Maureen's Story

Maureen knew nothing about smart meters when she became sick. Initially she did not even know that one had been fitted to her home.

Quiet suddenly she developed chronic insomnia and literally could not fall asleep. She started to get  a severe pressure in her head, but this feeling would come and go depending on where she sat in her house. She also began to suffer vision disturbances.

This continued for about a month, when by chance she saw a news report on smart meters concerning a woman who had developed health problems similar to what she had been experiencing.

“I phoned my power distributor and they came out to my home and assured me that the smart meter they fitted complied with government regulations. They did however admit to me that some people seem to be more sensitive than others and promised to turn down my meter by 90%.”

Over the next four months her health did not improve. She found she had become sensitised to all wireless technology. “At the school where I taught I could not even stand in the classroom because the wireless routers and laptops would give me such extreme head pressure, blurred vision and a kind of brain fog where I could not think clearly. The symptoms would continue for many hours and while at home I would feel like my skin was radiating. ”

After four months of trying to battle this problem, she finally felt that she could not continue teaching and gave up work. Six weeks later she moved out of her house and into one that did not have a smart meter fitted.

“I feel better while in this new house, but my problem continues because in my neighbourhood I am surrounded by smart meters. I have done all I can to reduce my EMR exposure, no microwave oven, no DECT cordless phones, no WiFi devices, but going out anywhere is now quite difficult and stressful. I can feel the smart meter emissions when driving or walking down the street. I also have a constant high pitched ringing in my ears.”

She experiences pain in her teeth, which react to the pulsing signals from the smart meters and also when near mobile phone towers. She has spent six months having all her amalgam fillings replaced in an attempt to alleviate these symptoms.

As many public places like shopping centres, libraries, cafes etc. have WiFi hotspots, she tends to avoid going out, or only going out if necessary to do a quick “dash and grab” shopping trip.

“For fifteen months now I have been researching, trying to resolve my problem and what I have discovered is astounding. I have collected more than 150 stories about health concerns with smart meters and have personally met many other people in Victoria who have also been suffering serious, debilitating health effects.”