Q: Will Smart meters Affect My Medical Equipment? - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

Q: Will Smart meters Affect My Medical Equipment?

A: Jane in Pacific Grove called in and asked us, "I recently had a smartmeter installed on my home. I am 80 years old. Will it affect my blood pressure monitors or medical equipment?"

Jane also asked if PG&E is supposed to let people know when they install the meters.

According to PG&E, smartmeters would and should not impact any medical equipment.

Officials said the meters fall within federal guidelines for radiofrequency emissions and expose residents to far less electromagnetic radiation than other common appliances.

PG&E has installed nearly 8 million digital smartmeters since last summer.

However, if you have concerns, the company encourages you to call them on the hotline number: 1-866-743-0263

As for alerting residents to the smartmeter installations, PG&E said it sends out smartmeter welcome kits in the mail to let you know the timeframe it will be installing it. A technican will also knock on your door, but if you're not home, they'll still install the meter.

We'll soon find out if an opt out plan will be available. PG&E unveiled its plan to allow consumers to opt out of its SmartMeter program in March, but the plan is being criticized by those opposed to the meters.

The California Public Utilities Commission ordered PG&E to come up with the plan. The concerns center around health problems some associate with the radio frequencies emitted from the meters. PG&E proposed turning off those radios and reading energy usage manually. The cost of $600 over two years would be passed on to consumers who choose to opt out.

The CPUC must still vote on PG&E's plan.