Most Perth households encounter questions about the meter between signing a solar contract and switching the system on. It usually raises more questions than it answers. Does the meter have to change? Is there a choice? Who arranges it, and what does it actually do differently?
The short answer is that solar needs a meter capable of measuring energy flowing in both directions. In Western Australia, the meter being installed today is a Western Power advanced meter, commonly called a smart meter. There is a second device also called a smart meter that comes with a solar or battery system. The two are frequently confused. This guide explains both, why each is needed, and how the process works.
Two Different Smart Meters: Do Not Confuse Them
This is the single most common source of confusion, and it is worth clearing up first. A household installing solar and a battery in Western Australia ends up with two separate devices that are both called smart meters. They do entirely different jobs. They are owned by different parties. They sit in different places.
The first is the Western Power advanced meter, the billing meter in the meter box. The second is the system energy meter, a small device installed in the switchboard as part of a solar or battery system. Manufacturers such as Fronius, Sungrow and SigEnergy also call it a smart meter. The table below sets out the difference.
| Western Power advanced meter | System (solar or battery) smart meter | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns it | Western Power, the network operator | The homeowner, as part of the system |
| Where it sits | In the meter box outside | In the switchboard, near the inverter |
| What it measures | Energy imported from and exported to the grid | The home’s live consumption, second by second |
| What it is for | Billing, feed-in credits and time-of-use tariffs | Telling the system when to charge, discharge and export |
| Do you get a choice | No; all new meters are advanced meters | It is part of the system design, fitted by the installer |
In short: the Western Power meter exists so the household is billed correctly. The system smart meter exists so the solar and battery behave intelligently. A home with a battery needs both. Neither replaces the other. The rest of this guide is about the Western Power advanced meter. That is the one involved in the connection process.
Why Solar Needs a Different Meter
An older accumulation meter was designed for a simple world. Electricity only ever flowed one way: from the grid into the home. Solar breaks that assumption. A home with panels both draws energy from the grid and sends surplus back out to it. Those two flows need to be measured separately.
That is what a bi-directional meter does. It records what the household imports and what it exports as two distinct figures. This is what makes an accurate bill and a feed-in credit possible in the first place. Without it, the retailer has no way to know how much solar was sent back to the grid.
Advanced Meters in Western Australia
Western Australia is well into a statewide rollout. Western Power is now installing advanced meters for all new and replacement meters across its network. More than 1.2 million are planned to be installed by mid-2027. Every newly installed meter is an advanced meter. There is no option to ask for an older style meter instead.
For a household installing solar, this simplifies matters considerably. If the existing meter is not already suitable, it is replaced, reprogrammed or reconfigured as part of connecting the system. The meter that goes in is an advanced one. A metering charge appears on the bill following installation.
What the Western Power Advanced Meter Actually Does
The difference is not just two-way measurement. An advanced meter records energy use in short intervals through the day. It does not record it as a single running total. It can be read remotely rather than requiring a visit.
| What it does | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|
| Measures import and export separately | Makes solar feed-in credits possible and accurate |
| Records usage in short intervals | Shows when energy is used, not just how much |
| Supports time-of-use tariffs | Required to take advantage of plans like Midday Saver or the EV Add-On |
| Can be read remotely | No need for a meter reader to access the property |
| Provides detailed usage data | Lets a household see and shift its consumption patterns |
That third row is the one that matters most financially. Time-of-use tariffs are where electricity costs different amounts at different times of day. They only work if the meter can tell when energy was used. For a solar household, moving consumption into the lowest-cost and sunniest part of the day is one of the largest levers available. The meter is what makes it possible.
How the Meter Change Happens
The process is largely handled for the household, which is the part most people are relieved to hear.
- The installer submits the connection application for the solar or battery system as part of the standard approval process.
- If the existing meter is not suitable, a meter exchange or reconfiguration is arranged through the retailer and the network.
- The changeover itself is brief, and involves a short interruption to the property’s supply while the work is done.
- Once the new meter is in place and the system is approved, the solar system is switched on and feed-in credits begin.
There is usually a short window between installation day and the meter being finalised. This is why a system is sometimes installed but not yet exporting. It is a normal part of the process rather than a problem with the system.
Do I Get a Choice?
In practical terms, no, and that is not a bad thing. All new and replacement meters across the Western Power network are advanced meters. A household installing solar today gets one as a matter of course. The older style meters are simply no longer being installed.
The more useful question is not whether to have an advanced meter. It is what to do with it once it is there. A meter that records interval data is only valuable if the household uses that information. Choose the right tariff. Shift heavy loads into the middle of the day. Check that solar generation and export are behaving as expected.
What This Means for a Battery
A battery does not change the metering requirement. The same bi-directional measurement applies. What it does change is how much the household benefits from the data the meter provides. With a battery, surplus solar can be stored rather than exported. The system can be set to charge and discharge around the tariff periods the meter is recording.
Every Positive Energy Solutions installation is completed by our accredited installers and signed off to Positive Energy’s completion standards. The connection and metering paperwork is handled as part of the job. Every system also includes Positive Energy Protection, powered by Omnidian. Once the meter is live the system is monitored against its expected output from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Western Power smart meter the same as my battery smart meter?
No. The Western Power advanced meter is the billing meter in the meter box. It measures what the home imports and exports. The smart meter supplied with a solar or battery system is a separate device in the switchboard. It measures live household consumption so the system knows when to charge, discharge and export. A home with a battery has both.
Do I need a new meter to install solar in WA?
If the existing meter cannot measure energy flowing in both directions, it must be replaced, reprogrammed or reconfigured. The installer arranges this as part of the connection process. A metering charge appears on the bill afterwards.
Is a smart meter the same as an advanced meter?
In Western Australia the term used is advanced meter, and it means the same thing most people mean by a smart meter. It is a meter that records usage in intervals. It measures both directions. It can be read remotely.
Can I refuse an advanced meter?
All new and replacement meters on the Western Power network are advanced meters. There is no option to choose not to have one installed. A household connecting solar will get one.
Why is my solar installed but not switched on yet?
There is often a short gap between installation and the meter being exchanged or reconfigured. The connection must be approved. Once that is complete, the system is turned on and export credits begin.
The Meter Is the Enabler, Not the Obstacle
The meter change tends to sound like an administrative hurdle. It is really the thing that makes a solar system pay. It records the export that earns credits. It opens up the time-of-use tariffs where most of the savings now sit.
Talk to the local team about your solar connection, metering and tariff options: request your quote from Positive Energy
About the Author
Jason Wiktorowicz
Sales Manager, Positive Energy Solutions | Perth, WA
Jason has been at the centre of Western Australia’s energy transition for over a decade. He was Orchestration Lead on Project Symphony, WA’s largest virtual power plant pilot. He was Stream Lead on Project Encore. He worked directly with AEMO, Western Power and Energy Policy WA to shape how distributed energy resources connect and operate on the SWIS. That work included developing and rolling out CSIP-AUS, now mandatory for all new WA grid connections. He also led Emergency Solar Management, the first program of its kind in WA. He led VPP for Schools, which provided direct market benefits through Supplementary Reserve Capacity. He led REBAR, the WA Residential Battery Rebate scheme.
His earlier career spanned Synergy, Infinite Energy and Curtin University’s Sustainability Policy Institute. He co-authored peer-reviewed research on net-zero urban precincts, solar integration and peer-to-peer energy trading. It was published in the journal Urban Planning in 2018.
At Positive Energy Solutions, Jason leads sales with a focus on system design accuracy and long-term performance. Positive Energy Solutions installs solar and battery systems, EV chargers and heat pumps. It holds partner accreditations with Fronius, SigEnergy, iStore and SunPower.
10-year installation workmanship warranty. Positive Energy Protection, powered by Omnidian, performance monitoring included on all systems.
