Digital meters
With a digital meter, also known as a smart meter, you'll receive more accurate electricity bills and view timely usage data in My Account and the AGL app.
On this page
- What is a digital meter? Jump to: What is a digital meter?
- Benefits of a digital meter Jump to: Benefits of a digital meter
- Request a digital meter Jump to: Request a digital meter
- Choosing the right plan Jump to: Choosing the right plan
- Digital meter upgrades Jump to: Digital meter upgrades
- Other important information Jump to: Other important information
What is a digital meter?
Digital meters are the next generation of electricity meters. A digital meter measures your home electricity use every 30 minutes, giving you better access to information including how much electricity you use and when. They automatically send this data to your energy retailer via a secure wireless network.
Digital meters are an important step if you want your home to support more modern energy systems like solar and batteries.
Benefits of a digital meter
Choosing the right plan
If you have a digital meter, you may have more electricity plan options available to choose from. And with more access to your usage data, you have more information about how you use electricity to help select the right plan for you.
Contact us if you’d like to discuss your plan.
Digital meter upgrades (NSW, QLD and SA)
Before your upgrade
- You’ll get a notification from AGL about an upcoming meter upgrade with a date range of when it will take place.
- Closer to the date, you’ll get a notification with the date of the upgrade, the time of supply interruption, plus any instructions you need.
Buildings with shared electricity supply
Buildings or complexes that share an electricity supply, like an apartment block or townhouse complex, will have their digital meters upgraded at the same time.
It’s called the “One In, All In” process. The upgrade happens at the same time to ensure safety, avoid repeated outages and make the process easier for everyone.
On the day of your upgrade
- Make sure there’s clear access to the meter and that the site is safe and free from rubbish.
- Make sure you or your property manager provide access to your meter and supply a gate code if necessary.
- A qualified technician will arrive within the scheduled timeframe to prepare the site and make sure the power can be safely disconnected while the installation takes place.
- All affected meters will be tested before power is restored.
Do you need to be home?
You don’t need to be at home on the day of your meter upgrade. Once the work is complete, our technician will leave a confirmation note in your mailbox letting you know whether the upgrade was successful or if any further action is needed.
Important information
- There are no upfront costs for the upgrade.
- AGL and your distributor will manage the process for everyone on the shared supply.
- You’ll be contacted before any upgrade with all the details.
- During the installation, there will be a power interruption. Your distributor will notify you of the exact date and time, and we'll do our best to keep the interruption short.
During the meter upgrade, the electricity supply will be interrupted for a short period. You will be notified of the time of interruption before the day.
If anyone in your home or business, such as an aged-care facility or caravan park, relies on life support equipment, please consider whether alternative arrangements are needed for operating the life support equipment during this planned power outage.
For more information please see Disruption to life support.
What is a site defect?
Sometimes, a technician may not upgrade your meter because of a site defect preventing safe installation.
A site defect can include:
- Unsafe or damaged wiring
- Asbestos in or around the meter board
- Not enough space for the new meter
- Power can't be safely turned off.
What happens if a site defect is found
If a site defect is found during the upgrade, a Site Defect Notice will be sent to you with information about the defect, what you can do to rectify it and whether there are any safety risks or urgent repairs needed.
Repairing the defect
- If you’re a homeowner, it will be your responsibility to have the defect repaired. This includes arranging a qualified tradesperson and covering the cost of the work.
- If you’re a renter, you can reach out to your landlord or real estate agent so they can organise the repair for you.
- If your property has a shared electricity supply, like a townhouse or apartment block, you may need to contact your property manager or owners corporation to arrange the work.
Contact us when the defect is repaired
Once the defect is repaired, you can Request a digital smart meter or call our Digital Metering team on 1300 669 245.
If you decide not to repair the defect:
- your current meter will stay in place.
- you may get estimated bills.
- you might not be able to install solar panels or other upgrades.
- your power supply may be disconnected if the defect is unsafe.
Renting? Here's what you need to know
- Your Landlord is responsible for fixing any defects.
- Contact your Property manager or agent to arrange a repair.
Learn more about your renting rights in these states:
Other important information
By 2030, customers are required to transition to a digital meter following reforms by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC). These reforms introduce new customer protections against any upfront costs, explicit informed consent of retail tariff changes, improving access the benefits that smart meters provide, reducing barriers to installation and improved meter testing and inspections.
For more information, visit the AEMC website.
In most cases, where we exchange your existing meter for a digital meter, you won’t have to pay for any upfront costs.
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.
Digital meters are not dangerous.
They have features to protect you from electric shock and fire damage. All digital meters meet the wireless electromagnetic exposure limits set by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). They also meet current Australian Standards, including those related to safety.
Digital meters emit less radiation than many other electrical devices commonly found in households, such as mobile and cordless phones, Wi-Fi modems, microwaves, televisions and baby monitors.
For more information visit the ARPANSA website.
Digital meters and their communication networks have advanced security features that stop unauthorised access.
The wireless links between digital meters and AGL are encrypted and cannot be disabled. These links don’t use the internet which make them very secure. And no customer names or addresses are attached to the transmission of metering data.
The meter number and NMI (National Meter Identifier) are matched up with customer information only after it has reached the central data station, which is secure. For more details, view our Privacy Policy.
Data is sent to us from the digital meter using a secure wireless communications network.
The collection, use and disclosure of metering data is subject to strict confidentiality rules.
By law, metering data can only be accessed by customers, the meter reader, your energy retailer and others who are entitled to it (e.g. authorised bodies, distribution networks or third-party service providers who have your consent).
All energy retailers must comply with the Privacy Act, which includes the National Australian Privacy Principles. These Principles set clear restrictions on the use, disclosure and storage of personal information.
For information about how we'll handle any personal information, read our Privacy Policy.
Our digital meters are rigorously tested to make sure they are accurate. They're approved by the National Measurement Institute to the standard metering accuracy level. Also, we monitor and facilitate regular testing to confirm the accuracy of our meters.
The digital meter operates at a low frequency and power level and will not interfere with any other equipment such as phones, TV or radio.
Related topics
- Electricity meter installations Related topic: Electricity meter installations
- Meter upgrades Related topic: Meter upgrades
- Meter identification numbers: NMI, MIRN, DPI Related topic: Meter identification numbers: NMI, MIRN, DPI
- Meter installation issues Related topic: Meter installation issues
- Request a digital meter Related topic: Request a digital meter
