Electricity meter upgrades shape Australia’s energy future
19 May 2025
For decades, traditional electricity meters – small, dusty boxes fixed to homes and businesses – have faithfully recorded energy usage across Australian communities. But, as the nation moves towards a smarter, more sustainable energy future, these legacy meters are now being phased out in favour of more advanced, smart meters.
The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has set an ambitious target. That is, by 2030, all legacy meters must be replaced with smart meters as part of its Legacy Meter Replacement Program (LMRP). This transition is a crucial step towards improving energy efficiency, improving grid reliability, and ultimately, lowering energy costs for households and businesses.
Yurika’s General Manager Metering, Brad Pye, agrees that the time for change is now.
“The old legacy meters are fast becoming outdated and they still require manual readings, which can be time and resource-intensive for our field crews, with missed readings leaving customers with only an estimated read instead,”
“Smart meters mean you’ll never miss a reading, they are accurate, efficient, and enable customers to better understand their energy use.
“With the growing integration of distributed energy resources, like solar and battery energy storage systems, smart meters also help facilitate increased solar penetration in our communities”.
Yurika is already making significant strides in the smart meter rollout, working closely with client, Ergon Energy Retail to replace legacy meters across Townsville – one of Australia’s first Solar Cities.
As of April 2025, Yurika’s metering field crews are operating ahead of schedule, with close to 70,000 homes and businesses with smart meterering installed across the city. Apart from impressive cost efficiencies achieved through proficient scheduling of meter replacement appointments, this rapid progress has also overcome some significant and complex in-the-field challenges including difficult access points, extreme weather conditions, unrestrained dogs, and management of older building materials including asbestos.
“Having a dedicated, technical field crew for large-scale smart meter rollouts has made a massive difference” said Glenn Walden, Manager Retail Programs, Ergon Energy Retail.
“We’ve seen real benefits, including cost efficiencies through economies of scale and the ability to schedule installations across entire streets and neighbourhoods in a more streamlined manner.”
While the Townsville rollout is just one part of the larger energy transition story, it offers a glimpse into what’s ahead for communities across Australia. With millions of legacy meters set to be replaced, the LMRP is laying the foundation for a smarter, more efficient, and future-fit energy system. Looking to replace legacy meters in your area? No job is too big, too small, or too complex. Reach out. Let’s talk.
