Smart meter rollout is linked to a rise in disconnections

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

VICTORIA’s electricity smart meter rollout has been linked to a rise in disconnections.

And fees to pay for the rollout have also pushed up power prices, putting a strain on low-income households, a state inquiry has been told.

Annual disconnections over unpaid bills have more than doubled in five years. Last financial year, 34,448 residential customers were cut off.

The Consumer Action Law Centre has recommended distributors be forced to check on householders and assess their circumstances before acting.

“We are particularly concerned … there is the potential for households to be disconnected in greater numbers,” senior energy policy officer Janine Rayner said.

Retailer Simply Energy has told an Essential Services Commission review of financial hardship arrangements that smart meters were one of the reasons for more cut-offs.

The technology can be used to pull the plug remotely, and “this alone will have increased disconnection rates over the last two years or so”.

Simply Energy noted it had also experienced a “significant rise” in those applying to hardship programs or failing to pay bills because of rising prices.

Charges beyond retailers’ control — including the cost of the smart meter rollout — were among the reasons.

Karen Collier, via Herald Sun (Page 2, 18 June 2015)

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Melbourne doctor fears link between mobile phone use and brain cancer

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

A leading Melbourne doctor is blaming mobile phones for an escalation in brain cancer.

Dr John Tickell has fought his own cancer battle and claims radiation is the link.

He says it should be a wake up call for anyone who uses a mobile phone.

Dr Tickell was a on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne when he suffered a seizure. A subsequent brain scan revealed five tumours; one was the size of a golf ball.

“It’s maybe the scariest words you’ll ever hear, ‘you have brain cancer’,” Dr Tickell said.

Now in remission, Dr Tickell believes radiation is a significant contributing factor to the increasing rate in brain tumours.

“There’s a million more times radiation in the air today than there was fifty years ago – that is frightening,” he said.

Some 35 Australians are diagnosed with brain cancer every week.

Christian Althaus, of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, said: “The exhaustive studies that have been done to date have found no link, we expect that to continue but science will continue to examine this issue.”

The most comprehensive study involved 5000 brain cancer patients worldwide.

While it found there was no increased risk of cancer overall, those who used their mobile phones were up to 40 per cent more likely to develop Glioma, a common type of brain cancer.

The 31 million mobiles in use in Australia carry a little known warning that the phone should be held at least 5mm away from the body.

Via: 7 News

 

Posted in Channel 7 News, Doctor, mobile phone, Smart Meter | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Beware – ‘Silent’ installation of smart water and gas meters

Posted on June 8, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

A ‘silent’ installation of smart (AMI capable) water and gas meters is in full swing in Victoria and parts of NSW.

Most current models are ‘pulse ready’, meaning that, even if they do not currently transmit data wirelessly, they can be retrofitted with a module to do so at any future time.

Some residents are blocking access to their old meter so it cannot be accessed for retrofitting or replaced altogether. It is not recommended to do so without first obtaining professional advice.

Via: EMR Aware June newsletter

 

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , , , , , | 29 Comments

EMERG EHS presentation and New Environmental Sensitivity Register

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

SSMA Vice President delivers EHS presentation to Govt. authorities and industry representatives

On the 20th of May, Steve Weller B.Sc. presented on the topic of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) at the bi-annual Electromagnetic Energy Reference Group (EMERG) committee meeting. EMERG was established by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) to enable input from the community and other stakeholders on issues relating to electromagnetic radiation and health. Steve’s EHS presentation provides a synopsis of EHS, its progression and probable causes. The presentation contains details of credible research that has occurred over the last 50 – 60 years and provides a compelling case that links chronic radio frequency exposure below levels allowed by ARPANSA’s basic restrictions to a host of biological effects with serious health implications. A number of potential bio-markers are also identified that could be used to validate EHS as a real condition and link it to Electromagnetic Radiation exposure. Steve concludes with recommendations to ARPANSA and the Government to acknowledge and support those who are impacted. Status quo is no longer an acceptable option. You can also view Steve’s presentation and other SSMA submissions here.

ANRES Australian National Register of Environmental Sensitivities

Two doctors and a building biologist have recently established a national register for capturing statistics of those who experience environmental sensitivities because the prevalence of Environmental Sensitivities is largely unknown in Australia. ANRES (Australian National Register of Environmental Sensitivities) aims to provide the background evidence to highlight the need for recognition and assistance. Statistics are needed for reform, particularly at a political level. Their secondary goal is to provide a resource for supporting associations and organisations in order to assist them with their work and application for grants. The register includes conditions such as Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME, Lyme disease, Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) and food intolerances. Many of these conditions co-exist. For example a person with MCS may also suffer CFS and food intolerances. It is important to collect this information to determine the overall impact on health and lifestyle. You can assist by registering your support on the ANRES website.  The registration process is very brief and you do not need to list your symptoms at this stage, only the nature of your environmental sensitivity.  You can remain anonymous if you prefer or you can register to receive further contact and information from ANRES. If you are interested in participating in scientific research on the issue of EHS please consider completing an in-depth survey developed by medical researcher Dr Beatrice Golomb, which can be found here: Beatrice Golomb’s survey.  This is being run by the University of California, San Diego, and the initial survey is open to people from all over the world.  After collation of survey results, selected individuals will be invited to participate in a more in depth study, which presumably will not include people who live a great distance from San Diego.

Posted in ARPANSA, electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), health, health risks, Radiation, Research, RF, survey | 2 Comments

Smart meters are a ‘costly mistake’ that’ll add BILLIONS to bills – UK Institute of Directors

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

A report from the Institute of Directors (IoD) warns that the government’s rollout of smart meters “should be ‘halted, altered or scrapped’ to avoid a potentially catastrophic government IT disaster.”

The report, entitled “Not too clever: will Smart Meters be the next Government IT disaster?” describes the £11bn scheme as “unwanted by consumers, over-engineered and mind-blowingly expensive.”

The Major Projects Authority has carried out three assessments into the smart meter programme; however, the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has refused to publish them, citing commercial sensitivity.

Dan Lewis, report co-author and Senior Infrastructure Advisor at the IoD, describes a “political consensus” regarding the rollout as “a conspiracy of silence among politicians in thrall to big ideas and even bigger budgets.”

“This is not an age when we have to take the government in trust on numbers. This is not where we should be at in the twenty first century,” Lewis told The Register.

Earlier this month, the Energy and Climate Change Committee stated the program was running the risk of being “a costly failure,” and was likely to cost most consumers more than it could save them.

The IoD also raised concerns that the the largest government IT project in history may quickly become obsolete, and could even expose consumers to cyber threats.

Alongside providing a vector for criminal data access, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) reported in 2012 how the rollout entailed “considerable risks to the protection of personal data,” from the smart meter providers without adequate consumer protections in place.

“It enables massive collection of personal data from European households and may lead to tracking what members of a household do within the privacy of their own homes.” stated Peter Hustinx, the EDPS.

The IoD report recommends that an incoming government should consider the following changes:

Stop the smart gas meter deployment – only a handful of EU nations are planning to deploy gas smart meters by 2020. This would save billions of pounds.

Remove the requirement for an “in home” display – expected to cost £800m in total, the displays will be out of date in a few years. Far better to connect smart meters to people’s phones, tablets and PCs.

Abandon attempts to stretch the rollout to tower blocks – the most technically challenging aspect of the project with the lowest potential returns. This would remove seven million homes from the scheme.

Make the programme genuinely voluntary – offered to customers at their own expense, not subsidised by all.

Abandon the whole programme and develop a smart phone app instead.

The full version of the article can be found at: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/30/smart_meters_costly_mistake_add_billions_to_energy_bills/

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Appeal to U.N. to protect humans from wireless technology

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

International Scientists Appeal to U.N. to Protect Humans and Wildlife from Electromagnetic Fields and Wireless Technology

WHO’s conflicting stance on risk needs strengthening, says 190 scientists

On May 11, 2015, 190 scientists from 39 nations submitted an appeal to the United Nations, UN member states and the World Health Organization (WHO), requesting they adopt more protective exposure guidelines for electromagnetic fields (EMF) and wireless technology in the face of increasing evidence of risk. These exposures are a rapidly growing form of environmental pollution worldwide. Continue reading →

Posted in ICNIRP, wireless | Tagged , , , | 34 Comments

An energy ’death spiral’ could result in electricity prices skyrocketing as more consumers go ‘off-grid’

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

AN ENERGY “death spiral” could result in electricity prices skyrocketing further as some customers tear up large bills in favour of using their own solar and battery power.

A Senate committee examining the management of electricity networks has found bill shock will become even more shocking for some unlucky customers as improving technology allows other customers to go “off-grid”.

A report prepared by the Environment and Communications References Committee said it was increasingly likely more and more customers would generate their own electricity in the future as technology improves solar and battery power, leaving fewer customers to foot the bill for the growing and expensive electricity network.

“Electricity prices, largely driven by network costs, have risen significantly while the demand for electricity has declined,” the report says.

“This had led to concern about a death spiral; that is, high prices are causing demand to decline while also encouraging consumers and businesses to engage in their own generation activities. Remaining customers would be required to pay an increasing share of the network costs.”

With more than one million solar power systems already on roofs and emerging battery storage technology allowing homes to store their own solar power, we could see an even more dramatic behaviour shift.

The report recommended an urgent investigation into electricity production, asking state governments to “prioritise efforts” to focus on whether networks are properly anticipating more and more customers going “off-grid”.

Meanwhile, the committee is still considering allegations of price rorting by electricity company Energex.

The inquiry was sparked by an Energex whistleblower’s revelations published in The Courier-Mail last year that it looked into manipulating data to target a higher rate of return.

Complete article with video was posted on The Courier Mail linked here

Posted in Energex, Smart grid, Smart Meter, Solar | Tagged , , , , | 19 Comments

Life-support patient disconnected | Herald Sun

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Energy retailers are wrongfully disconnecting electricity customers at a rate that is causing concern to the Essential Services Commission.  Processes intended to protect customers from spur-of-the-moment disconnections are not being adhered to.  These processes include hardship assessment, payment advice and adequate warning.  Those owing less than $120 or on registered life-support equipment should not be disconnected at all.

In one alarming incident, Momentum Energy disconnected a customer on life-support for nine hours.  Fortunately the customer was not harmed.

Wrongful disconnections more than doubled last financial year with Victoria’s electricity disconnections the highest in Australia.  Sky-rocketing energy bills are creating financial difficulties for households.  The ease with which electricity distributors can remotely disconnect smart meters makes it easier to disconnect first, ask questions later.

Full report by Karen Collier

 

Posted in Bills Soar, disconnection, Essential Services Commission, Power Company | Tagged , | 18 Comments

Is electromagnetic hypersensitivity real? | The Feed, SBS

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

A growing number of people are suffering from health problems, and they lay the blame at mobile phones, smart meters and wifi; an allergy to electromagnetic fields.

See:

http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/432697924000/Is-electromagnetic-hypersensitivity-real-The-Feed

Posted in Smart Meter | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Where’s Your Mobile Phone? – Monash University Survey

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Stop Smart Meters Australia

Opportunity for young women to participate in a short survey.

Would you like to take part in a Monash University survey on how young women store, carry and use their mobile phones and their perception of risk? Monash is going to use the data for a publication and will also provide necessary information to design a future women’s health study. You’ll also find out a bit about minimum recommended carrying distance and phone radiation emissions.

The survey:

  • Is for young women aged 12 to 40.
  • It takes 10 to 15 minutes on Survey Monkey.
  • It is completely anonymous.
  • It has received ethics approval from Monash University

The Chief Investigator is: Dr Mary Redmayne, Dept. of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University.

To take part in this survey, go to this web address:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XHH8BKD#

An explanatory statement with more information and contact details is available at Where’s your mobile phone

There is no current information on this topic available in Australia, so your participation will be a great help and contribute to letting researchers design a women’s health study.

Poster for you to share

Posted in health risks, mobile phone, RF, Safety | Tagged , , | 11 Comments