Mmm… a first contact re Linky has just arrived in our commune. Seems we are now being scheduled…
I’ve been reading up a bit and it seems best that these meters are best if fitted outside the property. ie a distance is considered safer…
Sadly that is not possible for us - so I’m just wondering what experiences forum folk have had (if any)…
Safer in what respect?
The stories about Linky’s listening in to people or affecting their health are just that - stories.
As far as I can tell the main points of concern would be:
They are much less tolerant of overcurrent than fuses and possibly older electromechanical disjoncteurs/interrupteurs so might trip out where an older installation would soldier on. Of course this means grumpyness due to having to agree to a higher current supply agreement (i.e higher standing charge). Also if on the limit of what single phase will supply switching to three phase might meen even more expensive rewiring.
It is possible (but I have not been able to confirm it) that they measure “apparent” rather than “real” power consumption; not an issue for resistive loads but can be an issue with (eg) computer power supplies, LED lighting etc.
Don’t recall anything else off the top of my head.
Paul… I realise now it was an American site I was reading… nothing to do with “spying/listening-in” more to do with radiation…
" Do electric meters give off radiation?"
Smart meters emit Radio Frequency (RF) Radiation ; the exact same radiation microwave ovens use to cook food. In 2011 the “IARC“, part of the World Health Organization, classified RF Radiation as a possible “carcinogenic”, which means “cancer causing”.
“How far away from smart meter is safe?”
Walls and other obstructions make a difference, but in general, it’s recommended that you maintain a 40-foot distance between you and your smart meter .Apr 10, 2019
As far as I recall if Linkey’s do “phone home” they do so with a mobile phone signal so there is (I think) a bit of confusion here.
WiFi is a similar frequency (2.4GHz) to microwaves - yes there are people who think WiFi fries their brains and makes them ill. There is no evidence.
Mobile phones use a range of frequencies - for ≤ 4G typically the 850, 900, 1800 or 1900MHz bands, 5G can/will use higher bands, but generally not the 2.45GHz “cooking” frequency.
The stuff to do with RF power being classified as carcinogenic comes from the fact that a possible association between mobile phone use and glioma has been identified (but not yet really confirmed beyond reasonable doubt).
A couple of things about this
The increased risk appears to be only for the side of the head that you use for your phone so get, say, 20cm away and we can’t demonstrate an association.
It’s not clear if it is even the RF energy, just “mobile phone use”.
Oddly it seems to be low grade glioma which is increased, not high grade glioma
No association with any other cancer has been demonstrated.
It would be inconsistent to keep 40’ distance from your smart meter unless you keep the same distance from your mobile phone (at all times, 'cos these days they are chatting data pretty much continuously) and any WiFi point.
40 feet is impossible for us… but there are filters available which do seem to cut the levels.
Our bed is within a few feet of the electricity cupboard and spending 8 hours snuggled cosily does not seem so attractive now.
Our phones and computer stuff are at the end of the corridor overnight…
Do you spend the day with a mobile phone in your pocket?
Ha ha… it’s in my bag on the side… or my coat pocket… we have to chase the sound to find it… 
I suppose one thing I find a bit odd, is that Linky will fit a filter if someone can provide a medical certificate to say they need one.
Why on earth not fit filters to the lot of them and/or charge a modest fee… ???
The filter does not stop Linky knowing the electrical usage so I can’t understand why they are so reticent…
Now, I do realise that most if not all folk think I am going barmy… but, bear with me.
Cancer is rife in family and friends… thus, we take all this rather more seriously than some might.
Many things have been deemed to be perfectly safe – only to find some years later that the reverse was the case… ooops.
Frankly, I would be happy to pay a man to visit twice a year to read the meter… and it would keep folk employed.
Well, there are plenty of anti-radiation products out there. So must be some truth in it.
I even found anti-radiation knickers and boxer shorts (although more geared to baby and sperm protection) 
Anti-Radiation Woman Silver Briefs
Tracey… do you have a Linky meter yet??
Déploiement des compteurs Linky
No, according to the site above, my village is scheduled between April 2020 and April 2021.
My electricity meter is in the sous-sol but I have a readable meter (which will be replaced by the Linky) on the outside back wall - so I currently do not need to be in for it to be read manually.
Linky meters use Mains Borne Signalling. But if one is afraid of RF signals, go live in a very deep cave.
Ha ha… thanks everyone for your various replies. 
We’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out.
This is from Harvard Health, who are reputable so perhaps you might feel reassured by their advice that suggests that eating red meat and sunlight are more of a risk than radiofrequency radiation - and easier to have some control over.
Can you reduce your risk of getting cancer in the first place? It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. Scientists at the Harvard School of Public Health estimate that up to 75% of American cancer deaths can be prevented.
1. Avoid tobacco in all its forms, including exposure to secondhand smoke.You don’t have to be an international scientist to understand how you can try to protect yourself and your family. The 10 commandments of cancer prevention are:
2. Eat properly. Reduce your consumption of saturated fat and red meat, which may increase the risk of colon cancer and a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. Increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3. Exercise regularly. Physical activity has been linked to a reduced risk of colon cancer. Exercise also appears to reduce a woman’s risk of breast and possibly reproductive cancers. Exercise will help protect you even if you don’t lose weight.
4. Stay lean. Obesity increases the risk of many forms of cancer. Calories count; if you need to slim down, take in fewer calories and burn more with exercise.
5. If you choose to drink, limit yourself to an average of one drink a day. Excess alcohol increases the risk of cancers of the mouth, larynx (voice box), esophagus (food pipe), liver, and colon; it also increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Smoking further increases the risk of many alcohol-induced malignancies.
6. Avoid unnecessary exposure to radiation. Get medical imaging studies only when you need them. Check your home for residential radon, which increases the risk of lung cancer. Protect yourself from ultraviolet radiation in sunlight, which increases the risk of melanomas and other skin cancers. But don’t worry about electromagnetic radiation from high-voltage power lines or radiofrequency radiation from microwaves and cell phones. They do not cause cancer.
7. Avoid exposure to industrial and environmental toxins such as asbestos fibers, benzene, aromatic amines, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
8. Avoid infections that contribute to cancer , including hepatitis viruses, HIV, and the human papillomavirus. Many are transmitted sexually or through contaminated needles.
9. Make quality sleep a priority. Admittedly, the evidence linking sleep to cancer is not strong. But poor and insufficient sleep increases is associated with weight gain, which is a cancer risk factor.
10. Get enough vitamin D. Many experts now recommend 800 to 1,000 IU a day, a goal that’s nearly impossible to attain without taking a supplement. Although protection is far from proven, evidence suggests that vitamin D may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, colon cancer, and other malignancies. But don’t count on other supplements.
I see that @Anglozone has “found anti-radiation knickers”.
But don’t these anti-radiation briefs look as though, under certain unmentionable circumstances, they might produce an unexpected jolt of static electricity! 
Quite shocking, I fear. 
I think perhaps I should’ve stayed in purdah, or gone to bed earlier with a mug of warm milk…
Indeed, RF is all around - especially now that almost every house in the developed world has a WiFi point (or several).
Looking at the Wikipedia page describing the meters, there is, in fact, an element of mobile phone communication - but from the sub-station back to EDF - I was probably thinking of this aspect of the system, although I think some UK smart meters use GSM directly from the meter.
Yes, although at pretty low frequencies - it looks like the technical elements are documented here:
I wonder if the “filters” just try to block this singal from getting onto the house wiring.
To be honest the risk from such low frequencies is non-existent, whatever the tin foil hat brigade on the 'net say.
If anyone is really worried about RF from LINKY meters, have it in a cupboard, and line the doors to said cupboard with alu-foil. Aluminum foil does block, or shield, radio frequency waves. What you have done with this is create a Faraday Cage.
Admittedly, in my house the super-thick stone walls prevent all sorts of radiation getting in. No mobile phone unless you stand right next to a window; the WiFi has two repaters to get any type of signal in remote rooms (and then it’s weak).
Hi Paul & Stella - is this true or just a rumour - that one can refuse to have the Linky meter installed and leave the old digital meter in place ??
