Reservoir retiree blames smart meter for health issues
A RESERVOIR retiree is fighting for his smart meter to be removed because he says the health effects from it are forcing him to sleep in his garage.
North
Don't miss out on the headlines from North. Followed categories will be added to My News.
RESERVOIR retiree Sergio spends his nights in a cramped and freezing garage, surrounded by bird cages and old furniture.
Whenever he tries to sleep in his own bed he wakes up with pain, dizziness, and has difficulty talking.
Sergio said these problems started in 2013, shortly after a smart meter was installed at his home.
SMART METER FORCES FAMILY FROM HOME
Testing determined the meter was within the current safety standard but Sergio and his wife Agatha believe he suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) which affects his pace maker.
Sergio sleeps in the garage because it’s the furthest point from the meter on the property.
“The first night we slept in (the garage) it was like a paradise for him,” Agatha said.
The controversial condition isn’t recognised by the World Health Organisation, but is an increasingly common complaint.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency said there was no established evidence that smart meters caused health issues, but research was ongoing.
The most famous case of EHS was in 2013 when Dr David McDonald was awarded compensation after the CSIRO required him to work with electronic devices, giving him headaches and other health issues.
For two-and-a-half years, Sergio and his wife Agatha have been asking Jemena to temporarily remove the transmitter to see if Sergio’s health recovers without it.
Agatha said she offered to pay up to 12 months in advance and extra for any charges.
The company visited the house multiple times and initially put a mesh net on the wall with sticky tape and moved an aerial to the roof but Sergio’s health continued to decline.
Jemena spokesman Michael Pintabona said an ombudsman investigation found the company’s actions were reasonable.
The ombudsman also concluded under current law, a smart meter can’t be replaced with an manually read version.
Now Sergio is seeking an exemption to the law through Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who visited the property in February.
Agatha said she was sick of the couple’s calls for help being ignored.
“I’m angry 24 hours a day,” she said. “I’ll go stand on parliament steps until someone takes notice.”
Ms D’Ambrosio’s office did not respond to Leader’s requests for comment.
MORE NEWS:
Former boxing star bashes guard at maximum security prison
A boxer mentored by one of Australia’s best fighters punched a prison officer in the face during a violent outburst at a high security jail.
‘Karen’ from Brighton’s family pub let disabled teen play pokies
A security lapse at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel in Brunswick — owned by the family of Melbourne’s infamous Covid-era Karen — led to a disabled boy playing the pokies.