# Smart electricity meter (RF mesh)

> Mesh smart meters transmit in short bursts at up to 1 W EIRP in the 900 MHz band, so peak readings at 1 m are high while time-averaged exposure is low because the duty cycle is well under 1%.

- Canonical URL: https://emfbase.com/emitters/smart-meter
- Collection: Sources & emitters
- Record id: `emitters:smart-meter`
- Status: verified
- Last verified: 2026-08-12
- JSON: https://emfbase.com/api/emitters/smart-meter
- Also known as: AMI meter, advanced metering infrastructure, smart meter radiation

## Key values

- **Category:** radiofrequency
- **Emission bands:** 902–928 MHz ISM (FHSS)
- **Environments:** home, outdoor
- **Transmit power:** 1 W EIRP — Regulatory value — legally enforceable — Part 15 frequency-hopping devices in the 902–928 MHz band may transmit up to 1 W conducted power. Utility deployments vary; some use 0.25 W or less. [fcc-part15]
- **Duty cycle:** Short data bursts plus mesh relay traffic. Utility filings typically report a duty cycle well below 1%, meaning peak-hold and time-averaged readings can differ by more than 100×.

## Field strength by distance

- **30 cm:** 884,000 µW/m² — Computed estimate — S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 1 W, d = 0.3 m — Peak during a transmission burst, on the meter side of the wall. [fcc-part15]
- **1 m:** 79,600 µW/m² — Computed estimate — S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 1 W, d = 1 m — Peak during a transmission burst. [fcc-part15]
- **3 m:** 8,840 µW/m² — Computed estimate — S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 1 W, d = 3 m — Peak during a transmission burst. [fcc-part15]
- **10 m:** 796 µW/m² — Computed estimate — S = EIRP / (4πd²) with EIRP = 1 W, d = 10 m — Peak during a transmission burst. [fcc-part15]

## Mitigations, most effective first

- **Identify what is on the other side of the meter wall and relocate beds or desks away from it.** — Most residential smart-meter exposure concerns are a room-layout problem, not a meter problem.
- **Measure in peak-hold mode over several minutes, then again in average mode.** — Distinguishes the burst amplitude from the exposure that limits are actually written against.
- **Ask the utility for the meter's FCC ID and duty-cycle filing, or for an opt-out or wired-read option where offered.** — Gives you the actual transmit power and burst rate instead of an assumption.

## Measure with

- Broadband RF power-density meter

## Related records

- [FCC general population MPE, 300–1500 MHz](https://emfbase.com/limits/fcc-public-power-density-300-1500-mhz): Frequency-dependent limit of f/1500 mW/cm², so the allowance rises with frequency across the low-band and mid-band cellular spectrum.
- [Are smart meters dangerous?](https://emfbase.com/questions/are-smart-meters-dangerous): Peak bursts are high but duty cycle is under 1%, so time-averaged exposure is far below limits. Room layout and the utility's own filings are the practical levers.

## Sources

- `fcc-part15` U.S. Government Publishing Office (eCFR). *47 CFR Part 15 — Radio Frequency Devices (unlicensed transmitter power limits)*. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/part-15 — regulation, link checked 2026-08-12
- `fcc-eas` Federal Communications Commission. *Equipment Authorization Search (FCC ID lookup, includes SAR test reports)*. https://www.fcc.gov/oet/ea/fccid — government, link checked 2026-08-12
- `fcc-1310` U.S. Government Publishing Office (eCFR). *47 CFR § 1.1310 — Radiofrequency radiation exposure limits*. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-47/section-1.1310 — regulation, link checked 2026-08-12

Data licence: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Dataset version 2026.08.1. Retrieved from EMFBase, https://emfbase.com.

This record is reference data, not medical or legal advice. Regulatory limits, scientific guidelines and precautionary values are labelled separately and answer different questions.