Metering

You might need one if you're upgrading to a smart meter, moving your meter to a new location on site, changing your power setup, permanently disconnecting a site, or similar. 

There is a handy table above that shows you which job needs to be raised if you are requiring multiple jobs at once. There is also information on the job-specific pages that will help you.

Most metering jobs involve a short disconnection for safety reasons, typically for around 45 minutes. If anyone relies on electricity for the use of critical medical equipment, we advise that alternative arrangements be made while the work is carried out. We also suggest unplugging sensitive equipment prior. 

If you rely on electricity for critical medical equipment and the job you need to raise requires the power to be turned off for safe completion, we recommend arranging to stay elsewhere until the job is complete and power is back on. Power may be off for around 45 minutes, or longer, depending on the complexity of the job. 

Our contractors will make an appointment with you so that you can be prepared!

Simple jobs may take under an hour, while more complex ones (like relocations or upgrades) could take longer or require multiple visits.

For most jobs, things will be sorted within 10 business days. See your specific job page for further details. 

Yes, usually. You can check out a full list of costs on our fees page.

Yes, for some! Simply use the form linked on the specific metering page to send your request through to our team. We'll get the job raised in our system and get back to you to confirm.

If the job can't be raised online, we explain how to get started on the page for that job. 

Let us know - we can include this information in the job notes so contractors are aware and prepared. You can also liaise with the contractors when making an appointment to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Whether a meter job affects your pricing depends on the type of job being raised. Most meter changes won’t impact your pricing.

However, some changes - like a capacity upgrade or downgrade, or a tariff change - might affect your rates or require a new pricing plan.

If your current plan is still available based on your new site setup, you can usually stay on it. In that case, the plan itself doesn’t change, but the rates under that plan likely will. Generally, if your capacity doesn't change, the plan will still be available. 

Example: If you switch from an Anytime tariff to a Night/Day tariff, your pricing will update to reflect the rates that apply under your plan with the new Night/Day setup.

An electricity meter measures how much electricity used at a property - whether it’s a home, business, shed, irrigation system, or anything else that uses power.

Electricity flows through the meter from the national grid. As your electricity retailer, we use the meter readings to calculate your bill.

You’ll usually find the meter outside on a wall, in the garage, near the fuse box or switchboard, or inside a meter box. If you're in an apartment or a commercial building, the meter might be in a shared meter room.

If you're not sure where your meter is, your landlord, property owner, or electrician should be able to help you find it.

Smart meters send us readings remotely so you can check your invoice to see if the bill is based on an actual or estimated reading.

You can also log in to our website or app to check your consumption data. Smart meters will usually give daily readings, and you can also request half-hour consumption data. 

You can also find information about your connection using the Electricity Authority's handy tool. At the bottom, the meter type will indicate smart or basic. 

In Aotearoa New Zealand’s electricity system, metering installations are grouped into categories based on the size and complexity of the site.

Category 1 (CAT1) is for standard residential or small commercial connections. These sites use low voltage and typically have lower electricity usage. Metering is straightforward, usually with a single-phase or three-phase meter with no Current Transformers (CTs) required. 

Category 2 (CAT2) is for larger connections. These use higher voltage and usually consume more electricity. CAT2 metering uses Current Transformers (CTs) to safely measure larger flows of power. These setups can be more complex.

If your supply is 101 amps (A) or more, CAT2 metering is required.