$50 Million Smart Meter Boost for Aussies to Control EV Charger and Solar Panel Usage

A smart energy meter, used to monitor gas and electricity use, is pictured in a home in Walthamstow, east London, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

The federal government will provide $50 million (US$33.8 million) to help an Australian company roll out smart meters for electric vehicle chargers and solar panels.

The government claims these smart meters will enable Australians to “take control of their energy use” and save on bills.

They will be delivered to Australians via a loan from Clean Energy Finance Corporation to smart-meter provider Intellihub.

These smart meters will assist families to improve control of solar panels, EV chargers, air conditioning, and hot water systems, according to the government. They also “maximise convenience.”

“Smart meters improve a household’s ability to use less energy, take advantage of flexible pricing, detect faults and outages faster, and avoid manual checks and estimated bills,” the government said.

The government noted “better coordination” of consumer energy can contribute 66 percent of the National Electricity Market’s (NEM) energy storage in 2050.

Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said smart meters were a key first step to putting solar panels on your roof and a battery at the back door.

“The Albanese government is reducing energy bills for all Australians. This investment will unlock bill savings for Australian households,” he claimed.

Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Jenny McAllister added that smart meters mean more visibility, choice, and control for small businesses and families.

“New technology has let us count our steps, track bank transactions, and answer the doorbell from work. Smart meters mean we can control appliances and use energy when it’s most abundant and cheap,” she said.

“Australian homes and businesses are choosing renewables because they know it’s cheaper, the Albanese government is backing them with technology that makes it easier to control.”

‘All Renewables’ Approach A Concern: Coalition

Discussing renewables, Nationals Leader David Littleproud said the Albanese government wants to continue to announce billions of dollars in subsidies to manufacturing.

“We want a future made in Australia, but ultimately you can’t subsidise it because your money runs out. You have to fix the fundamentals and base load power is what’s required,” he said in an address to the Liberal-National Party Convention on July 6.

“So transitioning those coal-fired power stations across to nuclear power plants, bringing in more gas, but still a place for renewables in the right place, because a future in regional Australia isn’t one littered with transmission lines, wind turbines and solar panels.”

Mr. Littleproud raised concerns about the federal government’s all-renewables” approach to energy.

“[Prime Minister] Anthony Albanese is posing in an all-renewables approach.  Why shouldn’t we have a sensible approach of not having concentration risk in putting all our energy eggs in one basket?” he said.

“Common sense says you spread the risk. The world says you spread the risk. There is no country of the industrial scale of Australia that is going down an all-renewables approach.”

The coalition is proposing to build seven nuclear reactors to provide baseload power if it wins the election.

Smart Meters ‘Critical Part’ of Australia’s Future: CEFC

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) explained smart meters and “smart” behind-the-meter (BTM) devices are an important part of Australia’s energy future.

The CEFC said its loan will enable Intellihub to ramp up deployment of its smart meters and increase investment in these smart BTM devices.

“They also mean consumers are better able to benefit from the lower cost renewable energy, including that generated on their own rooftop,” the corporation said.

Monique Miller, CEFC’s chief information officer on renewables and sustainable finance, said more and more Australians are generating and storing their own electricity.

“By using smart meters and smart behind-the-meter devices we can better understand when and how we use energy and make changes that will save on power costs as well as reduce our carbon footprint,” she said.

“Smart meters and BTM devices are also important for the better management of our energy grid. As we increase the share of renewables in our grid, these new technologies can give grid operators real-time information about energy consumption, so they can better manage grid reliability.”

Intellihub CEO Wes Ballantine said the company believes the coordination of consumer energy resource devices can make a meaningful impact on the stability of the grid.

“The support of the CEFC is helping us make that vision a reality,” he said.

ARENA and the Australian Energy Market Operator are also developing a national consumer energy resource data exchange.

This is aimed at helping energy companies to integrate rooftop solar and home batteries into the electricity system.

The Labor government has also supported Intellihub to launch a Demand Flexibility Platform and roll out of EV charging stations in New South Wales via $10.62 million of funding.