Getting a new smart meter after a battery: who to ask, and why your installer matters

When solar and batteries are installed in Australia, a Type 4 smart meter is required before the system can export energy or report interval data correctly.

Understanding who does what helps avoid delays and misplaced blame.

Who actually requests the new meter?

Under the National Electricity Rules, metering is a retail market function:

• Only the electricity retailer can appoint a Metering Coordinator
• Only the Metering Coordinator can arrange a Type 4 meter installation

This is set out in the National Electricity Rules (Chapter 7 – Metering), administered by Australian Energy Market Operator, which clearly separates:

• electrical installation work, and
• market metering responsibilities
  

Installers and customers cannot order meters directly under the NER.

How grid connection rules fit in

When solar is installed, the installer must notify the local distribution network that embedded generation has been added. In Queensland, this occurs through the Electrical Work Request (EWR) lodged with Energex or Ergon Energy.

DNSP connection rules require that:

• new or altered embedded generation must comply with metering requirements, and
• the site must have appropriate NEM-compliant metering to operate as approved
  

However, DNSPs do not order meters. They rely on the retailer-led process defined in the NER.

Where the installer’s role comes in

While installers cannot request meters themselves, CEC guidance expects installers to guide customers through the connection and metering steps needed to make the system operational.

Under Clean Energy Council frameworks, including the New Energy Tech Consumer Code (NETCC):

• customers must be given clear, accurate information about what is required for their system to work
• installers are expected to explain post-installation steps that sit with retailers or networks
• leaving a customer unaware of mandatory metering upgrades is treated as poor practice

Part of the sales pitch when selling a battery usually includes taking advantage of time-of-use (ToU) savings, export incentives, and increasingly dynamic pricing. Under state and federal battery rebate programs, this goes further by requiring the battery inverter to be VPP-ready. All of these benefits depend on interval (Type 4) metering being in place. Without a smart meter, the battery cannot correctly respond to ToU tariffs, cannot participate in VPP-style programs, and cannot accurately measure exports. This is another reason why metering should be treated as a core part of the installation journey, not an afterthought.

This is why competent installers:

• explain upfront that a Type 4 meter is required
• tell customers that the retailer must raise the request
• help customers ask the right follow-up questions
  

Why choosing a good installer matters

From the customer’s perspective, solar installation is a single journey.
From a regulatory perspective, it spans:

• electrical safety law
• DNSP connection rules
• national metering rules

A good installer understands all three and helps bridge the gaps.

That doesn’t mean chasing retailers forever, but it does mean:

• setting expectations correctly
• pointing customers to the right party
• avoiding weeks of confusion and blame
  

The takeaway

National Electricity Rules: retailers and Metering Coordinators handle meters

DNSP connection rules: generation must be declared and metering must be compliant

CEC guidance: installers are expected to walk customers through the process

Choosing an installer who understands this full picture is one of the simplest ways to avoid delays after your solar system goes on the roof.