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What is the meter reading process?

Western Power’s meter reading processes vary slightly depending on the customer and the type of meter. Whether you self-read your power meter and need help with meter reading or want to know more about the manual read process completed by Western Power, you can find everything you need to know about the meter reading process below.

Manual read carried out by Western Power 

We will read your electricity meter either monthly or bimonthly depending on your tariff.

  1. A meter reader will visit your premises and take the read. If it is not possible to take a read, they will leave a skipped read card explaining why and the read may be estimated.
  2. Once the read is taken, the meter reader will upload the reading to our system, which validates your read against the site's previous history of consumption. If the reading doesn’t validate, we do a re-read or substitute a reading based on estimation rules outlined in Section 12 of the Metrology Procedure for Metering Installations on the Western Power Network.
  3. We then send the validated data to your retailer overnight and your retailer bills you accordingly.

Self-readers

Mandatory self-readers

If you live in an area where it is not economically feasible for Western Power to send a meter reader out regularly, you'll be asked to read your own power meter.

Non-mandatory self-readers

You can request to read your own meter via arrangement with Synergy.

Self-read process

  1. All self-readers will be notified via mail email or SMS that it is time to provide a reading.
  2. Readings can be provided online via the self-reading portal or by phone via 1300 662 708.
  3. Once we receive the reading, it is validated and the process continues in the same way as manual reads.

Remote meter read data collection

These meters are used by customers who need to comply with the West Australian Electrical Regulations 2008 or for commercial and industrial customers who require large scale consumption of energy for their operation. The commercial and industrial customers are classed as contestable, meaning they can choose their retailer.

These meters collect data remotely at either 15 or 30 intervals minutes and transmit the data to Western Power's metering database via a mobile phone sim card in the meter.

Once the data is collected, it is validated per sections 10 and 11 of the Metrology Procedure for Metering Installations on the Western Power Network and published to the customer's retailer.