Understanding smart (digital) meters
Smart meters are the future of energy management, playing a vital role in creating sustainable ways to use power.
Digital meters
Have a question about digital meters? These FAQs may help.
What is a digital meter?
A digital meter is a device that measures how much electricity is being used by a household or a business. It uses new technology that allows remote readings every 15 or 30 minutes.
Why are electricity meters being upgraded?
As well as enabling remote and accurate readings, digital meters give households real-time information on their electricity usage. This can help you identify energy savings and reduce costs.
What are the benefits of a digital meter?
A digital meter has many benefits including:
- Usage information by request that gives households greater clarity and control;
- more convenient meter readings;
- less chance of receiving estimated bills;
- remote access makes connecting and disconnecting easy;
- easier for your network provider to detect and repair power outages.
How can I get a digital meter?
Currently, Alinta Energy is only replacing basic meters with digital meters where the basic electricity meter is faulty or your meter has reached the end of its useful life.
Any major upgrade to your supply, such as installing solar panels or building a new home, will require the installation of a digital meter.
Are digital meters compulsory?
If you need a new meter it will be replaced with a digital meter.
However, you can opt to have the communications function on your digital meter disabled. This may require a one-off disabling fee as well as a quarterly fee to have a meter reader visit your property.
Will I be charged more if I have a digital meter?
You will remain on your same Alinta Energy product, however your tariff may change upon installation of your digital meter. We’ll notify you of any tariff changes.
How safe are digital meters?
Digital meters in Australia comply with strict safety standards. They meet the electromagnetic exposure limits determined by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). You can find more information at https://www.arpansa.gov.au/
How will digital meters work with rooftop solar panels?
Digital meters are compatible with rooftop solar panels. They can measure the electricity you send to the grid to ensure you benefit from any applicable solar feed-in tariffs.
I rent. Do I need the owner’s permission for a digital meter installation?
Provided we have your consent, you won’t need approval from the owner.
For more information on digital meters, visit the Australian Energy Regulator website.
A smart meter is a digital electricity meter that measures and records a home’s or business’ electricity use at least every 30-minutes. This electricity data can be accessed remotely, meaning we do not need to send someone to your property to read your meter.
This differs to basic meters which only measure the total amount of electricity a property has consumed and must be manually read by a technician every three months.
Think of it like upgrading from a first-generation mobile phone to the latest smartphone. Smart meters are the new generation of electricity meters.
Smart meters will also assist in the transition to net zero. The Australian Energy Market Commission's target is for every home and business to have a smart meter by 2030. Alinta Energy is helping to meet this target by rolling out smart meter upgrades for its customers.
When our Metering Coordinator is in your area, we’ll contact you directly to offer a Smart Meter upgrade. Alternatively you can request a smart meter upgrade by completing this online form.
Unlock the benefits
No more manual reads
Reducing the likelihood of estimated reads and estimated bills.
Monthly billing
Receive a more frequent and regular view of your electricity expenses, allowing for better budgeting and planning.
Take control
Greater visibility of your electricity usage (eg when and how much electricity is used at your address) in MyAccount to help unlock potential bill savings.
Reliability
Earlier and speedier detection of any issues, a more reliable supply of electricity to your home or business.
No installation costs
Currently, we’re offering a free* standard installation service.
* In certain cases, potential costs may be incurred if extra work is needed for a safe meter exchange. We'll inform you about any costs before your meter is upgraded. See FAQ below.
Upgrade in 4 simple steps
SmartHub Infographic
1
Receive your upgrade appointment date via your preferred communication method
2
Receive a reminder SMS from our metering partner to confirm that the upgrade is going ahead
3
A technician will need safe & clear access to your meter board – your power will need to be off for approximately one hour
4
Once the upgrade is complete, a card will be left by the technician confirming that your smart meter has been installed and has begun to operate
Feel in control with better usage insights
A Smart Meter means you can view your electricity usage in much greater detail.
In our app or MyAccount, you can understand your smart meter electricity usage better. You can get an hourly, daily and monthly view, so know how much you're using and when.
A new network tariff
Installing a smart meter may lead to a change in your network tariff (pricing structure). Instead of a fixed (flat) rate for all electricity use, smart meters enable more flexible pricing. For example, with a time-of-use tariff, your rates vary depending on the time of day, giving you more flexibility over your energy costs.
Please find your default network tariff using the below table:
| Network | State | Default tariff structure |
|---|---|---|
| Ausgrid | NSW | Demand – Customers may request a TOU tariff 1 month after the meter upgrade. |
| Endeavour | NSW | Demand - for new connections, faults and alterations. If for any other reason Alinta Energy decides to upgrade your meter, then you will stay on your existing tariff. |
| Energex | QLD | Customers may request a TOU tariff or a standard retail contract single rate plan. |
| Essential Energy | NSW | Time of Use (TOU) |
| SA Power Network | SA | Time of Use (TOU) |
If you want more information on the above tariffs visit Energy Tariffs explained.
As rates vary by location (network) and your energy plan, please call our dedicated team on 1300 723 412 for more information on your default network tariff structure and what options may be available to you.
FAQs
Alinta Energy offers a free standard smart meter installation service.
In some cases, additional costs may be incurred if extra work is needed. We'll inform you about any costs beforehand.
For smart meter installations related to solar or other specific reasons, network charges may apply, and we'll ensure you're aware of any costs in advance.
A smart meter won't directly lower your electricity bills, but it can help with ways to save. By providing more regular readings and detailed insights into your energy usage, smart meters allow you to better understand your consumption habits. They also enable access to time-of-use tariffs, which may help you adjust your energy usage to take advantage of lower rates, potentially reducing your overall costs.
From 1 June 2025, energy retailers will be required to fast-track the rollout of smart meters to all households and businesses.
Under these new rules, the option to opt out of receiving a smart meter will no longer be available.
This also means any new or replacement meter must be a smart meter. If your current meter:
- becomes faulty;
- reaches the end of its life; or
- you choose to have certain electrical work performed (for example, the installation of solar)
you'll receive a notification from us letting you know that your meter is being upgraded and will be replaced with a smart meter.
For more information on this please visit the AEMC website.
The most common communication technology smart meters use is wireless communication, such as cellular networks (4G or 5G), the same technology your mobile phone uses. Your smart meter securely sends regular electricity consumption data to us. This data includes information such as the amount of electricity consumed, the time of consumption, and other relevant metering data. We then use this for billing purposes, grid management, and to provide you information about your energy usage.
Your electricity consumption data is sent to your energy retailer and electricity distributor over secure and private networks.
The meter doesn't know your name or address. Your energy retailer uses the meter identification number to match the data to your account details in their system.
Your energy data and personal information are protected under the National Electricity Law and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
There are safeguards in place to protect consumers from unauthorised access to metering data and its services. For example:
- data showing that your meter exports solar energy during the day is protected information; and
- access to metering data is limited to registered energy market participants, such as retailers and meter providers.
Some common reasons are:
- Our metering provider is unable to access your meter. If this occurs, we will try to rebook the upgrade with you and obtain more details about your meter location. This may result in a wasted visit fee.
- A defect is detected during the appointment - if so, we will contact you with next steps.
- Shared fuse arrangement. If your meter cannot be turned off without also turning off someone else's electricity, then a new appointment will need to be arranged. This is so all affected customers are given appropriate notice of the planned outage.
- No telecommunications signal in your area - we may still be able to upgrade your meter to a smart meter, but we’ll be unable to read your meter remotely. This means a meter reader will still need to visit your property to read your meter.
No, if you are currently receiving a premium feed-in tariff from the government, the upgrade will not impact this.
If you don't currently have solar panels, installing a smart meter lays the foundation for future solar integration. It provides the necessary infrastructure and capabilities to accurately measure, monitor, and manage your solar energy generation, facilitating a seamless transition if and when you decide to install solar panels.
There are several options available to you:
Call us: we have a dedicated meter upgrade team (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm or Sat 8am-12pm AEST) 1300 723 412
Submit a form online here.
Post a letter: Alinta Energy, PO Box 16196, Collins Street West, VIC 8007
For more information on complaints and disputes please visit our Complaints and Disputes page.
Basic meters are no longer used for new or replacement metering installations. Removed basic meters are usually disposed of, so it is not possible to have them reinstalled.
Yes! With a smart meter, the standard billing cycle is monthly since manual meter readings are no longer required. Once your smart meter is installed, you'll automatically be switched to monthly billing. If you're on a standard retail contract, you'll remain on quarterly billing and will need to call us to switch to monthly billing.
If you'd prefer to stay on quarterly billing, you can contact our customer service team to make the change. However, if you're on a standard retail contract, you'll need to call us to request a move to monthly billing.
To learn more about the benefits of monthly billing or explore other payment options, visit Billing options.
Yes, smart meters are manufactured and installed according to Australian Standards.
All smart meters must comply with the electromagnetic exposure limits developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). The same limits apply to things like mobile and cordless phones, WiFi routers and baby monitors.
Yes, your power will be turned off by the technician during the meter upgrade. It usually takes one hour and will then be reconnected. We will provide you with at least 4 business days' notice of the date and time of the meter upgrade.
If you haven’t already, contact Alinta Energy on 13 37 02 to let us know that there is life support equipment in use at your property. We will register your equipment and let you know about the life support protections available to you. For more information, please visit our Life Support Customers page.
If you have registered life support equipment with us, our team will contact you to make an appointment for your meter upgrade. You will also receive a letter confirming your appointment at least 4 business days before we upgrade your meter. This will give you time to put your back-up plan into action. If anything changes, please contact us on 1300 723 412 and we can update the appointment for you.
Retailers and Metering Coordinators are responsible for the metering equipment installed at a property. The customer is responsible for the meter panel, switchboard and wiring within the property. Where Alinta Energy plans to upgrade the meter under a smart meter rollout, authority from the owner of the property is not required, though it may be a good idea to let them know in case any site defects or safety issues are detected during the upgrade process.
Safe and clear access to your electricity meter refers to ensuring that the meter is easily accessible (e.g. not behind a locked gate) and free from any obstructions or hazards that could hinder the upgrade technician. If you're unsure about the access to your property's meter, please contact us. This will help avoid a wasted visit fee.
A waster visit fee is charged when a scheduled metering appointment can't be completed - for example, if the technician can't access the meter. One of our accredited Metering Service Providers will carry out your meter upgrade, and if they're unable to complete the work, they may apply this fee.
This is a direct pass-through cost; we do not add any margin or profit from these charges.
Metering fees - including wasted visit fees - can vary based on your location, request, and the metering provider involved. To prevent a wasted visit fee, please ensure there is safe and clear access. If you are unsure or for more information, please contact us.
More information can be found about smart meters on the Australian Energy Regulator website: https://www.aer.gov.au/consumers/my-energy-service/smart-meters
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