Upgrading To a Smart Meter
Upgrading To a Smart Meter
Upgrading to a smart meter
Smart meters are the next generation of energy meters giving you new ways to manage your energy use. They measure your home's electricity use in 30-minute intervals, and can send this data automatically to your energy retailer. Having access to your usage data throughout the day helps you identify when your electricity usage peaks and lets you see the usage trends. Smart meters can be read remotely, so you get more accurate bills and are less reliant on estimated bills. Common reasons for upgrading to a smart meter are, you meter is old or faulty, you change tariff, install solar, or you want the convenience of a modern smart meter so you can better track your usage. The following will activate the process for installing a smart meter at your premises:
- You request a Smart Meter
- Aged meters that require replacement
- Tariff changes requests
- Meter fault
- New connections
The upgrade will be completed within 15 business days of GloBird Energy receiving your request; unless there is an agreed installation date via appointment which must be within a minimum of 10 business days.
If you install Solar Panels
If you have had solar installed at the property and you already have a smart meter, then we will only need to have your Smart Meter Reconfigured to register the solar feed in credits. However, if you have a basic meter, then the meter will need to be upgraded. We will advise you of any fees or charges from the Metering Coordinator prior to the work being undertaken.
Before we can raise the Service Order to replace your meter, your solar installer or electrician will need to submit an Electrical Works.
We will advise you of any applicable fees and charges prior to the work being undertaken.
The meter exchange may involve a short disruption to your power supply.
If your meter is faulty
Your Distributor or Accredited Service Provider will notify your retailer of any faults with your meter.
We will notify the metering coordinator of the fault and request the meter to be replaced.
Metering coordinators must replace or repair a customer's malfunctioning meter as soon as practicable, but no later than 15 business days after being notified by GloBird Energy.
The above time frames won't apply if:
- You have life support and require an appointment or special provision to manage the planned interruption. You have not entered into an agreement with GloBird Energy for the meter upgrade/alteration.
- There are any site access issues, the site is unsafe or is not ready for the upgrade.
- The meter work requires interruption to another property's supply.
- You have not met the required conditions of the upgrade/alteration set by the Distributor.
- Additional work is required on the electricity network before the upgrade can be completed.
Digital meters operate on a secure wireless and measure your home's electricity use in 30-minute intervals and send this data automatically to your energy retailer every day.
Digital meters are installed by qualified electricians, and depending on your home's set up, installation process normally takes 30 minutes to 2 hours to complete.
You won't have to pay for any upfront standard installation costs when we exchange your existing meter for a digital meter.
In some cases, following a visit from our meter technician, you may be asked to undertake remedial works at your own (or your landlord's) cost to ensure the site is safe, accessible and suitable for a new meter installation. More detailed information is available here.
When we exchange meters, the meter technician may need to disrupt your electricity supply for a short period. The letter you received is your notice of the timeframe when the technician will visit your property and the disruption will occur.
If there is safe and clear access to your meter, there's nothing you need to do – you don't even need to be at the property unless you have Life Support Equipment.
If Life Support equipment is present, we require you to be at the property to confirm supply is completely restored after the meter is changed.
We'll notify you if we're planning an upgrade to your current meter, at which point, you can contact us to opt out.
However, opting out of a current or future new meter deployment won't stop you from receiving a digital meter if your current meter needs to be replaced for technical, regulatory or maintenance reasons.
For more information, check Australian Energy Regulator's Smart Meters and You Fact Sheet.
All wiring issues associated with the circuitry in the home, the switchboard and the meter box are the responsibility of the homeowner.
If a site defect has been discovered at your home, get in touch with your landlord or real estate agency and ask them to organise the necessary changes required to upgrade the meter.
If you're experiencing issues which you think are due to your digital meter upgrade, please contact us.
In Tasmania there are still some areas where mobile coverage is limited. If your property falls into this category and you have had an advanced meter installed, we still need access to your property every 3 months to obtain the energy usage data held in your meter.