Volts per meter (V/m) is the standard unit for measuring electric field strength. It quantifies how much electrical potential exists across a given distance.
Electric fields measured in V/m are present wherever there’s voltage—near power lines, electrical wiring, and appliances—even when no current is flowing.
Volts per meter is the unit used to measure electric field strength—one of the two components of electromagnetic fields (the other being the magnetic field, measured in gauss or tesla). When you see V/m on an EMF meter, you’re measuring the intensity of the electric field at that location.
Put simply, electric fields exist wherever there’s voltage. Your home wiring creates electric fields even when appliances are turned off, as long as the circuit is energized. Unplug a lamp, and the electric field from that cord disappears. The field strength decreases with distance from the source.
Typical readings vary widely. Background levels in a home might be 1-10 V/m. Standing near unshielded wiring or close to appliances, readings might reach 50-100 V/m or higher. High-voltage power lines can create fields of several thousand V/m directly beneath them.
The practical distinction between electric and magnetic fields matters for shielding. Electric fields are relatively easy to block—most conductive materials, including your body, can shield them. Magnetic fields, by contrast, require special materials and are harder to reduce.
Building biology guidelines suggest keeping electric field exposure in sleeping areas below 10 V/m, with levels under 1 V/m considered ideal. Some people who report electromagnetic sensitivity find reducing electric fields particularly helpful—strategies include using shielded cables, keeping beds away from in-wall wiring, and turning off bedroom circuits at night.
When testing EMF, measuring both electric (V/m) and magnetic (mG) fields gives a complete picture of low-frequency exposure.
