Is it compulsory to have a “smart meter”?

by | 15 May, 2013 | Government and Electricity Industry Positions, Uncategorized, Users Feedback | 0 comments

Note from website coordinator:  To the best of my knowledge it is NOT compulsory to get a “smart” or “advanced” meter in NZ. (See reference to Eelectricity Authority document, below.)  However some representatives of electricity companies are apparently telling  their customers that “smart meters” are compulsory, as is apparent from the email below (and other feedback that has been received which has not been posted on this site.)

 

Letter from visitor to www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz:

Hi,

I have emailed Contact Energy and asked them if it was compulsory to have a Smart Meter installed and this is what they replied –

“All meters in your area are being upgraded and we don’t have a way to opt out of the change. However in certain circumstances we can agree to install the new meter but without the smart connect portion of the meter livened. This means it operates as a standard meter does but it also allows us the flexibility to upgrade more easily later on down the track if you move out of the property”.

I then emailed them saying I’d done some research and found they are not compulsory and this is what they replied.

“a new meter is required to remain compliant with the Governments Electricity Regulations”.

Is that correct?

Thanks

[Name supplied]

 

Reply from website coordinator:

Hi,

Thank you for your email.

To the best of my knowledge what Contact has told you does not appear to be true. According to the document on the Electricity Authority “Smart-Meter-FAQ-Aug11.pdf” smart meters are not compulsory.  To quote from this document:

“Is the Electricity Authority requiring retailers to use advanced meters?
“No.

“Most residential meters have certification that expires on 1 April 2015. To ensure that they operate accurately, all these meters need to be recertified before that date. Many retailers are using this as an opportunity to update metering technology, rather than having existing meters recertified.”

I hope this answers your question adequately.

Kind regards,

(Note from website coordinator:  All correspondence received through the Contact form on this site is treated in confidence.  Comments are posted on the site only with the permission of their author.   The site coordinator does not have any financial interest in any electricity company.)