Posted by Marc Martin on
URL: https://www.es-forum.com/house-electricity-entry-point-tp4022102p4022131.html

> I also want to follow-up on what you said about the PSE smart meters,
> since I may end up moving and would likely need to choose between
> electric heat (not ideal) or gas from PSE.  You said their smart
> meters are battery powered and don't seem very bothersome.  So are
> these not the same as the smart meters that a causing problems for
> many people?  Is there anyone else in the Seattle area who can
> confirm that these meters are not a big problem?  How does
> battery-powered make it safer?  Aren't cellphones battery powered?

It seems like most (all?) of the Smart Meter complaints I've seen
here are about electricity meters, which introduce their transmission
frequencies directly into your house's electricity.  Also, these
meters seem to be producing bursts thousands of times per day,
and are sending their signals to your neighbors meters, which
then pass them on to their neighbors meters, etc.

I'm not sure how the gas company smart meters work, but they
cannot transmit a lot, otherwise the battery would die quickly.
And I suspect the battery in these meters last for years, as
opposed to a cellphone battery, which only lasts for days when
the phone is in active use.

It could be that the gas company meters only work when the
gas utility truck comes down the street to read them (in
which case there are still people reading the meters, but
they don't have to actually go onto your property to read
them).

Marc