Are you thinking about buying a house next to an electric substation or pylons? If so, it’s important to take a UKPN Substation EMF Safety Survey.
Electric substations and pylons emit electromagnetic radiation through both low-frequency and radio-frequency radiation. Medical evidence is still inconclusive overall, but studies published in prestigious academic journals have linked high EMF emissions from various sources to higher incidences of a wide range of problems. These include asthma, brain tumors, suicide, and lymphatic, bone marrow, and salivary gland cancers.
Substation safety is critical because electrical lines are connected and switched at these substations and voltage is changed by transformers. Substations range in size from very small to quite large. Electricity pylons are tall structures used to support overhead power lines.
Substations often hire outside engineers to conduct substation surveys to ensure that the substations are meeting government-mandated substation safety requirements. Engineers conducting these substation assessments make recommendations around proper voltage levels, grounding, and insulation, for example.
Still, before putting houses on the market, sellers living near substations or pylons often conduct their own home EMF Safety Surveys. If your prospective seller hasn’t already done so, then you as the buyer should order one.
UK Power Networks, which uses customer land for some of its substations, offers free home visits to test its electrical equipment and compare readings against those of home appliances, subsequently issuing reports to customers.
Alternatively, you can hire a consultancy firm specialising in EMF emissions to conduct a thorough EMF Safety Survey. The surveyor will check each room and the garden for the extent of emissions, identifying any hotspots caused by external sources such as substations or pylons as well as by home electrical wiring, household appliances, electronic devices, and smart meters, in homes where a smart meter is installed.
The surveyor can also issue recommendations for eliminating or reducing EMF emissions in your home. For example, when radio-frequency radiation stems from an external source, it’s sometimes possible to screen windows with net curtain material to lower penetration levels.
Home buyers and sellers can also obtain detailed EMF safety reports which include recommendations.
Although your electricity provider should be conducting its own substation surveys and substation assessments, you need to be make sure for yourself of any risks associated with radiation emissions, whether external or internal, before purchasing a home. An EMF Safety Survey can be a great help to your buying decision.
