Need to know
- The Australian Energy Market Commission aims to have most homes equipped with an energy smart meter by 2030, and over 7 million properties are already hooked up
- The meter at the home of one NSW consumer we recently heard from continued to record usage during a two-day outage and indicated his solar array was producing power at 3am
- An array of businesses are involved in metering services in NSW, and the energy omudsman has no jurisdiction over their activities
Energy smart meters have been justifiably labelled as the one piece of household technology that we will absolutely need as we enter the brave new world of power usage management.
There'll be no need for meter readers to visit your property, and no more perplexing estimated bills that always seem to be higher than your actual bills.
Smart meters also offer faster fault detection and the capacity to integrate with solar technologies and electric vehicles.
No leap of imagination is required to wonder whether all these meters are going to work properly
So there's some sound thinking behind the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) decision to mandate the rollout of meters across the National Electricity Market (NEM), which comprises Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. (Western Australia and the Northern Territory have different systems and are not part of the NEM.)
The AEMC aims to have a smart meter in every property that's connected to the NEM by 2030. More than 7 million properties are already hooked up. But no leap of imagination is required to wonder whether all these meters are going to work properly.
Smart meter claims usage during blackout
One NSW homeowner we heard from recently, Don, is certain there's something wrong with the smart meter at his home. And if he weren't such a stickler for detail, he may have never noticed.
"I can demonstrate very clearly that there are errors in the smart metering of my electricity," says Don, whose electricity plan is with energy retailer Origin Energy.
"For example, we had a power outage that lasted two days not so long ago and upon checking the Origin app it clearly stated that I had been using power exactly as normal and producing solar power as well at the same time."
Don's meter also indicated that his solar array was producing power at 3am.
Either my meter is sending non-existent data as part of its transmissions, or the software system that receives the data is refusing to accept a zero value
Origin Energy customer Don
He requested the meter data from Endeavour Energy, the energy distributor for his region, and found that the Origin app and billing matched that data.
"So either my meter is sending non-existent data as part of its transmissions, which I think is unlikely, or the software system that receives the data is refusing to accept a zero value," says Don.
"This has now been going on for over 18 months and has been the subject of two ombudsman complaints, many hours on the phone to Origin, whom I do not think are at fault, and much analysis of my meter data," he adds.
Metering companies in NSW operate independently and have a poor track record of sharing data with retailers.
Customer runaround on meter error
After Don lodged an inquiry with Endeavour, an 'energy specialist' got back to him, saying "that certainly seems unusual that we have data for a time period where the meter should have recorded nothing".
But getting an answer from the third-party meter provider hasn't been so easy. The Origin specialist told Don they'd been unable to get hold of the meter provider, but would try again the next day to seek an explanation.
To date, Don says he has yet to receive an adequate explanation from Endeavour, Origin, or the meter provider – which instructs households to contact their energy retailer if there's a problem with one of their meters. His complaints to the NSW electricity ombudsman are still under investigation.
I cannot believe that this issue is unique but can only suspect that others are not checking their metering data correctly
Origin Energy customer Don
For now, the multifaceted metering sector has left Don nowhere else to turn.
"My meter has an accumulation register which the consumer is able to read, but this is not cross checked against the billing data. So when the billing data is proven inaccurate, where does the consumer go?," he asks.
"I cannot believe that this issue is unique, but can only suspect that others are not checking their metering data correctly."
CHOICE contacted the energy ombudsman services for NSW, Victoria and Queensland to ask what consumers should do in these situations.
NSW ombudsman: 'Meter data access an issue'
A spokesperson for the Electricity and Water Ombudsman NSW (EWON) tells us that, as a result of reforms in 2015, smart meters are handled by an array of businesses in NSW.
Metering coordinators have overall responsibility for providing metering services, and they generally hire other businesses to install and maintain the equipment at people's homes. Different businesses keep track of the meter data.
EWON has no jurisdiction over any of these players and they have no obligation to comply with requests for metering data.
Even though these metering entities have a vital role in the customer experience, the customer has no direct relationship with them
Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW spokesperson
The spokesperson says the arrangement was meant to benefit consumers, but complaints to EWON "highlight consumer outcomes that question whether the metering framework has delivered the predicted benefits for the rollout of smart meters in NSW".
"Even though these metering entities have a vital role in the customer experience, the customer has no direct relationship with them," the spokesperson says.
"Instead, all customer interaction is through their retailer. In the course of investigating customer complaints, it has become apparent to EWON that some retailers are having trouble gaining access to their customers' metering data from metering data providers."
EWON has lodged several submissions to regulators, including the AEMC, calling for oversight of metering businesses.
"The contractual relationships between retailers and metering data providers is not always sufficient to ensure suitable consumer outcomes or accountability for metering data providers," the spokesperson adds.
Qld ombudsman: 'Faulty meters must be replaced'
A spokesperson for the Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland (EWOQ) tells us it received 77 complaints about energy meters in 2024, and 21 of them were about smart meters. Five of the smart meter cases were resolved in the customer's favour.
"Customers are entitled to request their energy provider to test their meter if they suspect a fault," the spokesperson says.
"However, this should only be done if a customer has considered all other potential issues. Meter faults are rare and unless the meter is found to be faulty, the tests are at the customer's cost."
If we experience issues or delays in getting information from the metering company, we escalate within the energy provider until we get a resolution
Energy and Water Ombudsman Queensland spokesperson
EWOQ confirms that metering companies do not fall under its jurisdiction and that EWOQ puts the onus on energy retailers to resolve smart meter complaints.
"If we experience issues or delays in getting information from the metering company, we escalate within the energy provider until we get a resolution. If a meter is found to be faulty it must be replaced," the spokesperson says.
At that point the retailer has to reissue any energy bills covering the period when the meter was malfunctioning. Historical charges must be based on the readings from a new, properly working smart meter – unless the retailer can figure out the cost of the error in the meter data without going to these lengths.
Vic ombudsman: Energy distributors responsible for meters
A spokesperson for the Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria (EWOV) tells CHOICE that, unlike other jurisdictions, energy distributors are responsible for providing meters in Victoria.
Inaccurate meter data "is not a notable source of complaints about distribution businesses," the spokesperson says.
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