Smart Meter Customer Code

    Smart meters are more than just a technology upgrade—they’re a gateway to smarter energy management, delivering real-time insights, accuracy, and efficiency. With a target of 100% smart meter adoption in the Australian National Energy Market by 2030, the accelerated roll-out will bring both opportunities and challenges for customers, energy retailers, distributors, and metering providers.

    That’s why The Energy Charter is leading the development of the Smart Meter Customer Code—a benchmark for engagement, ensuring customer-centric standards, transparency, and better practices.

    Why Smart Meters matter

    Embracing smart meters means unlocking:

    • Real-time energy insights, helping consumers save money and reduce usage.
    • Accurate billing, eliminating estimated readings and reducing unnecessary costs.
    • Demand management, easing strain on the grid and supporting renewable integration.
    • Seamless compatibility with solar, battery storage, and dynamic pricing.
    • Greater customer control, optimising energy use, cutting costs, and supporting a greener grid.

    This initiative is designed with consumers in mind—ensuring smart meters work for them, not just the industry.

    What will the Smart Meter Customer Code do?

    This voluntary Customer Code is co-designed by industry and consumer representatives to set clear principles and better practices for smart meter adoption. It will:

    • Provide guidance to energy distributors, retailers, metering providers, and installers, ensuring a seamless customer experience.
    • Clarify roles and responsibilities, so every stakeholder knows how and when to support customers before, during, and after installation.
    • Empower customers with the knowledge to optimize energy use, understand tariffs, and maximize smart meter benefits.
    • Ensure ongoing governance, fostering collaboration, adaptability and continuous improvement.

    This is an opportunity to create a customer experience that prioritises transparency, innovation and collaboration across the energy industry.

    The Smart Meter Customer Code is more than a set of principles—it’s a promise to put customers first.

    Progress on building the Smart Meter Customer Code

    Following an initial public forum, the Code Builder team has been co-designing the Customer Code, aiming to launch the Code in July 2025.

    Introducing the Code Builder team:

    Consumer Voices:
    Australian Energy Market Commission, Energesis, Justice and Equity Centre, Energy and Water Ombudsman of NSW.

    Industry Voices
    Alinta Energy, Endeavour Energy, EnergyAustralia, Energy Queensland, Essential Energy, Horizon Power, Momentum, PlusES, Rheem. 

    Advisors
    AusNet Services.

    Find out more and get involved

    If you’d like to help shape the Smart Meter Customer Code or if you have any questions, get in touch with the Independent Code Administrator, Anne Whitehouse.