Energy Networks Australia has welcomed the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) final recommendation to accelerate the roll out of smart meters across Australian homes and businesses.

Energy Networks Australia CEO Dom van den Berg said the recommendation puts customers first and focuses on driving down power prices.

“Smart meters are key to ensuring we are building a grid that will see us move into a net zero future. We can’t run a 21^st century grid with 19^th century meter technology. Making sure every home and business has a smart meter will enable that.

Ms van den Berg said smart meters also allow equitable access to affordable, clean power.

“We know not every customer can take advantage of the cheap power that rooftop solar or batteries can offer. However, smart meters can allow customers to still save on their power bills by taking advantage of flexible pricing options such as the ‘solar soaker’ tariff.

“Smart meters also assist networks to identify, locate and fix faults and outages faster and make connection processes far simpler, which delivers better customer service.”

Energy Networks Australia looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the AEMC, consumers and stakeholders on progressing these vital reforms.