EMF & Your Home

Are The Devices In Your Home Affecting Your Health?

Most Australians have never measured the EMF levels in their home. Here's what the science actually says — and the simple steps that make the biggest difference.

Read the Full EMF Guide →

First — What Exactly Is EMF?

EMF stands for electromagnetic field. It's the invisible energy that surrounds anything that uses or carries electricity — your phone, your WiFi router, your microwave, the power lines on your street.

EMF has always existed. The sun produces it. The Earth produces it. What's changed is the sheer number of man-made sources inside our homes, and how much time we spend close to them.

The question most people are asking isn't "does EMF exist?" — it's "are the levels in my home something I should be concerned about?"

That's a reasonable question. And the honest answer is: it depends on your sources, and your distance from them.

The Two Types You Need To Know About

Not all EMF is the same. There are two main categories that matter in a home context:

ELF

Extremely Low Frequency

Comes from power lines, household wiring, appliances, and anything plugged into the wall. Measured in milligauss (mG). Sources include your fuse box, electric blankets, and old-style CRT monitors.

Radio Frequency

Comes from wireless technology — WiFi routers, mobile phones, smart meters, Bluetooth devices. Measured in V/m or µW/m². This is the type that has grown most dramatically in recent years.

Both

In Your Home Right Now

Most modern homes have both types present. The sources and levels vary widely depending on your location, home age, and the devices you use. Measuring is the only way to know.

What Does The Science Actually Say?

This is where it gets nuanced — and where a lot of misinformation exists on both sides.

The research doesn't show that normal household EMF exposure causes acute harm. But researchers are genuinely interested in what long-term, chronic, low-level exposure might mean — particularly for children, who are heavier users of wireless devices and whose bodies are still developing.

"The precautionary principle makes sense when the cost of action is low. Putting your router in a less-trafficked area of the house costs nothing."

— Clean & Native, applying the ALARA principle (As Low As Reasonably Achievable)

The World Health Organisation classifies RF-EMF as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" — the same category as coffee and pickled vegetables. That doesn't mean it's dangerous. It means the evidence isn't strong enough to rule it out completely, and more research is ongoing.

The takeaway: there's no evidence of harm from normal use, but reducing unnecessary exposure — especially during sleep — is a sensible, low-cost decision.

The Single Most Important Thing To Understand

Distance is your biggest lever.

EMF follows the inverse square law — double your distance from a source, and you reduce exposure by 75%. This means the practical changes that matter most are almost always about where things are placed, not whether you own them at all.

A phone kept 1 metre from your bed exposes you to roughly 1/100th of the EMF of one kept on your pillow
A WiFi router in a hallway matters far less than one on your bedside table
Sleeping 8 hours near a high-EMF source adds up far faster than daytime exposure

3 Practical Steps — Start Here

You don't need to overhaul your home or get rid of your devices. These three changes cover about 80% of the opportunity.

1. Measure before you act

You cannot manage what you cannot see. A basic EMF meter (we use and recommend the TriField TF2) lets you identify the actual hotspots in your home — and most people are surprised by what they find. Often it is not what they expected.

2. Redesign your bedroom first

You spend 7–9 hours in your bedroom every night. That is where cumulative exposure adds up fastest. Move your phone to the other side of the room. Put your router on a timer so it powers off between 10pm and 7am. Do not keep a smart speaker on your bedside table.

3. Create distance from high-use devices

Phones, laptops, and tablets are the highest-contact devices most people use. Use speakerphone instead of holding your phone to your head. Use an external keyboard and keep your laptop off your lap. Small habit changes, compounded over years, are meaningful.