A debate agitates the municipalities of France around the Linky meter, which must be installed in all homes. The technology would not present a health risk.
The new Linky meter is causing trouble in the towns and villages of France. About a hundred mayors refuse to move into their homes. Several anti-wave associations are also protesting against the installation of this counter by the company ERDF. At the heart of their concerns: the emission of waves potentially dangerous for health.
Worried mayors
The Linky meter sends and receives information about power consumption through the wires in the power sector, through a technology called power line communication. It emits low frequencies. The electromagnetic field emitted is similar to that of clock radios, and is therefore not absorbed by the body. Work by the National Frequencies Agency has raised doubts on this subject.
The installation was imposed by a law, which sets a target of 100% meters by 2024. But several mayors and association activists are worried about the additional emission of electromagnetic waves in a private home. This would represent an additional source of discomfort for electro-sensitive people. The associations also accuse the Linky meters of representing a potential danger to health. They are based for this on the classification of the World Health Organization (WHO), which considers these waves as possible carcinogens.
A round table
The association of mayors of France, for its part, sent a letter to Prime Minister Manuel Valls in March. Its signatories ask for more information on the Linky meter and its effects on health. A round table, organized on May 11, provided an update on the subject. It brought together parliamentarians, elected officials, ERDF and associations. To oppose the installation of the meter is to oppose the law, reminded several speakers.
The authorities defend themselves by explaining that the values are below the limit set by the health authorities. The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) has been seized on this subject and will deliver its conclusions by the end of the year.
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