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Keeping The Older Meter
Some households prefer to keep the older meter, rather than get a new smart meter. Opting out is an option. Learn more >
What Wireless Means: Frequently Asked Questions
Edison SmartConnect® is bringing convenience and efficiency to the grid, and savvy consumers are curious what it means to upgrade to smarter technology and a wireless network. Whether you’re wondering how we’re protecting your privacy and security or have concerns about radio frequency transmission, you’ll find the answers to some common questions here.
Personal Protections: Privacy & Security
+ How does SCE use my energy-use data?
Smart meters transmit only two types of information to us: the quantity of electricity you use and when you use it. We use this information to ensure that your monthly bill is accurate and to manage and optimize the electricity grid that serves our region.
+ Will my personal information be shared?
Your privacy is important to us, and your energy usage data will never be shared without your permission or request; SCE maintains strict confidentiality and privacy policies and uses state-of-the-art technologies to safeguard your information.
+ How secure is the wireless communications system?
Security protocols for Edison SmartConnect are adapted from the banking and defense sectors in order to ensure the highest levels of security and privacy. All information transmitted between meters and the utility is encrypted using U.S. government-approved and recommended standards, and SCE works with federal and state agencies to stay ahead of cyberthreats.
Frequency Asked Questions: Radio Frequency Energy
+ How do smart meters transmit data?
SCE’s smart meters communicate using low-power radio frequency (RF) energy that is similar or weaker in strength than that created by devices such as mobile phones.
+ What is radio frequency energy and is it harmful?
Radio frequency (RF) energy is another term for electromagnetic fields, radio waves or wireless signals. A person’s exposure to RF signals depends on three factors: signal strength, distance from the device, and transmission frequency. The Edison SmartConnect meter transmits only a few minutes each hour at an extremely low level of signal strength, comparable to other home devices. This already low signal diminishes greatly by distance. For example, when standing one foot from the meter, the strength is less than 3 percent of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) allowable exposure limit. This percentage decreases at 3 feet to .267 percent and to .009 percent right behind the wall where the meter is installed. These exposure percentages are lower than or similar to those of other household devices such as cordless phones or wireless baby monitors.
According to the FCC, radio signals may be harmful when humans are exposed to very high levels of RF energy. High levels of RF energy are only found very close to antennas transmitting hundreds of thousands of watts, such as television and FM radio stations and radar antenna stations.
+ Are there any safety limits on human exposure to wireless and RF fields?
Yes. Limits on wireless and RF energy exposures have been recommended by international and national health authorities such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In the U.S., the FCC developed science-based safety guidelines through guidance and recommendations from the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The FCC's safety guidelines include a safety factor of 50—meaning 50 times lower than the power levels that could cause harm to the human body—for the general population limits. These guidelines serve to protect the general population from overexposure to RF energy.
+ How much radio frequency energy do smart meters give off?
SCE's meters emit only a fraction of the power limits identified in the FCC guidelines for safe RF exposure. The FCC developed these science-based safety guidelines in consultation with scientists, health and engineering experts and organizations like the National Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
+ Will the smart meter interfere with implanted medical devices or other wireless devices?
The low-power design of Edison SmartConnect meters greatly reduces the probability of interference with other wireless devices. Our meter has passed FCC-required non-interference tests performed at a certified third party test laboratory and is not expected to cause harmful interference to other wireless or electronic systems. There are a number of existing everyday environmental sources that produce much stronger RF fields than those of SCE’s smart metering system. If these existing sources are not causing interference, it is highly unlikely that the relatively weak fields produced by the Edison SmartConnect meter would interfere with the operation of a medical device.
Want more information on the lower frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) created by appliances and power lines? Learn more>
For those interested in additional resources on radio frequency energy information and health effects, we’ve also provided additional fact sheets, studies and resources here. Learn More