Stop Smart Meters Australia

For the past two years, Stop Smart Meters Australia (SSMA) has received countless emails from people suffering from the effects of the constant pulses of radiation emitted by smart meters.

The standard response these sufferers receive from “authorities”, if any, is that the radiation emitted from smart meters falls within Australian radio frequency standards, and so the authorities believe it absolves them from all responsibility to investigate, and prefers to leave people suffering without any form of support.

SSMA doesn’t dispute that Australian radiation standards are being met within the roll-out of smart meters, however, we strongly maintain that authorities have a duty of care to, at the very least, consider the effects smart meters are having on the proportion of the population who are adversely affected by radiofrequency microwaves. This becomes even more essential when one considers ICNIRP, the organisation that established international guidelines upon which our standards are based, and which claims that guidelines may not provide adequate protection for certain sensitive individuals nor for normal individuals exposed concomitantly to other agents, which may exacerbate the effect of the non ionizing radiation exposure.

The Victorian government and power distributors refuse to make provision for people who are clearly affected, and even medically proven, to be affected by radiofrequency microwaves. The cries and tears of these people are heartlessly ignored.

 To our knowledge the CEOs of Victorian power distributors, Mr Timothy Rourke (Powercor and CitiPower), Mr Nino Ficca (SP AusNet), Mr Paul Adams (Jemena) and Mr Hugh Gleeson (United Energy) have not once agreed to meet with people who are suffering as a direct result of the forced installation of their equipment in people’s private residences. Nor has Mr Mark Feather, Executive Director, Energy Sector Development Branch, Department of State Development and Business Innovation, nor have respective Victorian Energy Ministers Michael O’Brien, Nicholas Kotsiras or Russell Northe met face to face, eye to eye with affected people and explained why they should suffer, allegedly for the ‘common good’. Rather it seems to be the financial wellbeing of power distributors that is the overriding concern.

These men have been clearly advised on numerous occasions of the effects the smart meter roll-out in Victoria is having on many people, yet they totally REFUSE to do ANYTHING about it. One wonders how such men can look at themselves in the mirror….

See, below, just one more example of the pain and suffering Victoria’s mandated smart meter roll-out is afflicting on hapless Victorians. This email was received in the past week from a mother of a wheelchair-bound person:

“My daughter who is chronically ill had two smart meters installed last Wednesday 16th April. She suffers from a severe muscular disorder, and also is extremely susceptible to electro magnetic radiation.

By Thursday all of her symptoms were exacerbated, the pain in her head and jaw became unbearable and she could not sleep. I spent the entire Easter weekend trying to get help from United Energy. The first question I was asked was “who told you about this?”

I had no idea that these devices had anything to do with wifi emissions or I would not have had it installed. Since the installation she has had horrendous migraines, has not slept at all, and has had seizures. We had no idea that the smart meter could make her condition worse and we are positive that this is not a coincidence.

After numerous calls yesterday (and being on hold for 2 and a half hours) someone finally rang me from customer relations at 4.50. He said that there was no proof that the smart meter could have anything to do with my daughter’s health problems, but finally agreed to see if the levels could be lowered remotely (which I had read is possible) They have agreed to do this.

My daughter has moved from her bedroom and is on the floor in her lounge. We attempted to turn off her power, removing all of her medication which needed to be kept frozen. This didn’t work as the meter has a backup battery which just keeps going.

Today I have been informed that I can get an electrician to remove one of the meters at my own cost (this is for floor heating which is disconnected so doesn’t need to be there).

I am getting a quote from a local guy, who is doing two similar jobs. He said it may cost thousands.

I feel that this is going to be a nightmare to eventually get the smart meter removed, but given my daughter’s deteriorating condition I need to do whatever it takes to get rid of this device.”

Geri, Blairgowrie

Geri’s husband has tried to shield the radiation from entering his daughter’s room by placing led behind the smart meter. Their daughter wrote (edited version):

 “Do we have absolutely no rights in removing this thing?

If this lead doesn’t work surely we must, this is ridiculous. Could we speak to a lawyer maybe?

I got moved back to my bedroom last night as I really wanted to test it after being in the back of the house for many days. Within a few hours I woke up with excruciating back pain – this pain is diff to my usual – middle back, and like the worst kind of kidney type pain – but it’s not kidneys, none of my stuff that helps usual muscle stuff relieves it. The pain is constant and very severe. This first started the day after the smart meter was installed and went away after a few days when I was down at the back of the house. I have completely dried out, throat – right to stomach, sinus, eyes everything. My skin rash came back and my heart went crazy. The most worrying thing is my lungs have totally dried out. I keep choking due to this and coughing nonstop. None of this is stuff I had before the smart meter was installed and it’s far far worse in there now than it was last week even. It’s the first time my lungs have gone. I am utterly exhausted. Without sleep you can imagine how much I am worsening. I’d be very scared to be left in my bedroom now for any extended time, seeing the difference now.

We must have some rights, potentially it could kill me if left in there. Noexaggeration. I shouldn’t have to lose my house over this. It took so much effort to get it all altered and set up for me and has access to all I need, especially the bedroom and bathroom. I don’t want to have to move into a tiny bedroom, nothing will fit, not even my wheelchair and cannot even sleep/lay on that bed as it worsens my back. I really can’t believe this is happening.

Took all I had left to write this. I am shaking severely and my limbs are seizing up bad now. Zero energy. I just hope someone can do something and soon.

I will have no energy to handle any of this. If I was less sick it would be easier for us to fight this. This is just crazy.”

Original version of the daughter’s email can be found here: Do we have absolutely no rights is removing this thing…