Advanced Metering Infrastructure brings together advanced meters (or AMI meters), radio frequency communications points and intelligent metering software systems to deliver the latest benefits in electricity metering technology.

Your new AMI meter records electricity usage in 30-minute intervals and that data is available to you the following business day on My Account

The introduction of AMI Meters is one of the biggest and most innovative changes to how energy is measured in WA.

Advanced Meters can be read remotely via RF technology, with the data sent to Western Power. Western Power then validates the metering data and sends it to Synergy the following business day. Synergy uses that information to bill you for the electricity you have used.

AMI records consumption in 30-minute blocks (also known as “intervals”), which you can access the following business day via your Synergy My Account.
The monetary value of the interval consumption is also recorded and will be accessible via your Synergy My Account to allow you to see how your future Synergy bill is accruing.

As a result, you will have greater visibility of your daily electricity usage and can help identify the best opportunities to save electricity.

Advanced Meters are being installed as part of the Western Australian State Government’s “Energy Transformation Strategy” program, which aims to provide for cleaner, more reliable, and low-cost electricity. 

When installed as part of this program there is no upfront cost to you for an Advanced Meter.  

If your suburb has not yet been selected for the deployment of Advanced Metering as part of the program and you wish to obtain an Advance Meter in advance of this, you can request a meter upgrade to have an Advanced Meter installed via Synergy for the fee of $101.30 GST inc.^*

*Synergy notes that this is subject to certain eligibility criteria and that some rural suburbs may not yet have access to AMI.

Western Power in their role as the Electricity Network Operator owns, installs, operates and maintains the Advanced Meter at your premise; as such, electricity meters are an essential component of Western Power’s electricity network.

Synergy bills you, based on the energy data obtained from the meter, in combination with the parameters of your chosen electricity plan.

1. With the use of MyAccount, your bill will no longer be a surprise. You can track your daily electricity consumption and make immediate changes if your usage is higher than expected.
2. Having access to the half hourly consumption data from the previous day will help customers pinpoint how power is being used at the premises. If your consumption is looking higher than you expect, you can make changes to your energy consumption to reduce the impact of your next bill.
3. If you are considering solar, interval data will help you understand your daytime household power consumption and more accurately calculate your return on investment.
4. Your AMI meter can be read remotely. The data is sent wirelessly with state-of-the-art encryption. This means estimated bills are (in the majority of cases) eliminated.
5. AMI Meters can be remotely ‘armed’ by Western Power. Customers then reconnect the electricity to their property by pressing a button on the meter to enable faster re-connection of electricity to a property. Customers without an AMI enabled meter require a Western Power technician or crew to attend site to physically reinstate fuses and/or service leads. This can take up to 2 business days for metropolitan customers and up to 6 business days for rural customers.
6. AMI Meters will help with the future development of new retail products and services, for example new tariffs that charge different rates at different times of the day, something that hasn’t been possible without interval enabled meters installed across a large portion of the network. In addition, Synergy intends to introduce several new products and features to assist customers in taking advantage of AMI Meters and interval data in the future, including giving customers the opportunity to request an AMI Meter even if it is not due for end-of-life replacement via Western Power.

If your meter has been de-energised it may need to be re-armed by Western Power and then activated by someone at the property. For more information please contact Western Power on 13 13 51

Advanced Meters installed in Australia are required to meet strict safety standards and comply with electromagnetic exposure limits developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

Advanced Meters emit a lower frequency than mobile phones, broadcast towers, microwaves, garage door openers and wi-fi.

Visit the ARPANSA website for more information. 

There will be minimal change to your bill with the switch to an AMI Meter.

A summary of your consumption information will be displayed on your bill with the interval data (half hourly data recordings) available on Synergy's website in My Account the following day providing you with 48 readings per day or approximately 2,880 recordings per bill.

Western Power allows some customers to ‘opt-out’ of Advanced Metering if they meet Western Power’s eligibility criteria.
‘Opting out’ means the new meter remains, with the RF communications device removed. 
If you seek to ‘opt-out’ and you meet Western Power’s eligibility criteria to do so, your Advanced Meter will be  reverted to a basic meter, and you will be required to be a “self-read” customer. 

Customers who are not permitted to ‘opt-out’ of having an Advanced Meter include:

• customers with dogs that prevent Western Power from accessing the meter;
• customers that have had previous safety incidents with Western Power personnel; and
• customers with grid-connected assets such as solar, electric vehicles, and batteries.
  
   

If you are a non-contestable customer (i.e., you use less than an average of 137kwH/day) and seek to ‘opt-put’ of AMI, you will no longer be eligible for certain Synergy products that are reliant on interval data. 

If you seek to ‘opt-out’ of AMI and you are on a Synergy product that is reliant on interval data, you will be moved to a product with a flat price regulated tariff.

If you are a non-contestable customer who has already ‘opted out’ of AMI, you won’t be able to move off a regulated tariff unless you opt back in and have an Advanced Meter re-installed. 

* legacy product not available to new customers
^product only available to Synergy customers in case management and hardship programs per Synergy’s discretion

Non-contestable customers (being those using less than an average of 137kwH/day) can choose to ‘opt-out’ of a Synergy interval data product but retain their Advance Meter.

If you choose this option, the wireless data collection and push-button re-energisation functionality remains on your Advanced Meter.
Visibility of data daily becomes unavailable on your Synergy My Account; and you will only be provided with accumulation meter readings in alignment with your bi-monthly billing schedule.

 “Self-Read” customers are those customers who read their own meter for Western Power. 

If you ‘opt-out’ of AMI, you will be required to register as a self-reader with Synergy. Once you’ve registered as a self-reader, Western Power will send you instructions on how to read your meter; and how to provide the readings when they are required for scheduled billing.

If you are a customer who has opted out of AMI and want to opt back in, Western Power will need to visit your premise to re-instate a RF communications card with your compatible meter.

This service is ordered via Synergy and costs $101.30.