As the energy mix in Australia continues to evolve to incorporate the rapid growth of renewable generation, new technologies are required to support, enable, and push us into the future.

While this technological evolution can be as large in scale as turning cities that mine the earth into cities that mine the sun, it can also be much closer to home – like the evolution of the humble electricity meter.

Digital meters are the next generation of electricity meters, providing households with a new way to manage their energy account. They have advanced two-way communication functions that remotely read and store electricity usage in close to real-time, before automatically sending this information back to energy distributors and retailers.

This two-way communication reduces the need for manual readings and also helps us to eliminate problems associated with older meters, such as poor access and estimated bills. They also help us to build and support a more intelligent and sustainable network, through demand response, electricity storage, micro grids, and electric vehicles.

As well as supporting future technology, digital meters are also helping households keep on top of their energy usage.

Last year our Market Operations team launched a new digital meter campaign, which aims to assist our customers experiencing ‘chronic’ billing issues, such as multiple reversals and estimated readings over the past few years.

The team has been working closely with our partner metering service provider, PlusES, to install new digital meters in NSW, replacing manually read electricity meters.