Smart meters causing concern for homeowners, some believe could be harmful to health

Contact 5 put the device to the test

Posted: 02/08/2012
Last Updated: 25 minutes ago

 By: Dan Krauth

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - With new technology come new concerns. 

Smart meters have sparked concern across the country.  In fact, entire cities have put the installation of the meters on hold and many anti-smart meter websites have been created.

That concern has spread to South Florida as Florida Power and Light is in the process of replacing old analog meters with new wireless smart meters on every home by next summer. 

Last November, the Contact 5 Investigators first reported on fire concerns surrounding the installation of the new technology.

Now, some homeowners are going to extreme measures to prevent a meter from being installed on their home due to new health concerns.

They’re worried the wireless energy that is emitted from the device could be harmful to their health over time. 

“We can't shut it off, it’s 24-7,” said Stephanie Austin of Vero Beach.  “It’s not harmless technology,” she said. 

A spokeswoman for Florida Power and Light said the technology is harmless and that there are no health effects whatsoever.

"Ninety nine percent of the time it's dormant, it works with a two way radio and what it does is it transmits energy usage only," said Marie Bertot of FPL. 

The Contact 5 Investigators put the wireless device to the test.   Using high tech testing equipment they tracked just how much wireless energy comes from the device and compared those levels with other wireless items you use every day, like cell phones.

We’ll have the results of our Contact 5 Investigation Thursday night on NewsChannel 5 at 11.

Read more: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/local_news/investigations/smart-meters-causing-concern-for-homeowners-some-believe-could-be-harmful-to-health#ixzz1luYM1mZX