Smart Meter Blog

What is a Smart Meter?

A smart meter is a digital upgrade from the basic electricity meter. It provides information about how and when you use electricity. Smart meters use digital technology to provide a comprehensive consumption report based on your electricity usage. This not only ensures that you are optimising your energy input and output but also allows you to identify habits that may be stopping you from greater savings.

How does a smart meter work?

Smart meters record your energy consumption every 30 minutes and send your usage data to your energy provider. Your smart meter sends this information automatically without needing to be manually read. This means that you will be sent timely and accurate bills and have the flexibility to receive them monthly.

Smart meters simplify the process of remote connections and disconnections. This works well if you have any issues with access to the meter at your home or business.

What are the benefits of a smart meter?

Smart meters offer many benefits, including:

Lower fees and charges:

  • Due to the cutout of meter reading fees and charges from manual readings, a smart meter allows you to save more.
  • Connections and disconnections are cheaper. A smart meter can be turned on and off remotely without needing a technician to visit your property.

More accurate, transparent, and reliable:

  • With a smart meter charges you for the exact amount you use instead of an estimate.
  • You can access detailed data about how much electricity you use, as well as this, retailers have online platforAms and apps that show your usage in graphs and charts.
  • Smart meters can quickly identify electricity supply outages and notify your electricity distributor. This means faster repairs.

Flexible pricing and monthly billing options:

  • With a smart meter, you can get a plan that has different electricity prices for different times of the day. For example, you can save money if you use less energy in peak periods.
  • Traditional meters are read every three months. This limits options for monthly billing.

Going solar:

  • You will need a smart meter to install solar panels and
  • Through your solar, you can make money by exporting excess electricity to the grid.

Why are existing digital meters being replaced?

All new and replacement meters in Queensland are required to be digital.

This change is driven by Power of Choice regulatory reforms to help customers to access the benefits of digital meters.

All new and replacement electricity meters are required to be smart meters (except in the Northern Territory and Western Australia). A smart meter gives you more options for using and managing your electricity and access to a broader range of energy services. Your retailer will choose a contractor, known as a metering coordinator, who will install and maintain your meter.

The Australia Energy Market Commission (AEMC)

When will a digital meter be installed?

Over time, your energy provider will swap out basic meters for digital meters when required. This includes the following circumstances:

  • New connections (a new home)
  • Replacement of old or faulty meters.
  • To support your solar system installation or tariff
  • Replacement of existing meters as a part of the digital meter roll-out.

Understanding consumption reports:

You will receive an Interval Metering Data Summary report that shows the nature and extent of the energy usage or load profile over a specified period and a graphic representation of the energy usage. You will receive a Detailed Data Report delivered in . CSV file format.

Your consumption report shows when energy usage peaks and when it could be altered, allowing you to save more.

How your solar system monitoring works with a smart meter:

Your monitoring app displays total system production. It uses the user-set tariff rate to calculate the credits received if total production was exported. Ergon is unable to record how much solar the system produces; it only records the exported amount. They do not know how much solar the site uses, as this does not pass through their recorded metering system. This is why there are discrepancies between the ‘credit’ figure on your monitoring app and the ‘credit’ received from Ergon.

Sub-metering devices connect to the circuit board in your home to better understand energy consumption. This information can be transmitted wirelessly to an in-home display unit, made available online or via smart phone, or sent directly to an automation controller.

Smart metering can enable real-time consumption statistics to assist with site distribution adjustment. You can review this remotely within the app.

 

 

 

What does your energy provider do and what steps can we help with:

Your Energy Provider Horan & Bird
·      Will give you your energy bills and send you your consumption reports.

·      Will initiate your smart meter process and roll-out.

 

 ·      We can help you with interpreting your solar monitoring (smart metering).

·      We can help identify how you could be saving more money.

 

 

How We Can Help

Horan & Bird started in 2004 and has built one of the longest-standing solar companies in Australia. We have over 30,000 customers and have won Master Electrician of the Year five times, along with Australian Small Business of the Year in 2012.

Not all companies are created equal, and the same applies to solar companies. That is why choosing a company with experience is essential. This way, you can be sure your system is installed correctly and will last for years.

Furthermore, we understand that each solar journey is unique, and our approach is tailored to meet your specific needs. If you have any questions about smart meters, you can contact your energy provider or contact us here.

Popular Articles