Electrical Meters

Types of Electricity Meters

At Metropolitan Electrical Contractors, we pride ourselves on staying abreast of all types of electricity meters used in homes across Australia. Among the electricity meter types you’ll find are:

Accumulation meter: Also known as flat rate meters, accumulation meters record how much electricity your home has used. They provide a cumulative reading and do not differentiate between how much energy you’ve used in peak and off-peak times. They typically either come as dial accumulation meters or with a digital display. A meter reader comes every quarter to take a reading of your accumulation meter and determines how much electricity you’ve used by calculating the difference between the current and previous figures.

Interval meter: Interval meters record electricity usage every half an hour, and provide a more thorough idea of household energy usage patterns. With an interval meter, your electricity retailer may charge you different rates depending on the electricity usage patterns taken from your interval meter data. You might be charged at a lower rate for off-peak hours and higher for peak periods.

Smart meter: Not only do smart meters measure electricity consumption, but they also send the data directly to energy retailers. The information from the electricity smart meter means that estimated bills become more accurate, and do away with the need for a meter reader.

Solar meter: For households that have opted for more energy-efficient solar power, solar meters are crucial. They record the amount of energy generated by your solar PV system, as well as solar electricity fed back into the electricity supply.

Understanding the differences between accumulation meters, interval meters, smart meters and solar meters helps to better understand your energy consumption practices. If you’re interested in making the switch from an accumulation meter or electricity interval meter to a smart meter, contact us about a meter upgrade today.

Electricity Meter Maintenance

Metropolitan Electrical Contractors is your expert when it comes to smart meter upgrades and maintaining your electrical meter. You can always rely on us to provide you with the most up-to-date knowledge, advice and workmanship on all jobs that we attend. Some of our customers have benefited from the following:

Accurate electricity bills
Ability to assess meter performance
Access to a far wider variety of services – including in-home displays or demand response programs
Heatwave alerts to reduce energy use

When you upgrade your electrical meter, you get the most out of your technology and can get a better insight into your electricity use.

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Relocation of Electricity Meters

There are many reasons why you may need to relocate your electricity meter. Whether you have renovated your home, installed solar panels or just want it in a different location, it is essential you speak to your electricity distributor and seek out qualified electricians to assist you in making the move.

Our electricians have over 25 years of experience and are available to assist around the clock every day of the year, even on public holidays. In fact, whenever possible, we try to be at your door within an hour* of your call.

Why Choose Metropolitan Electrical Contractors?

Part of the well-known Metropolitan Group, Metropolitan Electrical Contractors has an established reputation for quality workmanship and outstanding customer satisfaction.

To provide you with the best service possible, we work in line with our Quality Assurance Guarantee. As part of this guarantee, we provide you with:

24/7 service – including weekends and public holidays
Service within the hour*
Fully qualified technicians
Interest free** payment options
Upfront fixed-price quotes
12-month comprehensive warranty on all jobs
$20 million public liability insurance

Interest Free Electricity Meters**

Electrical breakdowns never happen at a convenient time, particularly when it comes to the household budget. That’s why we offer interest free** payment plans.

Just choose a payment plan with one of our providers – Zip or Humm. You have the flexibility of weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalments. Some plans even accept a $0 deposit, so you pay nothing upfront.

Your electrician can take you through the easy application process on site and approval usually takes only a few minutes. Then you can sit back and relax while the job gets done.

Contact Us Today

Metropolitan Electrical Contractors is here for all your emergency and general electrical needs. We take care of general maintenance, repairs and installations. For quality workmanship and outstanding customer satisfaction, contact our friendly team.

FAQs – All You Need to Know About Electrical Meters

Every place has an electricity meter, so you really should know as much about it as possible. Read on ...

Where is my electric meter?

Knowing where your electricity meter is will greatly help you in times of need where you need to turn it off. If you’ve got any kind of electrical emergency, your best bet is to shut electricity off to your house to prevent further damage.

You will usually find your electric meter on one of the outside walls. Generally, you will find it where power enters your property. The easiest way to find this is to look for the powerline that enters your property and follow it.

If you live in an apartment or multi-dwelling home, electric meters are often grouped together. You will likely be able to find them by following the powerlines as explained above, but now you’ll need to make sure you’re operating the meter box specific for your home. Your neighbours won’t appreciate you turning off their electricity while they’re halfway through a movie.

If your meter box has any exposed wiring or looks dangerous, don’t touch it. Move away from the area and contact a qualified electrician to see to it immediately.

Who replaces electrical meter boxes?

You’ll often need to replace your electric meter when renovating your home, installing solar panels or if it is simply old and isn’t performing like it used to. But who replaces electrical meters?

As of December 1, 2017, your energy retailer is responsible for installing and reading smart meters and replacing non-complaint electric meters. They must also notify you of power outages related with electric meter replacements.

The regulations introduced at the end of 2017 now require that any new or replaced electric meters must be a smart meter. These can be remotely read by your energy retailer for time of use pricing.

Can I paint my electrical meter?

When you’re working on improving the outside aesthetic of your home, you might consider painting your electric meter box so it doesn’t look like so much of an eyesore. Before you dive in with your paintbrush, there are a few things you need to consider first.

Firstly you’ll want to check with your local building department about regulations around your meter box. Painting may be permitted or restricted, or there may be regulations related to what kind of screening you can put around it.

Once you know painting is permitted, you’ll want to clean the box first. Avoid using flammable cleaners such as alcohol based ones – an electrical spark of any kind could cause a fire. You’ll also want to mask any meters and electrical connections so no paint gets on them and interferes.

With a clean meter box and important components covered up, it’s time to paint. When selecting a paint, you’ll want one that will weather well outside. To prolong your paint job, apply a coat of rust-preventing primer before painting the box in your colour of choice. If you choose to paint the inside of the box, be sure to only paint the box door and not anything else.

Can I remove my electrical meter?

You cannot remove your electric meter yourself. If you wish to remove it or move it to another location, you’ll need to put in a request to you energy retailer. Once they’ve approved it, your electrician can move it for you.

Moving your electrical meter has to be done correctly or else you run the risk of electrical faults which could lead to shocks or even fires! A fully qualified electrician must do this work for you to ensure it meets all regulations and is moved safely.

Metropolitan Electrical Contractors have both the qualifications and experience to remove or alter your electrical meter box.