National Smart Meter Rollout

The aim of the national rollout is for everyone to have a smart meter by 2030. If you’re a Red customer, you can contact us for more information.

You can request an early smart meter installation before the national rollout. Call us on 131 806 to chat.

Rental properties are also getting smart meters as part of the national rollout. If you’re a Red customer and the electricity account is in your name, we will contact you to arrange the installation, not the homeowner.

For apartments and townhouses, smart meters should be installed in groups where possible, as meters are typically grouped in a shared meter room or switchboard.

For residents of embedded networks, such as caravan parks or retirement villages, replacing existing meters with smart meters is not mandatory. However, if you are interested in upgrading to a smart meter, please contact us to discuss the available options, including any potential costs.

The national rollout covers regional and remote communities as well as metropolitan areas. The goal is for every household and small business to have a smart meter by 2030.

When the smart meter is installed, the installer will connect it to a secure wireless network. If they identify signal issues, they can boost the strength of the connection on the day. We will let you know if they need to make an alternative arrangement to read the smart meter. Your smart meter doesn’t use your home Wi-Fi. It sends data through a separate, secure wireless network.

We have support services in place to enable our customers to access information about the rollout of smart meters in languages other than English. Please call 1300 171 762, which is the Interpreter Service shown on your bill, to receive this support.

No. Large business and industrial customers are already required to have smart meters with specific functionality.

The smart meter installation is part of the national rollout, which means there is no upfront cost to you. You will not be charged any fees or charges for the installation of the smart meter.

If repairs are required, the homeowner is responsible for wiring and electrical fittings and the cost of an electrician to make those repairs.

No, you don’t own the current meter. We will contract a metering coordinator business, who manages the meter at your premises and is responsible for looking after it and making sure it works properly. This will also be true for the new meter.

A letter or email will be sent to you at least four business days before the installation.

The notice about the installation will specify a time window of five business days when the work will be done. If you have specific needs in relation to, for example, access to your property or business trading requirements, you can talk to us about options for scheduling the installation.

For most installations, a simple meter swap is all that’s required. Please ensure the area around the meter box is clear and easily accessible. If there are any locked gates or fences, kindly provide safe access for the installer. If the meter box is already safe and easy to access, no further action is needed from your end.

Meters are typically located in an external meter box on a house’s front or side wall. For apartment complexes, meters are commonly found clustered within a secured meter room, cage, or cupboard.

You generally don’t need to be home when the smart meter is installed, provided the meter box is easily and safely accessible, similar to a manual meter reading. However, if the meter is inside your property or there are access restrictions, you may need to be present to allow the installer access. Feel free to ask the installer for photo identification if you are home. Please note that installers will never ask for personal details or payments.

If the installer needs access to your home, an adult over the age of 18 must be present for the installation to go ahead.

Your electricity will be off for a short time, usually around an hour, while the new meter is installed.

The electricity to your property will be turned off for a short period, usually around an hour, while the smart meter is installed. If you or someone in your home uses life support equipment, make sure you are registered as a life support customer so that we can provide you with a specific appointment time for the installation and information to help you plan for the short power outage. If you or someone in your home is using life support equipment, we will not interrupt your power supply without you agreeing to that date and timing.

For a simple checklist to help you plan for when your electricity supply is interrupted, click here.

If someone at your property uses life support equipment, please call Red on 131 806.

A certified and licensed installer will install the smart meter. In most homes, the installer does not need to come inside; they only need access to the meter box, which is usually outside.

If the meter is inside your home, the installer may need access and an adult over the age of 18 must be present for the installation to go ahead. The installer will never request any personal details or payments and should always carry photo-ID.

If you live in a large apartment building or a townhouse where you share an electricity connection with your neighbours, smart meters should be installed in groups, to make the process as easy as possible for everyone. Because more meters are being replaced at the same time, there may be a longer period where you do not have electricity supply for the works to be completed. In addition to the notice that you will receive from us about meter replacement, you may also receive a notice informing you when your electricity supply will be interrupted for the installations.

If you ask for remote communications to be turned off, the meter at your premises will need to be read manually by a meter reader. This may mean your bills are sometimes based on estimates instead of actual usage and have to be corrected later. This might happen when the meter reader cannot access the meter to read it. There may also be costs involved for manual meter reads.

You can request this change either before installation or afterwards. If you decide after installation, we can send a technician to turn off the communications function, which may also involve a fee.

If you’re unsure, or want to talk about your options, call Red on 131 806.

Installers may find safety issues like old wiring or asbestos in meter boxes, requiring repairs before smart meter installation. If so, they‘ll leave a note, and Red may contact you. Property owners can’t be forced to make repairs if there are no safety issues; the existing meter can be used until it fails.

If the meter box or wiring is in very poor condition and could cause a fire, electric shock, or other safety risks, you may receive a notice about the defects that need to be fixed by an electrician to keep you safe and your electricity connected. If there is an immediate safety risk, your electricity may need to remain off until it can be fixed. However, if there is no safety risk and the issues only need to be fixed for a smart meter to be installed, you cannot be forced to make the repairs.

If you own the property, you are responsible for wiring and electrical fittings and the cost of an electrician to make repairs. If you rent, it is the responsibility of your landlord to address these issues.

A meter isolator is a protection device for your home or small business and is a requirement in South Australia. In most cases, if an isolator switch is needed, the installer will be able to fit one at the same time as the smart meter. There are no upfront costs for this work.

The smart meter installer can tell you what kind of electrician or other tradespeople are needed for your specific issue. Once the electrician or other tradespeople have finished the work, you just need to call us so we can schedule a new date to install the smart meter.

For two years following the installation of a smart meter, between 2025 and 2030, we are unable to alter the retail tariff structure of your electricity plan without your explicit consent. This ensures that your electricity plan cannot be changed from a flat rate tariff (where you are charged the same price regardless of usage time) to a time-of-use tariff (where prices vary depending on the time of day).

A tariff structure is how you’re charged for the electricity you use. Common types of retail tariff structures include:

• Flat rate: you pay the same price for electricity, no matter the time of day
• Time-of-use: prices change depending on when you use electricity, often cheaper overnight or in the middle of the day, and more expensive during busy times like early evening
• Demand: these charge you for your highest electricity use at one time, measured in kilowatts (kW). It’s a charge for using a lot of power all at once, like when you run several appliances together
• Controlled load: a separate, often cheaper, electricity rate for specific appliances like your hot water system or underfloor heating. They are connected to a dedicated circuit, separate from the rest of your home.

No, if you move into a new property that already has a smart meter, we are able to offer you an electricity plan with a different tariff.

No, if you change electricity companies after a smart meter is installed, your new electricity company is not required to get your consent to move you to an electricity plan with a different tariff.

After two years, we can move you to a different electricity plan, but must give you notice and show you how the new plan compares to your current one, including your past bills.

No, if a smart meter was installed at your property before 1 December 2025, we are not required to get your consent to move you to an electricity plan with a different tariff.

Smart meters record your electricity use throughout the day, which means you may be able to access a type of plan that allows you to pay different prices for electricity depending on the time of day you use it. These might be called time-of-use, controlled load or demand tariff plans. If you’re on this type of plan, you might save money by using electricity when it costs less.

Your electricity plan may have special conditions, such as discounts or benefits that are only for a set period. When these expire, we will notify you of these changes. Call us on 131 806, if you have questions about changes to your plan or want to discuss your options.

If you’re thinking of joining Red, you can view our plans here or call us on 131 806 to discuss.

If you have a smart meter and are a current customer of Red, we are required to offer you an electricity plan with a flat rate tariff structure on a standing offer contract. To find out more about this option, call us.

After the smart meter is installed, your electricity bill may sometimes include very short time periods where your electricity use is estimated. This could happen if, for example, there is a temporary communications issue between the smart meter and us such as an issue with the signal. This isn’t the same type of “estimated” bill you used to get before you had a smart meter and you won’t get a corrected bill at a later date and have to pay a different amount.

If you have any questions about your bill, call 131 806 and our team can help you.

Yes, your energy data and personal information are protected by law. Smart meter data is treated as confidential information under the National Electricity Rules.

Yes, there are strict rules to stop anyone from accessing your data without your authorisation. Currently, only your electricity retailer (in this case Red Energy) or meter provider is allowed to access your meter data.