Smart meters are rolling out

The Australian Energy Market Commission has introduced new rules to make getting a smart meter easier and faster. These changes are designed to make installations smoother and more convenient for you.

New rules will offer more information about your energy use, helping you understand your bills and make the most of your energy. They’ll also open up access to better retail options. More broadly, the changes will help improve efficient, lower-cost and a lower-emissions energy system for everyone.

Starting from 1 December 2025, Momentum will begin replacing existing meters with smart meters. Opting out is no longer an option, but the installation process is quick, safe and designed to cause minimal disruption to your home or business.

The smart meter rollout will begin from 1 December 2025 and run for 5 years until 30 November 2030. Network distributors (the people responsible for the poles and wires) will provide a list of NMIs (National Meter Identifiers) for their area to retailers each year, to complete the meter replacement.

If you still have an older electricity meter, it wasn’t built to keep up with today’s smart technologies like solar panels, batteries and connected appliances. A smart meter makes it easier to take advantage of these innovations and gives you more control over your energy use and costs.

Some of the benefits of having a smart meter include:

• No upfront fees at the time of installation, unless there are access issues or site defects.
• New protections where for the first two years after your meter is installed, Momentum won’t change certain parts of your plan without your consent.
• Remote meter readings with more intuitive information about your electricity usage. This means a reduction in manual meter readings and estimated bills.
• Tracking your energy usage more frequently and accurately, meaning you’ll have more control over your daily energy consumption.
• Flexibility on price as you’ll have access to different pricing options, with the freedom to choose different rates for electricity that suit you.
• Faster detection of faults and outages as smart meters can help distribution businesses quickly identify if your power is out. These alerts can also speed up your power reconnection.

Keep an eye out for Momentum’s notifications advising of your smart meter installation. You also have the option to request it sooner by heading to momentum.com.au/contact-us. From there, you can send us a message or ask for a callback. If you'd prefer a chat, call us on 1300 350 941. Once installed, the information from your meter is encrypted and sent securely to Momentum.

On the day of the meter installation, as long as we can access your current meter, you don’t need to be home. If something’s in the way and works can’t be completed (a locked gate, for example), this may incur a fee. While your smart meter is being installed, your electricity will be temporarily turned off and in most cases this will be for approximately one hour.

After your smart meter is installed, there’ll be more accurate tracking of your usage. A reminder that there are no upfront fees when it comes to your smart meter installation, however if clear access isn’t provided or site defects are present, you may be charged.

For the first two years after your meter is installed, we can’t change your plan’s tariff structure without your consent. For example, you can’t be switched from a flat-rate tariff plan to a time-of-use tariff plan unless you agree to it.

In the notice we sent you, there are instructions on how you can access your usage data as well as how to resolve metering issues if you experience any.

Smart meters are safe to use and meet strict Australian safety standards. They have to comply with low electromagnetic exposure limits set by organisations like the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). The low-power radio signals they use are similar to those from mobile phones and WiFi routers and there’s nothing to show they pose any health risks.

For more information, jump onto the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website. The ACMA set the rules on how radiocommunicationdevices and transmitters must function, in order to keep electromagnetic energy (EME) at safe levels.

As technology evolves, new rules require Momentum as your energy retailer to replace most old meters with smart meters. This is a compulsory requirement and as your retailer, we’ll be arranging the installation of your smart meter. You do have the option for the communication function of your meter to be disabled, however it’s likely that this will result in additional ongoing fees for each manual meter reading of up to $220.00 (incl. GST). It also means that some of the meter’s capabilities may no longer be available.

You won’t be charged for a smart meter installation, however if the meter provider doesn’t have clear access or if there is a site defect which doesn’t allow the installation to go ahead, a fee of up to $165.00 (incl. GST) will apply.

If you have any questions about the smart meter rollout, head to momentum.com.au/contact-us or log into your MyAccount. If you'd prefer a chat, call us on 1300 350 941 or send us an email at rp@momentum.com.au.