Everything you should know about smart meters And getting them to work for you
Our goal is to help you to understand and get the most out of your smart meter 2
Contents 4 Smart meters and you 5 Your electricity supply who does what? The smart meter program who does what? 5 6 Why do we need to change things? 7 Victoria s smart meter program 8 Smart meter services 10 The smart meter installation process Before the installation 10 Installing your smart meter 11 Our installation technicians 11 Customer obligations 12 Safe and clear access 12 Customer installation defects 12 13 Living with your smart meter Health and Safety 13 Getting smart meter data 13 Property insurance policies 14 What are the costs of a smart meter? 14 Security and privacy 15 16 More smart metering information 4 8 13 Smart meters and you Smart meter services Living with your smart meter 3
Smart meters and you In 2011, the Victorian Government s review of the smart meter program found that continuing with an improved rollout would bring greater benefits to consumers sooner. The review also found that smart meters are safe and fall well within the requirements for electromagnetic and radio frequency emissions. Accordingly, smart meters are to be installed in all homes and businesses in Victoria by December 2013. This booklet has been produced to provide information about smart meters, including their benefits and the installation process, and to answer common questions about important things like safety, costs, and privacy. Installing your smart meter is the first step of the smart meter program. Many of the services and opportunities it can provide will steadily become available over the duration of the rollout program and beyond. I m pleased to report a high level of customer satisfaction with our installation process so far. We are committed to providing excellent customer service, and our goal is to help you to understand and get the most out of your smart meter. Information about the rollout program is provided by distribution companies like us. Over time, more information about how to make the best use of your smart meter will come from electricity retailers, the Victorian Government, and other new service providers. I urge you to read this booklet now and keep it handy in case you want to refer to it again. You can get more information from us or from the Victorian Government, using the contact details on the back of this publication. Yours faithfully, Brendan Bloore General Manager Customer Services CitiPower and Powercor Australia I m pleased to report a high level of customer satisfaction with our installation process so far 4
Your electricity supply who does what? CitiPower and Powercor Australia are electricity distributors. We own and operate two separate electricity networks, managed jointly. We aim to provide you with the safest and most reliable electricity supply possible by operating the poles, wires and equipment (including meters) that distribute electricity to you and other customers in our distribution network. The CitiPower network supplies inner Melbourne, and the Powercor network supplies central and western Victoria. Electricity retailers are separately owned and managed from distributors. Retailers buy electricity from the national electricity market and sell that electricity to customers like you. Your electricity retailer will bill you for the electricity that you use. You can choose and change your electricity retailer at any time. Information to help you make the best choice is at www.yourchoice.vic.gov.au. The smart meter program who does what? The Victorian Government initiated the smart meter rollout and sets policy and standards for the program. Electricity distributors like CitiPower and Powercor install smart meters at customer premises, collect the meter information automatically and provide it to your chosen electricity retailer. Electricity retailers use the meter information they receive from electricity distributors to issue power bills to you. Smart meters will allow electricity retailers to offer plans with different electricity charges depending on the time or day electricity is used. This will give consumers more choices and opportunities to save money by using electricity at cheaper off-peak times. Retailers and other service providers will also offer new products and services which will allow you to better monitor and manage your electricity use and costs. They might include in-home displays or services on your computer that tell you how much electricity you re using right now, and what you re paying. They may also calculate what each appliance is costing you, or even choose when to run your appliances at the cheapest rate. 5
Why do we need to change things? How we each use our smart meter is up to us Our electricity system has served Victoria well in the past, with a cheap and reliable electricity supply. And since the state s electricity industry was privatised, it s been widely recognised as being a more efficient system. Today, Victoria and the world are facing new challenges in an evolving energy environment. We are using more electricity just think of the new electrical devices you see now that you didn t have in the past. We often all want to use electricity at the same time like on the hottest summer days, for example. To meet this growing demand, we can keep building more generators and installing more poles and wires. But it s expensive to do it just for a few peak times during the year that s one reason why electricity bills are already going up, and are predicted to keep rising for some time to come. By introducing the tools that allow us all to know how we use electricity, we can make our own decisions and keep the cost down. Smart meters are the first and most important step to do this. We all have different priorities about electricity. For some it s convenience, for others cost, or using renewable resources, or generating our own electricity. Smart meters will make all these goals easier than before. How we each use our smart meter is up to us. What matters is having the tools to know how we are using electricity, to manage it, and to achieve our chosen goals. Victoria is the first state to install smart meters in Australia. They are also being introduced in many other countries around the world, for the same reasons. Smart meters will be at the core of innovation in managing electricity for decades to come. 6
Victoria s smart meter program The smart meter program (sometimes called the Advanced Metering Infrastructure or AMI program) was initiated by the Victorian Government in 2006. It has been reviewed and enhanced by successive Governments, most recently in 2011. Analogue meters are being exchanged with smart meters in all Victorian homes and small and medium sized businesses. Unlike the old metering technology they replace, smart meters are two-way digital communications systems that record your electricity usage every 30 minutes and automatically send this data to your electricity distributor, who will pass it to your electricity retailer. The smart meter roll out began in October 2009 and is scheduled to be completed by December 2013. If you need a new meter installed at your home or business for any other reason, it will be a smart meter. By the end of 2013, the remote reading of smart meters will be standard. Over time consumers with smart meters will start to get access to more detailed information about your electricity usage, from different sources: On your electricity bill Through websites From in-home display devices Through applications on your computer All these sources will use information collected by your smart meter. Some of them will speak to the smart meter and give information in real time. Others will link to appliances or devices in your home, measuring what they do or even instructing them when to operate most cheaply. Some information will be available without charge. Other additional information may require you to buy other products or services to get access to more detailed information and services. The choice will be yours. Over time, consumers with smart meters will start to get access to more detailed information about your electricity usage 7
What new smart meters can do Smart meters offer a large number of new services and opportunities that conventional meters can not provide. No more estimated bills Tests have shown that smart meters are more accurate than old analogue meters. More accurate, remote readings of your electricity consumption means no more estimated bills when a meter reader is unable to access your property. In fact, they also mean that we no longer need to come onto your property regularly to read your meter at all. Electricity information now not much later on In the past, most power bills told you how much electricity you used over the last three months but not when or how you used it. Smart meters record your electricity consumption by the half hour, so you can get access to your usage much more quickly even in real time if you have a suitable inhome display. If you can measure it, you can manage it Over time, you ll find lots of new services and products based on smart meter information becoming available which will help you to understand and control how and when you use electricity. You can decide when it s best to run appliances, try different behaviours, and make effective decisions. Your smart meter can be a powerful tool you decide how you want to use it. Choosing a tariff that suits you From 2013, electricity retailers will begin to offer new electricity tariffs with different prices at different times or days. These are known as time of use tariffs, or flexible pricing. So if you think you could change the times you use electricity, you could save money. Responding to climate change Most of the energy produced in Victoria comes from cheap but environmentally dirty brown coal. If you want to use less energy, your smart meter coupled with a suitable in-home display will provide timely information to help you make decisions, and measure your achievements. Solar panels Many Victorians have or are considering installing solar panels to save money and help the environment. Smart meters allow people with solar panels to sell electricity back into the grid at various feed-in tariffs. Switching the power on Smart meters can switch your electricity supply on or off remotely, for example when you move house. These services are much cheaper and more convenient than having to pay the cost of a truck visit. 8
Detecting faults Traditionally, we depend on you or other customers to ring and tell us when you have an electricity outage. In the future, smart meters will be able to tell us immediately and automatically if you lose supply. They can also help us work out where the problem is, so we can restore your electricity supply more quickly. And if you don t know whether the problem is in your wiring or on our network, we can detect through your smart meter if we need to undertake repairs, or advise you if you need to call a licensed electrician. Voltage levels Smart meters can measure voltage levels, and help us identify and respond to issues affecting the quality of your electricity supply. Managing the electricity network As well as improving service to customers, smart meters are also a big step forward in managing the electricity network itself. They can measure and communicate the status of any point on the network, allowing CitiPower and Powercor to be aware of changing conditions, identify problems before they turn into faults, and respond as efficiently as possible. CitiPower and Powercor Public Telecommunications Network Meter information is sent between the meter and your electricity distributor, by radio from the smart meter through access points and relays, and then on to the public telecommunications network to your distributor. 9
The smart meter installation process Before the installation About three or four weeks before your smart meter is installed, we will send you by mail a brochure from the Victorian Government explaining why smart meters are being rolled out across Victoria, together with a first letter from CitiPower and Powercor outlining the installation process and requesting clear and safe access to the meter box. Business customers and customers with special needs will be offered an opportunity to make an installation appointment on line so that disruptions can be minimised where reasonably possible. We may also seek to make special arrangements for large apartment buildings. If you have any concerns, please contact us to discuss them. About two weeks after you receive our first letter, we will send a second letter advising of a 10 day period during which the meter exchange will occur. Commercial customers who have made appointments will have their arrangement confirmed at this point. Areas scheduled for meter installation are also advertised in your local newspapers. Briefings to groups of customers can also be arranged. Areas scheduled for meter installation are advertised in your local newspapers 10
Installing your smart meter The safety of the smart meter installation process is overseen by Energy Safe Victoria (ESV). When arriving at your premises, an authorised and qualified smart meter installation technician will knock on your door to explain the purpose of their visit. If you are at home, they will inform you that your electricity supply will be turned off for a short time and proceed with the installation. If you are not at home, the technician will disconnect your electricity supply and proceed with the installation. If the technician detects a problem with your switchboard or electrical installation, you will be given advice about what the problem is and how to get it fixed. We may need the problem to be fixed before we install the smart meter. If it is safe to proceed, the technician will exchange your meter. It usually takes between 20 and 60 minutes for the meter exchange to occur. During this period, your electricity supply will be turned off. Following the completion of the installation of a smart meter, the technician will leave you a certificate that your installation has passed a series of mandatory safety tests. You will also receive a customer information pack explaining how the meter operates and how to read it. Our installation technicians All smart meter installation technicians must comply with a range of legal requirements in relation to safety and technical standards. Each installation technician must be a qualified electrician, lineworker or meter technician who has undertaken specific industry training to ensure best practice and safety. All installation technicians must have completed a Victorian Government accredited industry standard training course. All work is conducted under comprehensive and quality-based policies, procedures and work instructions. On-the-job monitoring and field audits are standard practice. 11
The smart meter installation process (continued) Customer obligations Safe and clear access Under applicable Energy Laws, you must provide clear and safe access to the meter. Before we arrive at your property, please ensure that our installation technician will have clear and safe access to your meter enclosure and that there are no obstacles such as water tanks, timber structures or overgrown vegetation in front of the meter box. Dogs should be kept restrained. You should also ensure that the meter enclosure and wiring are safe. If you have any concerns about the wiring, you should engage a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC) to inspect your installation before the meter exchange. If we have left a No Access card in your letter box, please contact CitiPower and Powercor promptly so that a suitable time can be made for the meter exchange. If you have any concerns at all about the installation of your smart meter, please contact us, as outlined on the back of this brochure. Customer installation defects Since the smart meter rollout began, we have found a number of problems in customer s electrical installations. Under applicable Energy Laws, you are responsible for ensuring that your electrical installation is maintained in a safe condition. Occasionally, the process of installing a smart meter at your property may uncover unsafe wiring or electrical faults within your electrical installation. In some cases, to ensure your safety, the distribution business must disconnect your electricity supply. Our installation technician will explain the defect and the work needed to repair the problem before the smart meter can be installed. You must get any repair work done by a Registered Electrical Contractor (REC). If you do not know of an REC, CitiPower and Powercor can assist you by providing a listing of RECs located in your post code. (Of course it is for you to decide which REC is most appropriate for your needs.) The REC will issue a Certificate of Electrical Safety once the repair work has been completed. If you are a tenant, you should speak with your real estate agent or the property owner about any necessary electrical repairs as outlined by CitiPower and Powercor. If your real estate agent or property owner does not respond, you should contact CitiPower and Powercor and provide their contact details so that we can follow up. Customers who hold a concession card may be eligible for some assistance under a Department of Human Services (DHS) scheme. 12
Living with your smart meter Health and Safety ARPANSA is the Australian Government Agency that sets safety standards for the two kinds of electromagnetic fields (EMF) associated with your electricity supply and smart meter. One kind is the extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic field caused by the current in your power lines. The other is the radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field associated with smart meter communications. To test the actual levels of electromagnetic exposures from smart meters, and make sure these pose no health risk to the community, the Victorian Government commissioned independent testing. The tests found that both EMF exposures from smart meters were a tiny fraction of the safe levels set by ARPANSA. They also found that smart meters themselves do not cause any increase in the power line related EMF levels, and that replacing old meters with smart meters is a good way to reduce this exposure. RF electromagnetic exposures from smart meters are also far below ARPANSA standards, and well below the exposures associated with common household items such as microwave ovens and mobile phones. More information, including the full test report, is available through the contacts listed on the back of this brochure. Getting smart meter data The best way to get information about your energy use is to read the usage data on your electricity bill which you will receive from your electricity retailer. Usage data is also available through an in-home display where one has been installed, or a web based service. These services are able to interpret both time and consumption data in various ways. The registers on the smart meter itself display accumulated consumption data, but they do not display the associated time data. The customer information pack left at your premises following the smart meter installation contains a reference guide which explains how the meter works and how to read your electricity consumption data. We encourage you to consult the reference guide and call us if you have any questions. (We may refer you to your retailer if your questions relate to electricity tariffs.) 13
Living with your smart meter (continued) Property insurance policies Having a smart meter installed should not change the terms or the operation of your existing insurance policy. However, if you have any questions or concerns about this matter, you should contact your insurer. Having a smart meter installed should not change the terms or the operation of your existing insurance policy What are the costs of a smart meter? Metering service charges have always been part of your electricity bill, even though traditionally they have not been separately itemised. It has also been industry practice for many decades to spread metering costs out over time so that customers do not suddenly receive a high bill, for example when a meter has to be replaced. Only costs that are assessed and then approved by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) can be charged to customers. Assuming your smart meter is being installed as part of the general rollout, no additional costs will be applied at the time your smart meter is actually installed. The costs of the current smart meter program have been built into the meter charges paid by all customers since the start of 2010. All customers will continue to pay smart meter charges approved by the AER regardless of when their smart meter is actually installed. Electricity bills are issued by your retailer. Queries about charges on the bill should be referred to your retailer. 14
Security and privacy Electricity distributors like CitiPower and Powercor Australia have been successfully managing the collection and use of meter data for many years. There are strict guidelines in place for the protection of this information, whether it is collected by a conventional meter or a smart meter. Security Smart meters, and the associated communication networks being rolled out in Victoria, are equipped with advanced security features to prevent unauthorised access. The wireless links between the smart meters, distributors and home area networks (HAN) are encrypted and cannot be disabled. The encrypted wireless link between the meter and the distributor does not use the internet, providing further security. Privacy CitiPower and Powercor Australia must comply with the Privacy Act (1988), which includes the National Privacy Principles. The National Privacy Principles set clear restrictions on the use, disclosure and storage of personal information. Our collection, use and disclosure of metering data is also subject to strict confidentiality rules, and access to electricity usage data and other information is restricted. The Department of Primary Industries engaged independent consultants to undertake a Privacy Impact Assessment of the smart metering program in 2011. The indepent assessment found that: privacy controls are strong and metering data is suitably protected; the security of smart meters is well designed; and the industry has adopted good information security standards and practices. 15
More smart metering information If you have any questions about smart meters: You should read this booklet first. If you still have questions, you should contact us during business hours on the following telephone numbers: CitiPower 1300 783 860 Powercor Australia 1300 783 882 Telephone Interpreter Service: 13 14 50 More information is available on our web site: www.citipower.com.au/smartmeters www.powercor.com.au/smartmeters Smart metering information is also available from the Victorian Government on 13 61 86, or at www.dpi.vic.gov.au/smartmeters