In response to Kathy Read's letter to The Observer published on Friday 27 January I wish to make a few points about smart meters.
I note that Read cites research connecting the possibility of increased incidence of deadly glioblastoma brain tumors with cell phone use. I still contend that there is no definitive research connecting the installation of smart meters with health issues.
The research on glioblastomas is extremently vague because the condition is so very rare, less than one person in thirty thousand contracts this fatal cancer. The statistical information over the last 50 years does not indicate a dramatic increase of this cancer and furthermore, there seems to be no difference in the incidence between those people who use cell phones on a regular basis and those who have never seen one.
The EMR emitted by Smart Meters is less than one hundredth that of a cellular telephone held to the ear and a mere fraction of the stray radiation from a domestic microwave oven. Because the meters are usually placed outside, the radiation from them is exponentially diminished by distance as to be virtually negligible inside the dwelling.
I would suggest to Read that if she is worried about the possible health issues related to EMR she should eliminate other sources of radiation within her house before taking issue with her smart meter.
The installation of new meters in a very old meter base could be a problem if the contacts are corroded. I feel sure that the installation technician would be able to determine that problem when removing the old meter. I am vastly intrigued as to the sensational documented cases where smart meters have caused appliances to blow up. The only time I have seen an appliance blow up was the time I put an egg in the microwave and turned it on! Quite catastrophic!
Edward Monro