ELECTRICITY SMART METERS
If you already have had a smart meter installed, we urge you to join us and take action via the options listed below. They are winning the fight in America to revert not only to non-communicating digital meters but also, in some cases, to an analogue electro-mechanical meter.
It is due to the Australian public rising up that customers in NSW, QLD, SA, Tas, and the ACT now have the right to revert to a non-communicating smart meter. In many cases, however, electricity retailers are charging fees for this option. If we all join together, we can achieve better outcomes for everybody, including for Victorians, whose government has denied them the rights available to other Australians.
NSW, QLD, SA, TAS and the ACT electricity customers
The national Competition in Metering rule allows communications in existing smart meters to be disabled. Contact your retailer to arrange. Disablement can be achieved by a variety of means. You will need to shop around retailers to get the best price deal. (At the time of writing, Origin was not charging a manual meter reading fee.) See this post on the rule: NSW, QLD, SA, Tas and ACT electricity customers allowed to have communications on ALREADY-INSTALLED smart meters TURNED OFF
Click on Actions You Can Take for further information and tips on spreading awareness.
WA and NT electricity customers
Customers in the NT and WA are not subject to the national Competition in Metering Rule. Contact your electricity company and request an analogue electro-mechanical meter. If this isn’t available, insist on the communications being disabled. You might find it helpful to provide a letter of support from your doctor.
Click on Actions You Can Take for further information and tips on spreading awareness.
VIC electricity customers
The Victorian Labor government had previously signalled that it would delay transitioning to the national Competition in Metering rule until 2021. This has still not occurred. The existing Victorian Orders in Council covering the implementation of smart meters do not make provision for customers to revert to an electro-mechanical meter or for communications to be disabled. Despite this, in isolated cases, power distributors have removed the communications module for customers.
Victorians need to continue to exert pressure on the state government to ensure smart meter issues remain front and centre! See Actions You Can Take for suggestions on how to do this.
WATER SMART METERS
Insist that your water provider reinstate a non-digital meter if a completely new unit was installed, or remove the component for the wireless transmissions (sometimes called a data logger), if this was added to an existing mechanical meter.
There is a precedent for Victorian customers to revert to a mechanical water smart meter. See page 18 of the Essential Services Commission’s Coliban Water final decision: 2018 Water Price Review in relation to issues raised about possible health impacts. The Essential Services Commission states that “Coliban Water has sought to address these concerns by developing a policy for the conditional opt-out from digital meter installation for customers with genuine health concerns and for the voluntary take-up of time-of-use tariffs”.
Click on Actions You Can Take for tips on spreading awareness.
Stop Smart Meters Australia 
Hello, are there any tradies that service the northern Brisbane suburbs that have experience cutting and installing a weather-proof viewing window on my meter box door? The switchboard is also in my meter box so will need to ensure another hole is cut so that the switches can be accessed in case of an emergency. Thank-you!
l am extremely disappointed that my power company installed a smart meter in my power box with no consultation with me and they accessed my neighbor’s property to install the meter without any permission as l live in a duplex with the power box on one property.
we do not want a smart meter.
Hi everyone,
I’m in dispute with red energy over the installation of a smart meter at my property without my consent without my permission and without my knowledge. The ombudsman is investigating red energy and ive been sending EWON more and more information regarding smart meters. I have sent EWON what is on the aemc website about so called faulty meter, quoted the electricity act regarding access and have included that smart meters violate human rights declarations and treaties etc. I now have received a electricity bill from red energy and for the smart meter does not include start and finish readings it only has energy consumed. Would anyone know what I should do? Should I write to red energy for the meter readings. Thank you.
Smart meters don’t have readings.
They can not supply readings.
Smart meters only use data, red energy will only know how much your usage is from the data, also, some companies have this information online for you to see.
??
Here’s the link for Red Energy’s electricity bill explainer:
https://www.redenergy.com.au/bill-explainer-electricity
Hi,
Thank you for your response.
If smart meters dont have start and end readings, what is to say your energy consumption is wrong for what you normally use. I have read some articles on here and they have had bills that were astronomical. The electricity companies must have the readings.
hi I just read this, I have had the communications turned off believe me they haven’t! My meter still communicates to the neighbours meter and also to any WiFi enabled appliances eg. Laptops mobiles TV’s. I am hypersensitive to pulsed radio frequency (wifi) and also emf.. I have chronic tinnitus and also a phenomenon I call brain squeeze or zaps. The only time they disappear is whe a storm knocks the power out. I furnished Ausnet a medical certificate to remove the .smart meter an replace it with an analogue one. They won’t why not? So if They already read my meter. Why won’t they just swap it. WHY because it’s still a smart meter. They are liars..
Analogue meters are no longer an option as they can no longer get the parts to service them.
You can always turn the meter off at the mains
Do you really believe that they can’t get the parts to service analogue meters? It sounds like a convenient excuse. There isn’t much to electromechanical meters. (Unlike non-green ‘smart’ meters!)
And how do you turn off the meter at the mains??? That would be problem solved if we could just turn so-called smart (not) meters off at night! Presto, no more radiation when we’re sleeping!
Leigh
After many years of learning the health risks I have not been able to sleep in my own bed for many years this has taken its toll and destroyed my relationship and quality sleep.
most old and new houses have smart meters recessed into the wall making it only 30 cm from our heads when sleeping every night and through parts of the day.
You can always change the setup of the house to sleep further away from the meter, we did that for our child and worked a treat
It would be nice if it were so simple. Emissions can travel for many metres. So it’s going to depend on factors such as the materials used in the home and how sensitive the person is. Some people also live in very small spaces so there isn’t much leeway. I know people who had to leave their homes entirely after a smart meter was installed because of the health issues that were caused. But yes, the further away, the better.
I put faraday copper blanket behind my meter and you can also get tensor ring to put on the meter which helps with the emf radiation
Have you used an RF meter and tested before and after doing this (assuming it’s a communicating smart meter that you have)?
Some of the so-called remedies for helping with EMF radiation can cause more harm than good.
It would be better to do something constructive such as getting the communications turned off in the first place.
I live in Government housing.The meter cupboard for six units is attached to the outer wall of my bedroom.Today one smart meter was put in for an origin customer and the installer said eventually all would be changed by the individuals suppliers.What are my rights I am very worried.
How terrible for you.
It would be so difficult to get everybody to do the right thing by you (and their own health, if they only knew!) and refuse to have a communicating meter.
I wonder if there are any disability organisations that might go to bat for you?
Distance is the key. So the further you can move your bed away from that wall, the better. This is probably easier said than done.
make a Faraday cage or use anti radiation mesh a d place over all the antenna’s for your own safety. We have same issue, we had comm device removed but had no say in other 5 meters and antennas, so we cover them, f%#$ the neighbours,
A Faraday cage/anti radiation mesh/alfoil/metal pot over the antenna for mesh networked smart meters can work a treat. (Although you’ll want to take it off periodically or make sure it’s not completely shielding the antenna or the meter will stop transmitting entirely.)
But DON’T try this with a 4G meter! You’ll end up with a much worse situation if it’s constantly trying to transmit back to base.
Best if you have a RF meter so you can check on what’s going on.
Great example. Thanks for sharing. Shalom.
i have had heart palpitations weeks after meter was installed and now live with constant gut pain and it is becoming very distressing . i find when i can get out of town for a few hours all these stupid symptoms disappear but as soon as i get back in to town it starts again after an hour or so
Sadly this has happened to many people affected by the smart meters pulsed emissions. I have had to leave my home as I became very sick when the smart meter was installed and move to a house which currently doesn’t have a smart meter. If you do not live in Victoria then you can request to have the smart meter RF component de-activated.
If you are not already a member of SSMA ( Stop Smart meters Australia) I would suggest that you join them and let them know of your issues .
Hello, wanting the smart function removed/disabled from my rural properties metre and have been told that Victorian legislation has changed and I may only seek the metre be “dialed down” as they put it. I suffer emf sensitivities and have moved to this rural setting, with undergrounded electricity to avoid symptoms and want the smart function removed from my metre. Is this my right to have it removed?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks I’m advance, kind regards, zephyr
It seems that Victorians are sadly lacking in rights. From what it says above, we’ll be blasted with radiation until 2021, whether we like it or not.
It says above that power companies can remove the communication module. Does this mean they can remove the smart component at their own discretion? Will a threat of liability for symptoms caused by the smart meter be enough to get them to remove? Would I have any grounds to force removal this way?
Hi guys,
Been searching for ways to block harmful effects of smart meters and found this site. Ot has links to protective material for your house. Reasonably cheap options with strong effects.
http://www.lessemf.com/faq-shie.html
Any other ideas?
don’t forget you can do all that but remember it uses the houses wiring. we are living in homes where the wiring is a big antenna we are surrounded by it.
Hi ssma,
Me and my partner spoke with you in the shop at Oakleigh. We have just found that smart meters have been installed at our set of appts. Do you know of any way we can block the harmful effects until such time that we can get it removed? What happens if we destroy it?
Kind regards,
Daniel
An electrician told me that they have a sim card in them which can be removed. Many Sparky’s refuse to do this, yet this was over three years ago that I asked, some may today, or we can be tempted to smash andxremive ourselves.
We have a smart meter connected which was installed 4/4/2012 and the first bill we received was split 44 days on the old meter and 48 days on the new ,(Billing cycle 20/2/2012 – 22/5/2012) on the old meter we averaged .82 kwh and after the smart meter was read it went to .89 kwh only a small jump but but equates to 1.68 kw per day (24hr) which over a 92 day billing cycle amounts to an extra 154.56kw of power that was not used with the old meters, you may ask is this significant well you be the judge ! .
After receiving our bill for the same period one year later 20/2/2013 – 22/5/2013 the reading has now jumped to 1.67kwh which is an escalation of .85 kwh from the old meters and a hike of 1798.7kwh used above normal usage. After challenging Tru Energy about the bill at a cost of $250 to us they can get the meter tested what a croc this is ,after doing a test throughout the day to use 1798.7kw you would have to be using a microwave, cooktop, oven and an air fryer all at once over a 24 hr period for 92 days. I urge all those who have smart meters to keep a close eye on their readings until these things get removed its obvious that these meters can be controlled to up your useage . They don’t need to raise the price but they have and they just sneak in extra kilowatts it seems. CHECK YOUR BILLS
Old bills had . Peak Chrg @ .225kwh + quarterly supply Chrg $ 38 – $45 less 3% discount
New bills have Peak Chrg @ .278kwh + supply charge .991 cents per day ($91.17 ) $51 hike a quarter and discount remains the same 3% .
SMART METERS ARE COSTING US MONEY , BAD FOR OUR HEALTH , Good for electricity companies , good for hackers THEY HAVE TO GO.
we dont even have power connected and are trying to demolish/restore our new home and without notice they installed a smart meter, now the f(*&$ thing is in the way of the wall we need to knock down!!!!! wtf ???
Go for it Anonymous – smash it down with the rest of the wall! They will have to reinstall an analogue on your home eventually… you can be sure of that as smart meters are NOT compulsory, says Julia Gillard. YES the tide is turning people.
Can anyone tell me ( or offer a link) to the radius affected? Ie how close is too close. We have a whole panel of smart meters six meters from our bedroom. I thought not being on the house was a good thing but now I’m not so sure. Mum of two kids and very concerned. Would appreciate your help. Thanks. 😉
My neighbours had a meter installed next to our garage and driveway a couple of months ago. Since then the healthy, green leaves of the pittosporum tree nearby are dying off and it is starting to look brown and sick. This is smart meters in action. They radiate far more than any of us can imagine in my opinion, so in other words, you have a right for concern even if it is not on your home. What are these things going to do to our environment in the long run???
I am highly EMR sensitive and found that i could not tolerate being within 10 meters of the Smart Meter. a panel of them 6 meters from your bedroom will destroy you health
get out,move. Your health is more valuable than those things.
We have had a Smart meter installed just after the birth of my 2month old Son. My two older daughters have recently been complaining of headaches. We have just worked out they have been occuring since his birth. I had at first thought it was from him crying all the time and keeping them awake, but reading all the horror stories, I think it may be from the metre, as is my babies sleeplessness. He sleeps great when we are out or away for the weekend, but can’t stay asleep for long periods when we’re home. His nursery is closest to the meter, but I have not put him in there yet as I am now feeling very unsure. Has anyone tried the foil and bubble wrap? I am willing to give it a go and we are looking into purchasing the materials this weekend.
I would be sending your distributor a bill for the cost of the material, along with a letter demanding the immediate removal of the device.
Feeling quite frustrated at this bureaucratic imposed situation. Called my Energy company only to be told I would have to pay $400 for someone to come out and check my smart meter ( for levels and to see if it’s working properly.) Energy company says take it up with government. It seems like I own it when it comes to having to pay for it being checked out. I thought it was not my property and therefore wouldn’t have to pay for it to be looked at. Certainly getting mixed messages.
Meanwhile searching the web I came upon this on You Tube:
and found it informative.
suggestion:
Harm can happen quickly. Sometimes it’s irreversible. Don’t wait.
Aluminium screening on windows is fast.
Foiling floor to ceilling and wall to wall on the interior side of the meter wall with thick insulation foil with bubble wrap sandwiched between two layers of flexible foil is fast, one staple gun away from relief.
Foil wrapping the s/meter with no pinholes for transmission is fast and it stops the frequency signals.
The meter’s back up memory is good for 2 months but it can no longer chat with the other components of the system, This is a good thing. The utility people will arrive and remove the foil. You put it back each time asap. That is how you foil it AND them. Eventually they may even send a meter reader and then you get to keep it wrapped all the time.
The law is slow. The frequencies do damage fast.
Shield now. Get well. Then pursue the law.
Go to Youtube and watch Smart Meters by minivanjack and then his 2nd one, How To Replace a Smart Meter With A Safe Meter. Minivanjack is Jerry Day. He is a documentary maker in Burbank California. He also has a site called http://www.freedomtaker.com. The idea is to use the legal means to give the utility legally correct “notice of just cause”. You have to know your Constitutional rights but Jerry might be able to help there. You give them notice, a time line to remove the smart meter. If/when they fail to do so, you are then legally in a position to remove it yourself – meaning with a qualified electrician – and replace it without them coming back on you for not having a utility “registered” meter. You still have meter supply stores that make the same meter you had before they took it away and replaced it with a smart meter.
Buy one for replacement now while you still can and then send for the legal or installation info or both. Even if you cannot “feel” the effects of the frequencies, don’t allow unshielded exposure to these frequencies, it can create permanent disability.
Foil the meter to stop transmission. There are no laws against protecting yourself this way here, likely not there. Sure they will be annoyed but don’t let them bluff you.
Hi I just looked at the TRUenergy websites ‘frequently asked questions’ page and they have a spot to ask your own questions. I gave them hell. I think it would be great if heaps of people swamped this service and told them what they thought of their product.
http://www.truenergy.com.au/meters/faq.xhtml
yes that is a great suggestion and i did just that.
Thats the sort of info I’m after, awesome Mia!
Anyone know of an Australian insulation equivalent?
Art
Art how are you planning to legally handle the removal of your smart metre.
I suggest that any letter to the utility in protest of the new radio meters be truthful, and avoid repeating some science fiction that I have seen people concoct here in the U.S.
If people go off on science fiction, that will negate any legitimate gripes that people have.
Keep in mind that the only way the utility can monitor usage of any individual device or appliance is for the utility to provide a separate meter for each device that reports to the utility, and that will never , ever happen anywhere in the world. It would be completely useless information to the utility and far too expensive to implement.
The new appliances fitted with monitoring chips are for home use only, they do not transmit usage data to the utility. The home area networks are entirely purchased by the customer, and consist of certain large appliances fitted with monitoring chips, a power user interface (receiver), an in home display monitor, and a computer interface if one chooses to view price change alerts from the utility. These chipped appliances cannot be controlled by the chips, just usage monitored. If the customer wants to turn appliances on or off or dimming function for lighting is desired, the customer must purchase an automation system and buy a separate module for each and every device being controlled, and also a controller, that may or may not be hooked to a computer connected to the internet for remote control, plus have the proper software installed on the computer.
The way that the HAN system display is able to distinguish between each appliance transmitter is that each appliance has a pre programmed address code built in, that is how the individual usage is identified. It is exactly the same as a radio system used by public and private entities. Each time a police or fire person keys up on the microphone in the vehicle or handheld radio, a sub audible address is transmitted to identify which radio is transmitting. This is for selective calling systems and in case of emergencies if the radio user gets in trouble.
Bottom line, the meters only can transmit total usage of the meter to the utility over the radio network, and there is no way that the utility knows what that electricity is being used for, chipped appliances and HAN’s or not.
Anyone law-savy enough? Can’t stand these constant head aches.
The headaches are doing you damage. They are caused by ammonia and toxins crossing the blood brain barrier. Never meant to happen, not EVER. The hazardous frequencies enabled by the meter make this possible.
Foil that meter but good, preferably with Reflectix type insulation foil that has bubble wrap between two layers of flexible foil. Check out the kind at insulation4less.com
Staple it to the entire interior wall behind it and wrap the whole meter as well. Do not leave a single pinhole for transmission either direction to occur. When they come and remove it, put it right back. They do not have the manpower to keep coming out. Eventually they will have to send a monthly meter reader and you will get to keep it foiled. It is either that or replace it with an old analog meter, but be sure to do that legally so it does not come back to bite you.
Mia your suggestions are great – but how can one “legally do it” if one does not understand the law?
does any one have suggestions my friend has one one installed, the property is rental (public) and it needs to be removed for safety reasons.
May I suggest a Template letter for people to use to send to the Energy Minister be made available on this site as some will not know what to “write” and will not want to proceed to Media efforts to have their meter removed.
Keep up the fight, together we will make a difference
sounds like a good way to go. Hope it transpires. Michael. Edenhope 3318
so how can i remove a smart meter and replace it with an analogue one?
Bills must have start reading for billing period and end reading for billing period. The usage from these readings should match with the total usage calculated from the interval data.
what’s worse is they now make customers pay for the over supply. How u may ask. Well originally the supply voltage was 240v and analog meters would only record usage once voltage reached 240v. However 15years or so ago, Australian domestic or low voltage supply was reduced and standardised to 230v , most appliances now are 230v, however due to networks stability difficult to maintain a steady 230v the networks have a target range that they are able to use, which is 10+ 6- ie 10% above 230 or 6% below. Now smart meters interval data of usage takes a reading of the voltage then multiply by the load (amps) to give usage. Any thing above 230 most appliances burn of and if too high ie 245+ this actually burns out your appliances faster. So anything above 230 was not ordered by consumer no use to consumer so should not be charged to consumers or used to calculate usage. Accc has this as unsolicited goods and can’t be charged to consumer. So check Ur smart meter if ur stuck with one it will show Ur voltage. Most are being charge 7% premium by this despicable act