Smart meter danger: Fears devices interfere with nuclear missile warning system

People who live near RAF Fylingdales have been refused smart meters because their signals may clash with the station’s ballistic missiles radar equipment. RAF Fylingdales falls under UK Space Command, providing a continuous ballistic missile early warning service to the UK and US Governments.

The Telegraph reports that the radio frequencies smart meters use to send usage data to suppliers has proved to be problematic as they are too close to those used by Fylingdales.

Ministers have halted the roll out to some homes on the North York Moors National Park until they can be fitted with a new type of smart meter which can operate on the 454MHz frequency instead of the standard 422-424MHz band used by most of the gadgets.

A letter from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the issue was sent to a number of households late last year.

It read: “Some premises within the vicinity of RAF Fylingdales will require new technology that industry has been developing – a special type of communications hub – for smart meters at those properties to connect to the national smart metering network.”

One person who lives close to RAF Fylingdales posted on a forum hosted by the Money Saving Expert website: “SMETS2 smart meters are simply not available to me because they operate at a radio frequency which will cause interference with an RAF airbase, RAF Fylingdales.

“All the potential energy suppliers just say ‘No; you are ineligible for a SMETS2 smart meter’ and leave it at that.”

The Government told The Telegraph that alternative smart meter technology which is compatible with RAF Fylingdales is being rolled out to nearby households with a test deployment to 300 homes under way.

Mike Hewitt, chief technology officer of Smart DCC, the Capita-owned company which runs the smart meter radio network, told The Telegraph: “Hundreds of premises near Fylingdales have already been connected with the new smart meter tech.”

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Mr Habib, Brexit Watch Chairman, told Express.co.uk last week: “There is no way, on conventional technology, that we can go to net-zero without hurting the economy.

“On the way to delivering this daft economic pursuit, there will be blackouts.

“I’m sure these smart meters will help determine who to blackout and when.”

A smart meter is a new gas and electricity meter with an in-home display showing how much energy households use.

According to Big Six provider EDF Energy: “[A smart meter] calculates how much energy you’re using, what this costs over time and the cost every hour as you’re using it.

“Once installed, smart meters automatically send us all this information. This helps avoid the need for estimated bills, so you’ll only pay for the energy you use.”

Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis has said that it is not compulsory to get a smart meter installed.

However, some energy suppliers tell customers that they will need a smart meter to benefit from the lowest prices, unless it’s not practicable.

They will also sometimes tell them they are going to install one without always saying it is optional.

Mr Lewis warned that customers should be aware that it is in the company’s interest to encourage Britons to get the smart meters fitted because they can be fined if they do not install enough.