and routines. This continuous data profiling creates significant privacy and cybersecurity risks for families.
- Financial Coercion: Consumers who try to protect their health or privacy should not face financial penalties, exit fees, or inflated electricity tariffs for wanting to keep a standard, non-communicating meter.
TO READ THE PETITION IN FULL AND SIGN, GO HERE.
