Kia Ora,

Pursuant to the Official Information Act 1982, I request:

1. Any internal briefings or interagency correspondence generated by MBIE between 2010–2025 regarding smart meter rollout, health risk evaluation, and standards oversight—particularly relating to recommendations around lowering NZ’s RFR exposure limits or reviewing NZS 2772.1:1999.
2. Records of public‑sector‑funded research grants or funding calls aimed at investigating health effects of smart meters or non‑thermal EMF exposure, including recipients, abstracts, and final reports.
3. Any database records or policies establishing how citizen health complaints related to smart meters are received, assessed, or escalated, including names of responsible agencies or personnel.
4. Any advice papers evaluating cost‑benefit or comparative risk analyses of smart meters vs alternative metering technologies, with health-related findings or references.

Please respond electronically within the statutory timeframe or advise of agency transfers of request.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

Subject: Clarification Response – OIA Request on Smart Meter Incident/Fault Statistics

Kia ora,

Thank you for your message of 29 August 2025 seeking clarification of my Official Information Act request, partially transferred from MBIE.

To confirm:

- I seek **all incident/fault statistics held from 1 January 2015 to the present**, broken down by meter make/model, for:
- reported appliance damage,
- electromagnetic interference (EMI) with customer equipment, and
- meter replacement due to fault or failure.

- The request is not limited to EMI incidents only. Please include **all causes of incident/fault**.
- Where EMI incidents are recorded, please include **both cases where the source is identified as the meter itself and where the source is recorded as another factor but the meter is implicated in the incident or data entry**.

I also note that under section 15 of the OIA, information must be provided in the form requested unless to do so would impair efficient administration, and under section 16, information should be made available in the form in which it is held. If full disaggregation by cause or meter model is not possible, I would appreciate receiving the information in the closest form available.

This clarification is intended to ensure the scope is comprehensive and avoids unnecessary narrowing that could exclude relevant consumer safety information. Please proceed on this basis.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones

Dear Ministerial Services Team at WorkSafe New Zealand,

Subject: Clarification on Transferred OIA Request - Incident/Fault Statistics for Smart Meters (Ref: DOIA-REQ-0019104)

Thank you for your email dated 29 August 2025, seeking clarification on the partially transferred portion of my Official Information Act (OIA) request from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). This relates to my original request of 6 August 2025 (DOIA-REQ-0019104), specifically point 4 regarding incident/fault statistics for smart electricity meters from 1 January 2015 to the present, broken down by meter make/model, for:

- Reported appliance damage
- EMI interference with customer equipment
- Meter replacement due to fault or failure

I appreciate your efforts to ensure the scope is appropriately defined under section 12(5) of the OIA. To clarify and refine the request for efficiency:

1. **Attribution to Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)**: Please limit the statistics to incidents/faults where the cause is attributed to electromagnetic interference (EMI). I am not seeking data on all causes—only those specifically linked to EMI.

2. **Source of EMI**: Within the above, please focus on cases where the source of the EMI is attributed to the smart meter itself (e.g., emissions or transients originating from the meter). Exclude incidents where EMI is attributed to other sources (e.g., external wiring, appliances, or environmental factors).

This refined scope aligns with the public interest in my request, which stems from an active Utilities Disputes complaint (Ref: 173878) concerning potential appliance damage and smart meter performance issues related to EMI and "dirty electricity." It should reduce the collation effort while targeting the most relevant data.

If this clarification requires further adjustment or if any part remains unclear, please let me know promptly. Otherwise, I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days from receipt of this clarification.

For reference, this response is being sent via FYI.org.nz to maintain the public record.

Yours sincerely,

Spencer Jones

Subject: Further Clarification on OIA Response - Cabinet Papers, Briefings, and Policy Advice on Smart Meters (Refs: DOIA-REQ-0018800/0018801/0019104)

Kia ora Matthew,

Thank you for your email dated September 26, 2025, confirming that MBIE's response addressed all three of my Official Information Act (OIA) requests and reiterating your view that the information sought is more closely connected to the functions of other agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the Electricity Authority, and WorkSafe New Zealand.

While I acknowledge this position, I remain concerned that MBIE's response may not fully reflect its own documented role in policy oversight related to smart meter rollout, electromagnetic field (EMF) standards, and associated matters. As a key government agency responsible for innovation, economic development, and energy strategies, MBIE has publicly demonstrated involvement in these areas through various reports, strategies, and interagency collaborations between 2010 and 2025. This suggests that internal documents—such as Cabinet papers, briefings, or policy advice to Ministers or Chief Executives—should exist, and I seek confirmation to avoid further ambiguity.

To illustrate, public records on MBIE's website highlight the following:

- MBIE led the Energy Hardship Expert Panel, which produced a report to the Minister in July 2023 explicitly recommending actions on smart meter rollout, including addressing barriers like low coverage in remote areas and infrastructural deficiencies. The report notes on page 85: "Address barriers to smart meter roll-out... We consider the Electricity Authority should investigate the gaps in smart meter rollout and why it has slowed... Metering providers need to show greater leadership with their plans to get more New Zealanders on modern equipment." This implies MBIE-generated policy advice on economic and access issues tied to smart meters.

- In the Electricity Price Review Government Response (October 2019), MBIE outlined government expectations for smart meter data access, stating: "Ensure distributors have access to smart meter data on reasonable terms." This response was part of a Cabinet minute, indicating MBIE's role in preparing or contributing to Cabinet-level policy on smart meter infrastructure for economic efficiency.

- MBIE's involvement in the 2015 Interagency Committee on the Health Effects of Non-Ionising Fields (via Radio Spectrum Management, RSM) is referenced in public submissions, where MBIE/RSM participated in discussions on EMF/RFR standards and health effects, including critiques of NZS 2772.1:1999. A submission notes: "Based on the MBIE report... there appears to be an assumption... that New Zealanders are protected from adverse effects from exposure to non ionising radiation by the current National Environmental Standard... and NZS 2772.1:1999." This committee reported to Chief Executives and potentially joint Ministers, suggesting interagency correspondence or briefings held by MBIE.

- Additionally, MBIE's energy strategies, such as the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS 2017-2022), promote smart meters for energy efficiency and decarbonization, aligning with broader economic development goals. Related documents, like the Accelerating Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency discussion paper (2019), discuss smart meter data for power management and savings.

- MBIE oversees Standards New Zealand, which maintains EMF/RFR standards like NZS 2772.1:1999 applied to smart meters, further underscoring its role in standards oversight for public safety and innovation.

- Other MBIE publications, such as the Improving Electricity Market Performance report (2024), reference smart meter data needs and note that material formed the basis of a Cabinet paper. Similarly, consumer protection research (2023) highlights smart meters as prerequisites for certain tariffs, implying policy considerations.

Given this evidence of MBIE's active participation in policy development, interagency work, and strategic oversight, it is reasonable to expect that relevant internal documents exist.

Pursuant to the OIA 1982, or as a clarification to my original requests, please advise:

Did MBIE generate any Cabinet papers, briefings, or policy advice to Ministers or Chief Executives on the topics of smart meter rollout, electromagnetic field (EMF) standards, or health complaints related to smart meters between 2010 and 2025?

If no such documents were generated, please confirm this explicitly as a "nil return" for these categories, including details of the search parameters used to reach this conclusion (e.g., departments consulted, timeframes searched, keywords used, or records systems reviewed). If documents are held but withheld, please specify the exact grounds under the OIA, including the subsection and public interest test applied under section 9(1).

This follow-up aligns with the public interest in transparency regarding government decision-making on smart meter health, safety, and economic issues, and aims to resolve the matter without escalation.

If this requires treatment as a new OIA request, please assign a new reference number. Otherwise, I look forward to your response within the statutory timeframe.

For reference, this follow-up is being sent via FYI.org.nz to maintain the public record.

kind regards,

Spencer Jones

Dear NoReplyMinisterialServices,

Subject: Clarification of OIA Request – Smart Meter Rollout, EMF Standards, and Health Complaints

Kia ora Matthew,

Thank you for your message of 26 September seeking clarification.

To confirm:

1. **Scope of Policy Papers/Briefings**
Yes, my request does cover any Cabinet papers, briefings, or policy advice prepared by MBIE between 2010 and 2025 relating to:
- the smart meter rollout,
- EMF/radiofrequency standards **as they relate to smart meters**, and
- health complaints or health-related considerations connected to smart meters.

2. **EMF Standards**
My intent is to capture EMF standards in the context of smart meters. If MBIE holds broader EMF standards material where smart meters are mentioned, that should be included as well.

This clarification should address your questions. Please continue processing my request accordingly.

Kind regards,
Spencer Jones