Not smart
Accumulation (old)
A spinning silver disc behind a window, with a row of little clock dials or a mechanical odometer showing one total number. A meter reader has to visit to read it.
Do I have a smart meter?
A smart meter (the industry calls it a Type 4 or advanced meter) is a digital meter the network reads remotely. It records your usage in half‑hour intervals, credits your solar feed‑in properly, and is what lets a battery or a VPP plan actually pay. If you still have an older spinning‑disc meter, you’ll need an upgrade first — and that’s usually free and arranged as part of the job.
The three meters you might have
Walk up to your meter box and look. One of these three is almost certainly what you’ll see.
Sometimes
Basic digital
A digital screen but an older unit that may still be read on site and show a single total. If the screen never changes and someone still visits, treat it like an old meter.
Smart
Smart / advanced
A flat digital screen with no disc, usually cycling through several numbers, with buttons, blinking LEDs and a comms module (sometimes a small aerial). The network reads it remotely — no visits.
Quick ways to tell
- Digital screen, no spinning disc — and the display cycles on its own through several readings. Smart.
- Buttons or blinking lights on the face, and often a small antenna or a “communications” label. Smart.
- No one comes to read it, and your reads aren’t marked “estimated”. Smart.
- Your bill shows a time‑of‑use tariff (peak/off‑peak) or half‑hourly usage, or your retailer’s app shows near‑daily usage. Smart.
- Your solar already feeds in and is credited — you have at least a bi‑directional (smart/interval) meter. Smart.
- A spinning metal disc and mechanical dials, or a meter reader still visits. Old accumulation — not smart.
Can I just check my NMI online?
Short answer: no — there is no public website where you type your NMI and it tells you your meter type. Your NMI (National Meter Identifier, the 10–11 character number on your bill) is private metering data, so the reliable ways to confirm your meter are:
- Your retailer’s app or online account. Most have an “about your meter” or usage section that states the meter type and shows interval (half‑hourly) data if you have a smart meter — this is the fastest check.
- Your bill. Look for the meter type or tariff: a time‑of‑use tariff or interval data means a smart meter. The NMI is usually near the usage summary.
- Your distributor (the network that owns the poles, wires and meter — the first two digits of your NMI identify them). A quick call or web enquiry confirms it.
The middle digits of a NMI do encode the metering set‑up, but there’s no consumer‑facing decoder for it, so treat that as a hint only, not proof.
In Victoria, nearly every home already has a smart meter (a statewide rollout finished around 2014). In the other states they’re still rolling out — any meter installed or replaced in recent years is smart, and going solar or adding a battery triggers an upgrade.
Still not sure? Send us a photo
Take a clear photo of your meter and attach it to your enquiry — we’ll tell you exactly what you have. You can attach more than one (your switchboard or a recent bill helps too).
If it turns out you don’t have a smart meter yet, that’s fine: when we install solar or a battery we arrange the meter upgrade with your retailer as part of the job, so it’s one less thing for you to chase.