Environmental Working Group (EWG) Names Duke Energy as Public Enemy #1. Customers Who Hate Duke’s AMI “Smart” Meters Feel the Same.

By B.N. Frank

Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently published a long detailed article about how Duke Energy – America’s biggest electric utility company – is also the worst for the environment.

Duke Energy customers in 6 states feel the same animosity toward Duke Energy because of the company’s AMI “Smart” Meters which also happen to be harmful to the environment. Customer complaints have been reported by many sources over the years (See 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) including by Activist Post. (See 1, 2, 3, 4)

ALL “Smart” Meters have been proven to be harmful to the environment because they:

Use more energy than traditional analog meters
Require frequent replacement unlike traditional analog meters which have an approx. 40 year life-span
Cause fires and explosions (See 1, 2)
Emit RadioFrequency or RF (cell phone) Radiation and “Electrosmog”which can make people, plants, and animals sick

Some environmental groups have already publicly opposed “Smart Meters” for these reasons. (See 1, 2)

People everywhere don’t want “Smart” Meters (See 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6 ) for all reasons list above as well as because of:

Measurement errors which cause inflated bills
RF radiation pulsing which also cause appliances to malfunction and break
Rate increases to cover frequent replacements
Costs from increased energy use by “Smart” Meters are passed on to customers
Data collection and privacy violations (See 1, 2, 3)
Cybersecurity risks

A documentary was produced about problems associated with all “Smart” Meters in 2013, Take Back Your Power. The film was updated in 2017 and is free to watch online.

All “Smart” Meters emit RF radiation which is also referred to as cell phone radiation. Environmental Working Group (EWS) has acknowledged health issues associated with cell phone radiation exposure before:

The largest-ever animal study of cellphone radiation effects, released today by the National Toxicology Program, or NTP, confirms earlier evidence from human studies that cellphone radiation increases the risk of cancer. EWG said the findings reinforce the need for people, especially children, to exercise caution when using cellphones and other radiation-emitting devices.

“This report should raise alarms for policymakers and awareness for all Americans,” said Olga Naidenko, Ph.D., senior science advisor for children’s environmental health at EWG. “These studies should have been done before more than 90 percent of Americans, including millions of children, started using this technology day in and day out.”

Today, 2G and 3G wireless networks are being replaced with 5G networks, which use a distinct and untested form of radio frequency. As EWG reported, the Federal Communications Commission is bowing to industry lobbyists and clearing the way for 5G installation in a way that would bypass federal environmental laws.

Unfortunately, EWG didn’t mention anything in their recent article about the harmful RF (i.e. cell phone) radiation emissions from the Duke Energy AMI “Smart” Meters. Maybe next time…