Are the NM gas meters like electricity Smart Meters?

[Guest guest]

Hello, fellow EHSers. Can anyone help me find out if these gas meters (350,000

of them

installed by New Mexico Gas Company since Sept. 2010) are the same as

electricity Smart Meters? New Mexico Gas Company claims that they’re not like

Smart Meters b/c they don’t

communicate w/ other appliances, BUT it looks like they’re still constantly

transmitting, low-power, RF-using devices. Arthur Firstenberg (who lives in

Santa Fe) says they still read the meters but the meter readers can do it

remotely by driving by in their trucks; no need to approach the house. Does

this mean they’re less powerful? Also can’t find anything about the RANGE of

the signals from these meters, nor the FREQUENCY/frequencies they may use. Below

is the info listed on NMGC’s website. Any new info, esp. relating to range &

intensity of signals, would be helpful. Thanks -E. Drew

Does AMR interfere with my TV,

radio or other electronic equipment?

No. AMR is safe and will not interfere with electronic devices:

televisions, radios, phones, internet, garage door openers, or invisible

fences. The FCC-compliant automatic readers use standard radio frequencies and,

like the common radio, have been shown to be safe. The AMR devices transmit

for mere milliseconds at

a time throughout the day. They use standard radio frequencies that are so

low-powered, they have been shown to

have no effect on the human body, or on any health condition, even by people

reporting sensitivities,

according to the FCC, World Health Organization, Industry Canada, the Institute

of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. 

Will

AMR control the gas I use or affect my appliances? 

No, AMR only reads your meter and gas usage. Just

like manual meter readings, it has no effect on, or control of, your appliances

or gas usage. It is not the same thing as “smart meters,†used by some

electrical utility companies.