Smart meters are coming to all homes and small businesses.
Across Australia, old analogue electricity meters are being replaced with smart meters.
Many homes and small businesses already have one - especially if you have solar panels of your home was built after 2017. More than half (55%) of South Australian households already have a smart meter.
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has made rules to ensure all customers in the National Electricity Market (NEM) have smart meters by 2030.
For most people, it's a simple swap and there's nothing you need to do. When it's your turn - whether you own or rent your home or premises - your electricity retailer will contact you to arrange the installation and let you know what to expect.
Why the change?
The way we use energy is changing, and older electricity meters weren't designed to work with new technology. The older meters also required manual meter reads every few months.
We previously moved from analogue to digital TVs, and from landlines to smart phones. Now it is time to upgrade our electricity meters.
What a smart meter does
Smart meters are the current technology. They record your electricity use throughout the day and send readings to your provider. This means no more manual meter reads. They are also an important step towards getting new technology, such as solar panels and batteries, and giving your more options to manage costs.
You don't need to do anything
The national smart meter rollout is automatic and happening until 2030. You'll get a letter, text, or email from your electricity retailer before your smart meter is installed.
Contact your electricity retailer for details about your smart meter installation.
Meter box considerations
Sometimes installers find safety or other issues with existing meter boxes - like old wiring, asbestos or damaged covers that don't protect the wiring from the weather. These problems need to be fixed before they can install a smart meter. If this happens, your electricity retailer will contact you about your options and next steps.
If you own the property, you are responsible for wiring and electrical fittings and the cost of an electrician to make repairs. Under the national rollout, it's your decision whether to make repairs or not so that a smart meter can be installed.
The existing meter can continue to be used until it fails, however, if your meter box is in very poor condition and could cause a fire, electric shock, or other safety risks, your installer will let you know if you need to get it repaired or replaced by an electrician to keep your electricity connected.
