Smart Meter: Do You Need One, and How Do You Get It?

So, what is a smart meter?

You might have heard "smart meter" mentioned when going solar, in a letter about the national rollout, or when your old meter finally packed it in. So what actually is one, and why might you need it?

Put simply, a smart meter is a digital electricity meter. Instead of someone coming out to read it, it records how much power you use in short intervals and sends those readings automatically. That sounds small, but it is what makes accurate bills, time of use plans that can reduce your electricity bill, solar exports and even joining a virtual power plant possible.

And it is not just for solar homes. Every household is moving to one, so this is worth understanding whether you have panels or not. Here is what a smart meter does, the five common reasons you might need one, what it can cost, and how you get it sorted.

What a smart meter actually does

An old accumulation meter simply adds up how much power you use, and someone has to visit to read it. A smart meter records your usage in short intervals and sends those readings remotely, so there are no more manual reads or estimated bills.

More importantly, it measures power flowing both ways. That two-way reading is what makes solar exports, time of use rates and battery credits possible in the first place.

Why it matters for solar & battery

If you have solar, your smart meter measures every unit you export to the grid, which is how you are paid your feed in tariff. An old one-way meter cannot tell what you send out from what you draw in, so it simply cannot credit your exports.

That is why installing solar or a battery almost always needs a smart meter. It is also what unlocks time of use plans that can reduce your electricity bill, accurate monitoring, and, down the track, joining a virtual power plant if you choose to.

The five common reasons you might need one

Customers usually come to us for a smart meter in one of five situations:

• You simply want one. Maybe you would like interval data, a time of use plan, or an end to estimated bills. You can request a smart meter directly and we will arrange it.
• You are installing solar or a battery. A meter that reads both ways is needed to measure your exports and pay your feed in tariff, so a solar or battery install almost always triggers one.
• Your site needs it. Certain site conditions or a supply alteration, for example rewiring, a switchboard upgrade or a new connection, can require a compliant meter.
• The rollout reaches you. Under the government-run Legacy Meter Retirement Plan, a five year program to replace old meters, yours may be upgraded as part of the national rollout.
• Your current meter has failed. If an existing meter is faulty or has reached the end of its life, it is replaced with a smart meter.

Where each state stands

Victoria did its rollout more than a decade ago, so almost every home there already has a smart meter. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT are now going through the accelerated national rollout, aiming to reach every home by 2030, with hundreds of thousands already installed.

It applies to houses and apartments, owners and renters alike, and in unit blocks the meters are often changed over together. Since the rollout began you can no longer opt out if your retailer schedules one, though there are protections around cost and any change to how you are charged.

How Nectr arranges it

As your retailer, Nectr is your single point of contact. You request the meter through us, or your network initiates it, and we take it from there. You will find your electricity meter number on your bill if you need it when you get in touch.

We do not install meters ourselves. We arrange the work with an accredited metering provider who carries out the installation, so you deal with one company while the right specialists handle the hardware.

Once it is requested, there is a set timeframe to get it done, and you will be given a date range before anyone attends.

On cost, if a smart meter is replaced automatically as part of the national rollout, that is generally free. But if you request one, or need one to go solar, a fee usually applies. We will confirm the cost with you upfront before anything goes ahead, so there are no surprises.