What’s the real story behind smart meters and health?

In the first of an ongoing series, our Smart Reporters look at the debate around smart meters and discern fact from fiction.

New technology in the home often raises questions about health and it’s easy for contradictory messages to lead to confusion.

Because smart meters use radio waves to transmit remote readings, they have become subject to disquieting headlines about the potential risks they pose, and no-one wants to introduce an element into their home that could prove harmful.

So what’s been said about smart meters and what is the truth?

Perhaps the biggest fear people have is over a misunderstood health impact of smart meters, with some vocal opponents raising concerns.

However — official studies prove otherwise. According to Public Health England (PHE), the body responsible for protecting and improving the nation’s health, smart meter radio waves do not pose a risk to health.

This conclusion was reached after PHE carried out an extensive programme of research, assessing the exposure of smart meter devices as the technology has been rolled out. Their assessments echo multiple international studies, all of which conclude the meters do not cause radiation at a level deemed threatening to health and wellbeing.

Cutting through the jargon

The word ‘radiation’ is misunderstood by both the public and the media – often demonised, when in fact there are multiple forms of radiation in our atmosphere and not all of them have an effect on the human body. The type that has the potential to affect normal biological processes is called ‘ionizing’ radiation.

Smart meters don’t emit ionizing radiation at a level that is in any way harmful: according to PHE the radio waves emitted by smart meters fall “well below” guidelines.

In fact smart meters exceed every UK and EU safety standard, with exposure to radio waves from smart meters being one million times less than the international health guidelines.

In practical terms that means exposure is significantly lower than from other everyday items, such as mobile phones and Wi-Fi routers, which people have happily lived alongside for years.

And in 2012 the independent scientific group which advised on the public health aspects of radiation – Independent Advisory Group on Non-ionizing Radiations – published a review, stating there’s no convincing evidence that exposure to radio waves below international guidelines impacted on health.

The evidence is clear; while fear of the new is not unreasonable, the overwhelming research has shown there’s no conclusive evidence to link smart meters and health issues.