Smart Meter EMF Protection – Complete Guide
Smart meters have recently become a major source of fear for many people that are aware of the hazards EMF radiation can pose to our health.
In many cases, people find that they have no say-so as to whether or not they want one installed on the side of their home.
However, there is no need to worry since there are other ways we can protect ourselves from the radiation, even with the smart meter remaining installed.
Let’s take a closer look at the risks that come along with having a smart meter installed, as well as some simple solutions that can keep you and your family safe.
What is a Smart Meter?
So what is a smart meter? This might be your first time hearing about them, or perhaps you recently discovered what they were after being notified that one was to be installed on the outside of your home by your electric company.
For the past few decades, utility companies were only able to obtain a home’s electricity usage data by use of analog readings. This required sending a worker out to your home to check the readings manually.
This was to ensure that you were charged for the right amount of electricity that you used during a given period of time.
Unlike traditional analog meters, smart meters allow the electric company to receive your home’s electricity usage data wirelessly. This helps the company save money by not having to send out workers to do the job manually.
This works great for the electric company, but not so much for the consumer. After having a smart meter installed, many users began experiencing negative side effects that couldn’t otherwise be explained.
How are Smart Meters Dangerous?
Some customers experienced headaches, dizziness, and trouble getting to sleep at night. The only thing that had been introduced in their lives during the time of developing the symptoms had been the smart meter.
The major issue with smart meters is that they emit large amounts of radiation into your home. The EMF radiation they emit is what causes the negative health impacts that people begin to have.
The radiation is emitted from the smart meter and passes through the walls and into your home. Being exposed to high levels of EMF radiation at all hours of the day is where the serious issues come in.
Normally, there isn’t much harm in being exposed to EMF radiation in small amounts or for small periods of time. As mentioned in previous articles, EMF radiation also occurs naturally within our environment.
Natural sources of EMF radiation include the sun, our atmosphere, and the planet itself. Smart meters are a man-made source of EMF radiation and the amount of EMF radiation that they emit is far higher than the safer, natural levels found naturally.
Prolonged exposure to high levels of EMF radiation can lead to the development of many diseases, especially inflammatory ones.
How Much EMF Radiation Do Smart Meters Emit?
So we know that smart meters emit high levels of radiation, but just how much is it, and is it enough to truly be concerned about?
In 2011 the IARC classified certain types of radiation as possible carcinogens. Carcinogens are things that are shown to cause cancer.
Since then, many studies have been done that show a link between EMF radiation, and RF radiation and the development of diseases such as cancer. As of now, the US safety limit for rf radiation is 1,000 micro-watts per square meter.
The problem is that some smart meters are able to emit up to 60 times that amount, or 60,000 micro-watts. There are two different ways in which the radiation emitted from smart meters can be a hazard for your home.
The first being as we mentioned above, by emitting up to 60 times the recommended safe limits as suggested by the US safety limits.
The second way they cause harm to your environment is by causing spikes of high-frequency electricity to radiate through the walls of the home and travel into each room.
This creates an electromagnetic smog or as some call it, “dirty electricity”. This is when your home or other environment gets “covered” or “surrounded” with high levels of EMF or RF radiation. The dirty electricity gets trapped in your home wiring because it’s unusable by your electronics, and ultimately it emits fields of EMF radiation.
In most cases, this results in the environment being contaminated with unsafe radiation levels. People that are exposed to this electromagnetic smog for long periods of time can begin to develop the negative symptoms of EMF exposure.
Health Impacts of EMF Radiation From Smart Meters
Smart meters work by sending data about your energy usage back to your electric company so that they can know exactly how much to charge you without sending a worker out to your home in order to get a manual reading.
The problem with this is in order to get the data, the smart meter has to send out intense bursts of EMF radiation into your home. The suppliers of these devices themselves will tell you that there is nothing to be concerned about.
They claim that the smart meters will only transmit the data back to the utility site a few times per day. However, this has been found by many experts and consumer-run tests that this is not the case.
The actual amount of intense bursts that come from smart meter devices is closer to 14,000 times every single day. This is tremendously more than what the suppliers admit to.
The strength and frequency if these high-energy bursts are what makes them so dangerous to your health.
For many customers, the negative impacts of smart meters were felt immediately after having one installed. In 2010, California rolled out smart meters and within 10 months over 2,000 health complaints were filed.
Customers complained of feeling dizzy, light-headed, having severe headaches, nausea, heart palpitations, and ringing in the ears.
Being exposed to high levels of EMF radiation can also affect many other parts of the body such as the immune system, cardiovascular system, reproductive system, and so much more.
The more often you’re exposed to it, the more intense your symptoms can become and over time this can lead to more chronic issues since EMF radiation exposure has a cumulative effect.
Because of this, it has been shown in some cases to be responsible for the development of inflammatory diseases such as stomach ulcers, cancer, arthritis, and others.
All of these awful illnesses can be avoided by limiting the amount of time and intensity of EMF radiation you’re exposed to.
It won’t prevent you from potentially developing them from other sources, but being aware of your EMF exposure can greatly reduce the likelihood of developing them from EMF radiation.
The most alarming thing about all this is that there isn’t much data available yet from the suppliers on the long-term health impacts that smart meters can cause.
There is, however, a growing body of scientific evidence that points to the harmful effects that EMF radiation can have on one’s body.
Over time, more information will become available on the negative health impacts of exposure to high-intensity pulses from EMF radiation smart meters. Hopefully sooner, rather than later and not at the expense of the consumers’ health.
How to Protect Yourself From Smart Meter Radiation
Now that we’ve gone over what smart meters are and some of the reasons as to why they can be hazardous to your health, let’s go over some of the things that you can do to protect yourself.
How you’ll handle protecting yourself from the EMF radiation that smart meters emit will be different than the way you would protect yourself from smartphone radiation. The situation is a bit trickier.
Unlike cellphones, you may not be able to distant yourself from the smart meter. Cellphones can be disconnected from wifi, put on airplane mode, or turned off and put in another room.
Smart meters cannot be disconnected or turned off. They need to be on 24/7 so that they can calculate the amount of energy you use within your home and then send that information back to your utility company wirelessly.
This is so that they know what to charge you on your monthly bill. Since you can’t turn them off or remove them from your home, you’ll need to block the radiation that they emit so that it doesn’t have a chance to enter your home.
Smart Meter Shields
So let’s talk about smart meter guards. One of the first things you’ll likely come across on your search for ways to block radiation from smart meters is a smart meter guard.
Smart meter guards are covers that can be placed over the smart meter itself in order to block the radiation that it puts out. The guards are made out of a conductive metal mesh screen that is able to block out anywhere between 90 and 95% of all radiation.
Using a smart meter cover is a highly effective way to protect you and your family from the effects of EMF radiation. They are also very cost-effective.
You can find some of them priced as low as $30-$50, and for the level of protection and peace of mind they offer, they are well worth the cost.
One other thing that you’ll want to keep in mind is that while the smart meter cover is incredibly effective at blocking EMF radiation from entering your home, you might want to make sure you’re blocking the EMF radiation on the other side of the wall.
This an extra step that will provide additional protection for you by blocking the EMF radiation on the other side of the wall that the smart meter is attached to. This can be done by placing an EMF blocking fabric on the other side of the wall.
Of course, this might not be a practical solution for everyone since you will have a sheet of fabric hanging from your wall, but it can easily be concealed by hanging a photo, painting, or another piece of artwork over the fabric.
That way, that no one will realize it’s there. Many smart meter cover companies note that their covers are able to block EMF radiation in all directions, so be sure to see if this is the case for the one you choose to go with.
Which Smart Meter Shields are the Best?
With the increasing awareness of the dangers a smart meter may pose, comes a rise in the number of products like smart meters that are available on the market. So how do you know which products are the best?
We’ve done a bit of digging to find out which smart meters work the best as well as which ones offer the best available pricing.
1. Smart Meter Covers
The first one is from a company that goes simply by the name of Smart Meter Covers. This company offers a high-quality, stainless steel smart meter cover that is able to block out up to 98% of the EMF radiation coming from smart meters.
Some of the key features of their product includes:
- Ease of installation– The only thing you’ll need to do to reap the benefits of their smart meter cover is to simply slide the cover over the smart meter. No tools are required.
- Durability– The smart meter cover is made from stainless steel. This gives the cover the ability to withstand nearly any type of weather condition for many years to come. You won’t need to consider a replacement any time soon.
- Affordable– This company’s smart meter cover is one of the most affordable options on the market. In some cases, other similar products are more than double to price for the same level of protection you’d get from using theirs.
- Portable– If you find that you need to remove the cover for any reason (say if you’re moving for example), it’s very simple to take off and pack along with you to use at your next location.
- Effective– As mentioned, this smart meter cover blocks out around 98% of the EMF radiation that smart meters emit. Even though it blocks most of the radiation, the electric company is still able to receive the data it needs.
Their smart meter covers also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if for some reason you find that the product does not suit your needs, you’re able to return the cover and receive a full refund.
You can order one of these smart meter covers by visiting their website.
If you’re curious how they work, here is a great video from Smart Meter Covers demonstrating that.
2. Smart Meter Guard
The next best smart meter cover is by a company called Smart Meter Guard. Their smart meter cover uses the same Faraday cage technology and is also able to block out around 98% of all EMF radiation that the smart meter emits.
Their smart meter cover is also made from stainless steel, giving it the same lasting durability that you’d expect from a smart meter cover.
It should be noted that this smart meter cover has a 7.25-inch diameter, so be sure to measure your smart meter before making a purchase. For context, the previous smart meter we mentioned has a diameter of 7 inches.
Smart Meter Guard says that their smart meter covers are able to fit all smart meters within the United States and Canada. It’s still a good idea to measure your smart meter in any case, just to be sure that yours will fit.
Even though both of the smart meter covers offer very similar specs and capabilities, the cover by Smart Meter Guard comes in second place due to the fact that it costs a bit more than Smart Meter Covers’ product.
You can find this smart meter cover by visiting this link.
Either of these options will provide you with great EMF shielding for your smart meters. They both block out around 98% of the radiation.
Smart Meter Cover Alternatives
Now if you’re a creative person that doesn’t mind doing a bit of DIY, you can definitely create your own smart meter cover alternative and save even more money.
The cover you create will need to be able to fit over the smart meter itself completely so that you know it is blocking out all of the radiation and not letting some escape.
When measuring and installing your own handmade cover be very careful as to not break or damage the meter itself. Depending on whether your smart meter is made from glass or plastic, it may be easy to accidentally crack.
Your first option when it comes to DIY is to create an aluminum Faraday cage. This method will allow you to create a smart meter cover that is able to block out around 96% of all EMF radiation emitted.
That’s slightly less than the smart meter covers we mentioned before, but it’s still a tremendous amount of protection, especially if making one yourself is your only option. It’s better to have some layer of protection versus none.
Another DIY method you can try is to create a bubble wrap insulated shield around the smart meter. This is a very simple, affordable method that is also portable.
If you plan to take a trip or have a night’s stay in a rental or a family member’s house that has a smart meter installed, you can take the bubble wrap insulator with you and easily slide it over the smart meter where you’ll be staying.
This article by EMF Academy has some good info on how to DIY your own smart meter shield.
Commonly Asked Questions:
Below you’ll find a few commonly asked questions to provide you with further information regarding smart meter cover installations and opt-out policies.
How do I Know if the Smart Meter Shield is Working?
This is a common concern for many customers, especially when the solution of simply sliding a smart meter cover over the smart meter seems too easy to actually be effective.
The fact of the matter is smart meter covers do work. They do what they say and are effective at blocking out EMF radiation. Many companies that produce smart meter covers have videos on their websites showing that the products do work.
They test this by using EMF readers that measure the amount of EMF radiation in an area. I personally use and recommend the Trifield TF2 which you can pick up on Amazon. They begin by pointing the reader towards the smart meter before it has a cover on it to show you the high reading the device picks up.
After placing the smart meter cover over the smart meter, the demonstrator points the EMF reader in the direction of the smart meter again, but this time the reading is significantly lower.
If you’re still skeptical about whether or not the smart meter covers work, an EMF reader can be purchased online to help you test it out for yourself. Like I said above, I use the Trifield TF2 that you can get on Amazon.
It’s also very beneficial to have one of these to see if you have any other EMF hotspots in your home that need to be addressed.
If at the end of the day you’re still not satisfied with your smart meter cover, you can always return the product for a refund from the companies mentioned here in this article.
If you decide to go with a different manufacturer, just be sure to see what their return policy is like so that you can be more confident in your purchase.
Are Smart Meter Covers Legal?
Yes, absolutely. It is perfectly fine to install a cover over your smart meter. The only thing you’ll need to do is be careful during the process of putting the cover on.
It’s very simple to do, just be sure not to break, crack, or damage the casing that comes on the smart meter. It’s usually made from either a glass or plastic material.
As long as you don’t damage the meter itself, there is nothing illegal about placing a smart meter cover over your smart meter. Your utility company will still be able to receive all of the information they need from your device.
The only thing a smart meter cover does is protect you and your family from unnecessarily high levels of EMF radiation that a smart meter emits into your home.
Can I Opt-Out of Having a Smart Meter Installed?
Although this is the best option for avoiding what comes with having a smart meter, it’s not an option for everyone. Each state varies with their rules and regulations regarding smart meter installations and opt-out policies.
You’ll need to check with your individual state if you’d like to opt-out of having one installed. A few states that currently offer an opt-out choice are as follows:
- California
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Texas
- Vermont
Other states may have different policies or offer opt-outs on a PUC case-by-case basis, so you will need to check in with your state to find out. You can find more information on that by visiting the National Conference of State Legislatures’ website.
