Outsmarting your

smart meter

A guide to smart meters and how you can

use them for cheaper electricity bills

a publication of

22

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Is this Ebook for you?

This Ebook is designed for readers that have:
Received a letter in the mail informing you that a new smart meter is on the way; or
Had a new smart meter installed already; or
Heard about the roll out of smart meters and want more information.
If this is you, read on! This guide contains everything you need to know about the new smart meters as well as how
to outsmart them for cheaper electricity bills.

Authors

This guide is a collaboration between Bundl employees Jon Rout and Jason Scott.
Jon has written various articles on smart meters and other electricity related subjects. Jason does most of the
blogging for Bundl and also manages various content projects. Both Jon and Jason graduated with degrees from the
University of Wollongong in 2009.

Jon

Jason

follow @jontipsta

follow @jason_scotty

Front cover image: Vassilis Online

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Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Contents
What is a smart meter anyway? ..................................... 4
Do we need smart meters?

..................................... 6

Why are (some) people so opposed to smart meters? ..... 8

Smart meters in Victoria

.....................................11

Smart meters in NSW

.....................................16

How to reduce your electricity bill .....................................18

The future of smart meters

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.................................... 26

1
part

What is a smart
meter anyway?

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Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

A smart meter is an electrical device that tracks energy usage and sends these readings directly to your energy
supplier. Smart meters are a replacement for the old manual meters and are available for both gas and electricity.
They also go by the name of interval meters.
A smart meter acts as a communication device between your household and the main database of your energy
supplier. Every 30 minutes it measures and records the amount of energy used by your house or business.
This information is then sent directly your electricity distributors over wireless networks, eliminating the need for
someone to come and physically check your meter every month.
Recording how much electricity is being used and exactly when it is being used opens up a whole range of
opportunities to better monitor and manage how we use our energy resources.
For the individual consumer, smart meters will eliminate the need for some bills to be estimated in advance
and adjusted the following month. In the case of a power outage, meters will alert your supplier in real time of
your need for a solution. They make waiting a few days for an installer to reconnect the power when you move
house a thing of the past! All smart meters are controlled remotely and can be turned on and off or switched to a
different account within a matter of minutes.
On a larger scale, the additional information provided by all the data from users around the world empowers
providers and consumers to use power sources more efficiently. Read on to find out how.

A typical smart meter. Different models are used around the world.
Image from aaron_anderer

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2
part

Do we need
smart meters?

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Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Smart meters are being installed in homes right across Australia and the world with the US, Canada and
most countries in Europe rolling out some planned installation of them in homes and businesses. What,
exactly, is the big deal about these smart meters?
Peak Demand
Seasons of extreme weather patterns, like the heat of summer and the cold of winter, generate
surges of electricity usage. To keep up with demand and provide the energy when it is needed,
suppliers must spend large amounts of money on network infrastructure. In fact, at least half of all
electricity bills go to infrastructure expenditures; maintaining power lines, connecting distribution
grids and expanding services to new households. If we continue our current usage patterns, as the
population continues to grow, infrastructure costs are going to get higher and higher. The costs of
these upgrades would inevitably be passed onto consumers. Providing incentives to spread power
use more evenly throughout the day reduces the need for these expensive infrastructure upgrades.
Flexible Pricing / Time Of Use Tariffs
To tackle the problem of peak usage, smart meters allow the introduction of flexible pricing,
otherwise known as Time Of Use (ToU) Tariffs. Flexible pricing means that the cost of electricity
changes depending on the time of day it is being used. For example, electricity used in peak hours
7am 9am will be more expensive than electricity used in the middle of the day.
There are usually three time periods in flexible pricing, although some retailers are only utilizing
Peak and Off Peak periods. You will need to check with your electricity retailer on the specific times
for your area, but the following is a rough guide:
Peak: Highest prices when most people are using energy, typically between 7am 9am and 5pm
8pm.
Shoulder: Time period between the two peak periods, typically during the day (9am 5pm)
Off Peak: Night-time when most people are asleep and not much energy is being used (8pm
7am)
Check out Part 6 for tips on using the flexible pricing option to save money on your yearly
electricity bill!

Example of a flexible pricing plan showing different times. From the

VIC switchon website.

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3
part

Why are (some)

people so opposed
to smart meters?

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HENDIT lAMET VE

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

The mandatory installation of smart meters in the majority of homes and businesses in Australia has
been one of the most controversial topics in the past decade. The issues behind the most vocal concerns
against smart meters are debated strongly from both sides. Here we give you an overview of the
concerns and the official responses. Our aim is to empower you to make a decision about your and your
familys well being for yourself.

1. Some households cannot shift behaviour and will be penalised

The primary argument against flexible pricing is that it creates an unfair system. There are many
households, particularly those in the lower income brackets, that arent able to shift their energy use
behaviours due to set work times or schedules. The opposition comes from the possibility that these
households will be penalised by an increase in electricity bills with the shift to flexible pricing.

The response
Switching to flexible pricing is optional. A Deloitte report suggests that changes to the average
consumers bills, providing there is no change in usage behaviour, would range from a reduction of 4% to
an increase of 2%. Allowing the consumer to make the decision about what works best for them in their
particular situation should reward households that can shift their behaviour without penalising those that
cant.

2. Installation costs will be recouped in electricity bills

The total cost of refitting every household and business in Victoria, for instance, with new smart meters
is estimated between $1.8 2 billion. This is a huge investment in infrastructure that is supposed to
reduce investment in infrastructure. This cost will be passed on to consumers. Are households actually
any better off after paying for the additional cost of a smart meter?

The response
The cost to install a new smart meter in your house will be recouped the same way the cost of other
infrastructure is; from your electricity supplier through your bills. Most retailers are including the cost as
an additional line item on your bill or bundling it into a supply charge to spread out the cost over a long
time period. Check the FAQs section of your suppliers website for the cost being charged to you if it
isnt clear.
Whether or not the implementation of a smart meter leaves the consumer better or worse off financially is
dependent on the individuals consumption habits. Check out Part 6 for tips on how to take advantage of
the flexible pricing option for lower electricity bills.

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10

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

3. Perceived Health Effects

Radiation
Smart Meters use wireless technologies that emit radiofrequencies. Some citizens, particularly
those who claim electrohypersensitivity1, are concerned about being subject to electromagnetic
exposures without a choice.
Response
All smart meters are required to comply with ARPANSAs2 regulated limits of radiofrequency
exposure. Independent studies suggest that smart meters located outside the house emit
radiofrequencies at a level of 0.82, less than mobile phones and baby monitors.
Overheating
There have been disputed reports of smart meters overheating and catching on fire.3 The concern
is that smart meters are a potential fire hazard and could put families lives at risk.
Response
All smart meters are required to be installed by approved contractors under safety protocols. A
regulating body oversees these procedures and reviews have been carried out confirming that
procedures are being followed and installations are safe.4

1
2
3
4

http://stopsmartmeters.com.au/radiowave-sickness-microwave-syndrome/
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/smart-meters/safety/health
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/?page_id=1280
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/smart-meters/safety/installation-safety

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4
part

Smart meters
in Victoria

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12

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

History of smart meters in Victoria

The first mandated roll out for smart meters was in 2004 by the Victorian Essential Services Commission
(ESC). It was based on the following four considerations:
1. Based on an analysis by the ESC, there would be an economic benefit to a state-wide roll out of
smart meters.1
2. It was unlikely that the use of smart meters would become widespread without assistance because
of the large amount of upfront and timely investment and cooperation required.
3. Regulation would be required to achieve the economic benefits from a large scale roll out.
4. The cost of installing new smart meters was expected to decrease over time, making them become
The Advanced Metering Infrastructure Mandate (AIMRO) was approved in 2007. It required that all
households and businesses have a smart meter installed over a four year period, beginning in 2009.
Legislation began to be written surrounding the roll out and trials took place to test available technologies.
Over the next few years, the project underwent a number of reviews and additional reports by Oakley
Greenwood and Deloitte were produced. In 2010, the new government initiated a review of the project,
confirming in 2012 that there were economic benefits to continuing the roll out and the project should
continue.
The Victorian Government has mandated that all residential and small business electricity customers have
a smart meter installed by the end of 2013.

Installation of smart meters

In 2009 approved distributors began rolling out smart meters. By the beginning of 2013, over 95% of smart
meters were scheduled to be installed and operational.
Year

%
Completed

2009 2010

01

2011

02

2012

03

04

05

2013

06

07

08

Smart meter scheduled accumulative completion by year.2

09

01

00

The companies responsible for rolling out the installations are the five energy distributors in Victoria;
Citipower, Powercor, Jemena, United Energy and SP AusNet. Electricity retailers have been given rights to
on charge consumers the costs of installing and maintaining the smart meters.

1
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/smart-meters/resources/reports-and-consultations/advanced-metering-infrastructure-cost-benefit-analysis/2.-background
2
http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0005/136076/fig6b-regulatory-targets.jpg

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UD MAGNIBH EX

more price-competitive with older meters.

13

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Pricing changes from smart meters

Currently, electricity is charged at the same price per kilowatt hour (kWh), regardless of when it is used or
how much of it is used. Flexible pricing changes this. It allows retailers to set a different cost for energy usage
(per kWh) depending on the time of day.
Flexible pricing tries to encourage consumers to use energy at times of the day when it is not in high demand.
This reduces the overall load on the electricity distribution system and saves in infrastructure costs in the
long term.
Research shows that consumers stand to make savings on their electricity bill from the flexible pricing
structure. (We offer tips on how to do this in Part 6) However, if youre not able to change your usage patterns
and use large amounts of energy in peak times you may find that the savings dont apply to you.
For this reason, flexible pricing is optional. Consumers can choose to stay on their current flat-rate tariff and
use electricity at the same price regardless of the time of day.

How do I decide if I should switch to flexible pricing?

1. Dont move to flexible pricing immediately. Give your smart meter a couple of months to provide you
with data about how much electricity your household uses and when. Youll also be able to compare
your household usage with similar households, giving you an idea of whether you have room for
improvement.
2. Ask your retailer. Once your retailer has information about your general electricity usage, they will be
able to estimate the cost of your previous bill had you been on a flexible pricing scheme.Regulation
would be required to achieve the economic benefits from a large scale roll out.
3. Calculate the difference in money a) if you had been on a flexible pricing scheme and b) if you had
also made behavioural changes to take advantage of it.
4. Be realistic about whether you can make the changes necessary. Not everyone will be able to make
those changes. Decide which ones will work for you and your family.
5. Compare the two and choose the cheaper option!
Remember, you can change your mind if you want to. If you switch to a flexible pricing structure and find that
its not working for you, you can change back to a flat rate tariff anytime before March 2015. Just keep in mind
that you must have been on the flat rate tariff with that provider before; if you change providers and begin on
the flexible pricing plan, you will need to stay on that plan.
Flexible pricing is scheduled to be available from mid-2013.

Who pays for the smart meter installations?

The costs to the distributors of installing and maintaining the smart meters are passed onto the retailers
who then pass the costs to the individual consumer. Most retailers are including the cost of the smart meter
as part of the regular monthly electricity bill to spread the cost out over a period of time.
Some retailers are including this cost in the additional services line on your electricity bill. This may be
called a Supply Charge or Service to Property Charge. Some retailers are splitting the cost specific to
installing your smart meter onto a different line to maintain transparency.

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14

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Consumers have always paid an amount towards installation and maintenance of their meters. Replacing
every single meter with a new smart one incurs additional costs and it is this cost that is being recouped
through users bills. To keep costs fair and as low as possible, they are being recovered from all customers
over the same period of time, regardless of whether a smart meter has been installed or not. The
alternative, of billing street by street, is more expensive for everyone involved. Charges are regulated by
the Australian Energy Regulator.
These charges have been a part of your electricity bill since January 2010.

Monitoring usage
Every 30 minutes your smart meter is sending information about your energy consumption to a central
database maintained by your energy retailer. You can access this data and see your households energy
consumption patterns through online portals.
At the time of writing, the following retailers had fully operational web portals or announced the launch of
web portals for customers to check their energy usage:
AGL Energy - My AGL IQ1
Origin Energy - Origin Smart2
Energy Australia (previously Tru Energy) - eWise3
The following distributors have web portals for use with smart meters:
Jemena Electricity (North Western Melbourne) - Electricity Outlook4
United Energy (South East Melbourne & Mornington Peninsula) - Energy Easy5
SP Ausnet (Northern and Eastern Victoria) - MyHomeEnergy6

VIC

Powercor

Jemena

Citipower

SP AusNet

United
Energy

The 5 electricity distributors in Victoria

1
2
3
4
5
6

http://www.agl.com.au/home/MyAGLIQ/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.originenergy.com.au/originsmart
http://www.energyaustralia.com.au/ewise
https://electricityoutlook.jemena.com.au/
https://energyeasy.ue.com.au/
https://www.myhomeenergy.com.au/ui/GWRMain.html

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15

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Why use an online portal?

1. See your energy usage
If youve ever wondered whether having that heater on all evening cost you a lot in your energy
bills, now you can find out. You may be surprised at how much energy is used by your household
and when!
2. Compare your usage to other households
Most web portals offer a service that allows you to compare the amount of energy your home is
using to similar homes. This will give you an idea of whether you have room for improvement in the
way your household uses energy.
3. Make decisions to reduce your energy bill
Armed with the information about what your energy use, you can make decisions about how to use
it in the future, potentially saving you money and lowering your energy consumption.
4. Set and track energy savings goals
Some portals have included an energy saving goal feature, letting you track how much electricity,
dollars and greenhouse gas emissions you have saved when compared with previous usage.

Privacy of your data

OMMY NONSE CORE

There are strict guidelines in place for how the information about your energy usage can be collected and
used. All companies must comply with the Federal Privacy Act (1988) including proper security processes
and staff checks for protection of the information. Additionally, the smart meter data in particular is subject
to extra confidentiality rules as set out in the documents already governing the use of your electricity data.1
A review of the privacy program by Lockstep Consulting showed that no information from the smart meters
had been given out illegally. It confirmed that controls over the data are strong and the technology used by
the smart meters is secure. The wireless links between the devices and networks are encrypted and do not
use the internet

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/smart-meters/privacy

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5
part

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OMMY NONSE CORE

Smart meters
in NSW

17

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

History of smart meters in NSW

Since 2004, AusGrid has installed all new and replacement electricity meters with smart meters.1
Approximately 400,000 AusGrid customers now have a smart meter installed but only 250,000 of them are
on Time of Use contracts. There is no additional cost to the consumer for the installation of smart meters
being replaced by AusGrid, however, if you want to upgrade of your own accord, you may need to wear the
cost.
AusGrid has also been participating in a $100 million trial project known as Smart Grid Smart City,2
involving around 30,000 households, aiming to get a better understanding of how new technologies can
save energy and money for New South Wales households.

Rollout
The NSW Government has recognized the future benefit of smart meters and wants to roll out more.
However, wary of the controversy surrounding the Victorian mandated roll out, particularly the cost
blowouts, they are taking some time to work out the best plan of attack. So far, recommendations have
been to keep it market-led (not compulsory) and focussed on what will provide the consumer the most
benefit.3

Smart meter taskforce

The NSW Governments Smart Meter taskforce released a discussion paper late 2012 calling for
submissions which closed end of February 2013. The discussion paper listed the following principles to be
considered in any smart meter rollout:

Lorem
Ipsum
1. Consumers should not pay higher charges
for smart
meters;
123 Ever y where Avenue

2. A Government mandated rollout shouldCity,

be avoided;
St 00000

3. The government has a role in promoting consumer acceptance;

4. The rollout of smart meters and time of use prices are not in themselves sufficient to drive
significant demand reductions.4

1
2
3
4

http://www.ausgrid.com.au/Common/Our-network/Metering/Meter-upgrades.aspx#.UVQBn3BDKBI
http://www.smartgridsmartcity.com.au/About-Smart-Grid-Smart-City.aspx
http://bundl.com.au/news/smart-meters-nsw-coming/
Download disccusion paper: http://engage.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/document/show/585

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6
part

How to reduce your

electricity bill

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19

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Over past few years, the average Australian household saw increases in electricity bills from between
15% to 50%. These extra costs are hurting consumer pockets and making everyone reconsider how much
electricity they use on a daily basis.

Image taken from Rise of the Electricity Bill Infographic1

If youre like most people, youre only vaguely aware of how much energy has been used until the bills arrive!
With the introduction of smart meters and the availability of online portals for real-time reports, its a good
idea to make a habit of checking your electricity consumption once a week. Some portals will send you an
email with an update to help you stay on top of it. If the internet isnt your thing, or you want immediate (rather
than daily) information, you may want to consider investing in an In Home Display (IHD). These are small,
portable, wireless devices that read information from the smart meter and feed it back to you instantly via a
small screen. Check Part 7 for more information.
Now that youre armed with the information of how much energy is costing you, lets take a look at how you
can reduce it. Of course, there are some things we know may use up a lot of energy (like air con on a boiling
hot day or a 50 inch plasma screen to watch the Boxing Day match) that we just cant bear to give up! Thats
okay. You can still save money by making small changes in a) how much electricity you use and b) when you
use your electricity (if you are on a smart meter flexible pricing plan).
1

http://bundl.com.au/blog/the-rise-of-the-electricity-bill-infographic/

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20

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Outsmart your smart meter by using electricity when its cheapest

Smart meters are crucial in providing this solution because they allow flexible pricing (otherwise known as
Time of Use Tariffs). ToU Tariffs charge electricity at peak hours of the day at higher prices than at off peak
hours of the day.
The chart below shows how a typical Queensland household uses energy throughout the day.

The regular daily cycle peaks in the morning as everyone gets up for work, drops throughout the day as we
go about our business and then peaks again for dinner and bedtime. The night as every one sleeps is off
peak period when not much electricity is used.
Although this is a more complicated system than the flat rate method, the key to using your smart meter
to save money on your power bills is to time the use of electrical devices during off peak periods when
possible.

Identify your power guzzlers

Unfortunately the monitoring data from your smart meter doesnt break down your electricity usage by
appliance as most appliances arent smart meter ready yet. But we can get a good idea which appliances
are chewing through electricity from the following graph from the NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory
Tribunal (IPART).

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21

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Formulate a plan of attack

Knowing (or at least having a good idea) which appliances are using the most
electricity allows you to formulate your plan of attack around shifting usage of
those appliances to a time of day where it is cheaper. Weve started you off with
the following common electricity guzzlers.

Air Conditioners
If you have a set system, time the air conditioner to do the major part of cooling
down the house in the off-peak period (for example, from 4:30pm 5pm before
you get home) or in the hour before you wake up. Particularly in the morning
if you are only in the house for an hour before leaving for work, setting the air
conditioner to cool the place from 6am 7am before you get up will, in most warm
temperatures, keep the place cool until you leave the house.

Pool Pumps
Contrary to popular belief pool pumps do not need to be on 24/7. In fact, they
can do a good job of keeping your pool clean by running as little as 6-8 hours
day. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the off-peak electrical prices.
Turn the pool pump on before you go to bed and turn it off when you get up in the
morning.

Washing machine / dryer / dishwasher

All of these appliances can be set to run at off-peak or shoulder periods. For
example, you could leave switching on the washing machine until right before you
leave the house for the day. Many washing machines come with a delay button,
allowing a cycle to begin in one or two hours, even if youre not at home. If you use
hot water for your washing this also means the cost of heating your water is less.
Clothes dryers can be run overnight, delivering a fresh load of warm jumpers to put
on in the morning.
Of course, always ensure youre putting in a full load with any of these appliances,
particularly dishwashers as they use high amounts of both electricity and hot water.

Programmable hot water thermostat

If you have an electric water heater, you can install a programmable hot water
thermostat meaning your house will only heat water when you actually need it.
Aside from the electricity savings of not using energy you dont need, if you happen
to have an irregular schedule (ie: showering in the middle of the day or late at
night) this will save you money by taking advantage of the off-peak electricity
prices.

Get Out Of The House For Just 10 Days A Year

Some retailers are offering a second alternative to the typical flexible pricing
scheme. One of the main goals of the smart meters is to reduce consumption of
energy particularly during those few days a year when energy use peaks (very hot
or very cold days). It is possible to choose a plan where you pay less for regular
use of energy, any day or time of the week all year round, with the exception of 10
Critical Peak Days.

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10 Days!

22

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

On these critical peak days, the charges increase significantly during a 6 hour period, with some plans
costing thirteen times more than the usual rate. Critical Peak Days are advised 24 hours in advance
through a chosen method of communication (email, sms or phone call).
If you have difficulty regularly changing your routine but could get out of the house and head to, say, a
friends place or a pool for 6 hours at a days notice, this could be your solution. Remember though, you
will be charged a very high rate for any electricity going into your house during those hours, including the
electricity keeping the refrigerator running or alarm systems charged. If a Critical Peak Day happens to
fall while you are on holiday, it may be difficult to modify the amount of electricity being consumed by your
house.

Aim for at least two of these changes

Most people will be able to make at least one or two of the suggested changes. For most of these
suggestions you will probably find that once the habit is changed, there is no difference to your quality of
lifestyle except saving hundreds of dollars in electricity a year. And thats a pretty good outcome!

Bump up your energy efficiency

Of course, the second way to save money on your electricity bill is to use less of it by increasing your
energy efficiency. There are many ways you can make small adjustments around the home to see big
savings at the end of the year.
From the IPART graph on page 20, It is clear that the greatest electricity guzzlers are hot water,
refrigeration, entertainment and heating and cooling

Hot water
Hot water accounts for around a third of all electricity consumed in the home. Decreasing your hot water
usage is the best way to decrease your electricity bill.
easy tip

Install Energy Efficient Showerheads

Cost to implement = $30, money saved on electricity bill = $100/year

An unrated old school showerhead uses upward of 25-30 litres of water per minute. A new WELS 3 star
rated showerhead commonly uses 9 litres of water per minute. But why stop there; showerheads of 5-6
litres of water per minute will get the job done for most. Give it two or three days and most people find that
they cant remember what their old water guzzling showerhead felt like. If you cant quite stomach a 5L/min
showerhead for your bathroom, install it in the kids or second bathroom.
easy tip

Shorter showers

Cost to implement = free, money saved on electricity bill = $100/year

4 minutes is enough for a proper shower, especially if youre not washing your hair ladies. It can seem like
time just slips away from you though so a great investment is an egg timer or specific shower time for $5
so you, and your family, can stick to getting in and getting out.

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23

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

easy tip

Wash clothes in cold water

Cost to implement = free, money saved on electricity bill = $75/year

Switching to cold water when washing clothes will decrease your electricity costs of your washing machine
by 80-90%. The less energy efficient your machine is, the more electricity you will save by only using cold
water. Only use warm water on particularly dirty and oily clothes.
hard tip

Get a solar hot water system

Cost to implement = $5000, money saved on electricity bill = $400/year

Reduce your hot water electricity costs by up to 75% by switching to a solar hot water system. Many factors
will determine which system is best for you so ensure you do your research beforehand. You may still be
eligible to receive Small-Scale Technology Certificates (STCs) and possibly state and local government
rebates for upgrading to a solar system. Check out http://www.hotwaterrebate.com.au.

Refrigeration & Entertainment

easy tip

Buy energy efficient appliances

Cost to implement = Dependent, money saved on electricity bill = $100/year

A TV with a 5 star label uses nearly twice the energy of a TV with a 9 star label. Over the period of 10 years
the savings can add up to the same cost as purchasing it. This also applies to your refrigerator, washing
machine and dishwasher. When it comes times to replacing your appliances, your wallet will eventually
benefit from choosing one with a higher energy efficiency rating.
easy tip

Turn off (or throw away!) the second fridge

Cost to implement = Free, money saved on electricity bill = $265/year

That old beer fridge in your garage could be costing you as much as $265 a year all by itself! Consider asking
Fridge Buy Back to give you money for it instead.
easy tip

Turn off standby appliances

Cost to implement = Free, money saved on electricity bill = $100/year

Items like your television and microwave consume power even when theyre not being used. Switching them
off at the wall can save you up to $100 a year on electricity bills. Standby power controllers can do this for
you automatically, and they are free if you live in Victoria.1
1

https://www.veet.vic.gov.au/Public/Public.aspx?id=VEETActivities

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24

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

hard tip

Upgrade (or get right size) pool pump

For an average home, keep a pool clean can account for up to 30 per cent of an energy bill!
Sometimes this is more than the energy your washing machine, clothes dryer and dishwasher use combined.
Start by choosing the most energy efficient pool pump and check with the specialists to ensure you have the
right size and model.

Heating and cooling

easy tip

Close the curtains

Cost to implement = free, money saved on electricity bill = $50/year

You can reduce heat loss in winter by 40% and reduce heat gain in summer by 15% simply by closing your
curtains. Dont forget to open your curtains on those rare warm and sunny winter days to capture as much
heat as you can.
easy tip

Use fans instead of air conditioning on warm nights

Cost to implement = $50, money saved on electricity bill = $150/year

Many people can get away with just using several mechanical fans throughout most of summer. Fans dont
actually decrease the temperature inside the room; the cooling effect comes from air moving over your body.
Create an airflow by opening windows and doors
easy tip

Turn down the thermostat in winter

Cost to implement = Free, Money saved on electricity bill = $100/year

Keep your thermostat between 18-21 degrees C in winter. Put on a pair of socks and add an extra blanket
over your bed to keep warm at night. Every degree that you increase your thermostat can result in a 15%
increase in heating costs.
hard tip

Insulate your ceiling

Cost to implement = $1200, money saved on electricity bill = $200/year

While the Federal Governments implementation of the insulation scheme could have been handled better,
there are significant benefits to insulating your house. Insulating your ceiling can save you 40% off your
heating and cooling costs. Remember to choose insulation with an appropriate R- value (higher = better) for
your surroundings. More information on choosing the right insulation can be found at the yourhome website.1
1

http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs47.html

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25

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

These may seem like small changes but when added up together they can make a big difference at the end
of the day. Before we move on, heres a step-by-step plan to ensure you are getting the best price on your
electricity bills.

Summary to getting the cheapest price under the new pricing system
1. Smart meter is installed;
2. Familiarise yourself with your current providers flexible energy rates, off peak, peak and shoulder;
3. Identify high energy use appliances in your house that can be shifted to cheaper time periods;
4. Make any changes to your energy consumption habits that you and your family can make to take
advantage of these time periods;
5. Allow one or two months of data about your energy consumption to be collected;
6. Use the data about your new energy consumption habits to compare and choose the best retailer
and plan for you.

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7
part

The future of
smart meters

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27

Outsmarting your smart meter - a guide to cheaper electricity bills

Home area network (HAN)

Home Area Networks connect devices in the home to the smart meter. The data collected by your smart
meter can be shared with these devices. Eventually, it wont be only your electricity meter that is smart.
We will have smart washing machines, dishwashers and fridges that send data to your smart meter as
well as other devices, opening a range of opportunities for managing your home appliances and energy
consumption. More information on HANs can be found at the Smartgrid News.1

In home devices (IHDs)

IHDs are special devices utilised by homeowners to receive the information that the smart meter is collecting
instantaneously (rather than through the distributor or retailers web portal). This information is displayed
on the IHD on a small LED or LCD screen. Users push buttons either on the IHD itself or on the screen to
navigate the data. The data is shared over a secure network by authorizing a password between your IHD
and the smart meter. This ensures no other people can access your smart meter data with their own IHD. The
devices are usually portable and can be purchased from electrical technology retail outlets.
Before purchasing an IHD device, check with your energy distributor about the specifications of your smart
meter to ensure you buy an IHD that is compatible. Setting up the IHD is possible for anyone with a bit of
computer knowledge, similar to setting up a wi-fi internet connection. Talk with your available options if you
feel uncomfortable setting out on your own. Jemena has a clear video showing the process of setting up an
IHD with one of their smart meters.2

Thermostats
It is already possible to control some appliances such as air conditioners and heating systems via IHDs.
Take down the brand and model information before heading out to check with your technology retailer about
options suitable for you.

Controlling appliances from a smart phone

As more and more appliances become fitted with smart technology, the greater the Home Area Network will
become, eventually including all your appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators and even security
systems. Using your laptop and internet connection, this network could provide remote control access over
your appliances, such as the ability to turn them on and off even when outside the home. You may be even
be able to submit your appliances to a program regulating the use of energy across a particular area (state
or region). The program would, for example, turn on your washing machine or dryer at the most efficient time
within the next 24 hours. These sorts of coordinated smart efforts help drive costs down and decrease our
impact on the planet.

1
2

http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Technologies_Home_Area_Networks/
http://jemena.com.au/customer/electricity/smart-meters/portal/

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Thanks for reading

We hope you got some real value from this Ebook and that you are now in a better position to decrease the
impact smart meters have on your familys budget, and hopefully even save money after having one installed.
Got feedback? Wed love to hear it. Please email [email protected]

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