Deadly PECO smart meter burns up side of a house - And it's not the first

Thursday, September 13, 2012 by: PF Louis
Tags: smart meters, catch fire, house

(NaturalNews) PECO is the acronym for Philadelphia Electric Company, which provides electricity to Philadelphia and its surrounding area. They are in the process of replacing standard analog electric meters with digital, so called, "smart" meters.

Smart meters are the subject of growing controversy and concerns over health and privacy issues, and the activity of replacing analog electricity use meters is ongoing and worldwide.

It's part of a process to create a worldwide "smart" grid, which is a converging group of interlocking technologies, ostensibly to ensure electricity is cheaper, more eco-friendly, while eliminating brownouts or blackouts. But it will also allow Big Brother to limit your electrical use.

Opponents of smart meters argue that the smart grid agenda is not what it's made out to be. Agenda 21 conspiracies aside (for now), privacy invasion, safety issues, and health hazards of smart meters are common concerns for activists who oppose them.

Smart and analog meter differences

If you have owned the home you're living in, you'd probably know if a smart meter has been attached. In case you're uncertain; if you or your dog hasn't noticed a meter reader poking around lately, chances are your home has a smart meter attached.

You can go outside and look to be sure, which is wise if you are a renter. The old analog meters have a silver disc revolving horizontally at or just below the meter's mid-point. If it's not revolving, you're not getting power to your dwelling.

Then there is a row of very small dials on the analog meter's face, each representing an aspect of energy use. Those are what meter readers read. Smart meters have one rectangular screen that produces digital read-outs. See the photo. (http://news.discovery.com/tech/zooms/smart-meter-120314.html)

No meter reader visits are required after the local area power company's transition period into AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure). The readings will be transmitted by wireless radio frequencies to the power company's computers.

Smart meter hazards

There are material hazards. The fire reported from an overheating smart meter was one of several reported in Pennsylvania. This last one would have burned the house down if the owner hadn't been alerted by his smoke alarm in time to call the fire department.

And there have been several more serious and minor smart meter fires reported from other states, Canada, and Australia.

A former AMI engineer in Alabama was fired because he wouldn't keep quiet about smart meters that weren't properly tested. They were deficient and tended to overheat. Instead, the temperature readings of 200 degrees Fahrenheit signaled to computers were dismissed as faulty readings.

Now, the former engineer whistle-blower, Don Baker, has filed a suit in Alabama against the smart meter manufacturing company and the area's power companies. Here's a pdf document of Don's filed court claim. (http://emfsafetynetwork.org)

Dr. Ollie Johansson wrote this to the California Public Utility Commission: "The recent determination of the World Health Organization (WHO) to include radio-frequency radiation on the list of 2B carcinogens also applies to devices such as smart meters."

There have been several reports of immediate health problems from recently installed smart meters, which add another closer EMF source to the EMF pollution from cell phone towers, cell phones, and WiFi computer systems.

Those who are more EMF sensitive have reported ill health ranging from autoimmune disease symptoms to nausea and headaches after enforced smart meter installations. Only a few states allow homeowners to opt out.

Many activists raise concerns about privacy issues. The smart grid will eventually enable central offices to control when you use certain appliances. Privacy is irrelevant to Big Brother's Agenda 21. (http://www.chattanoogan.com)

Sources for this article include:

http://www.phillyburbs.com

http://www.napervillesmartmeterawareness.org/

http://www.smartmeterdangers.org