{"id":86246,"date":"2024-08-22T05:58:52","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T20:28:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=86246"},"modified":"2024-08-22T05:58:52","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T20:28:52","slug":"smart-meters-protections-mb2991","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/smart-meters-protections-mb2991\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed Changes Seek To Stop Smart Meter Shenanigans"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Smart<\/p>\n

Australian households getting a smart meter installed will have better protection from electricity retailers behaving badly under proposed changes from the AEMC.<\/p>\n

A smart meter measures electricity use (and exports in the case of solar homes) at regular intervals, sending this information to a household’s electricity retailer for billing purposes. All new and replacement meters have been smart meters for some years in Australia. And when you have solar panels installed, the meter is switched out for a smart device unless one is already in place.<\/p>\n

Aside from remote meter reading, among other benefits of smart meters is the ability to provide customers with more information on how and when they consume and generate electricity. But some electricity retailers have been using the devices as an opportunity to switch customers onto Time-of Use (ToU) or demand tariffs<\/a> without their consent – and without a way back to flat rate tariffs if the plan doesn’t suit.<\/p>\n

What Are ToU And Demand Tariffs?<\/h2>\n

As the name suggests, time-of-use tariff rates are charged based on the time of consumption. There can be a huge difference in rates during the day when solar electricity exports push wholesale prices down compared to peak demand periods. As an example, here’s the retail tariff structure of a ToU plan currently available in SA:<\/p>\n