Digital meters
With a digital meter you'll receive accurate electricity bills and can view more timely usage data in My Account and the AGL app.
Benefits of a digital meter
Digital meters are the next generation of electricity meters. They measure your home electricity use every 30 minutes and automatically send this data to us at the end of each day via a secure wireless network.
Easy-to-monitor usage
Digital meters make it easy to monitor your usage so you can identify when your electricity usage peaks.
More timely data
Helpful online tools including My Account and the AGL app mean you can easily view more timely data instead of having to wait until your bill arrives. Data will update automatically every 1-3 business days.
Accurate bills
Digital meters can be read remotely so in most cases the need for on-site meter reads and estimated bills is significantly reduced.
Important information
Where we exchange your existing meter for a digital meter, you won’t have to pay for any upfront standard installation 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.
We’ll let you know if we're planning to upgrade your current meter, at which point you can contact us to opt out. However, opting out of a current or future new meter upgrade 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, see the Australian Energy Regulator’s Smart Meters and You Fact Sheet (PDF).
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 have lower emissions 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 secured. 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. 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 Cth. (1988), 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 we have, 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 conduct 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.
