Smart meters
In this article
A smart water meter measures your water usage in regular intervals and automatically sends this data back to us each day. This means we no longer have to visit your property every two months to read your water meter. This is especially helpful if your meter is difficult to safely access for meter readings.
A smart meter also enables us to provide you with more water use data in your online account. This can provide you with useful insights about your water use and help to detect leaks sooner.
How do smart water meters work?
The key difference between a standard and smart meter is how your water usage data is read and transmitted.
A smart meter enables us to remotely read your water meter. It also transmits your water use data to us over wireless telecommunication networks each day.
Most of our customers with smart meters will be part of the Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI) network. This means your water use will be measured in hourly intervals and available to view in your online account the following day.
A standard meter, however, needs to be manually read at least once every two months for billing purposes.
If you have a standard meter that is difficult to access, you can apply for a remote access device to be installed on your meter for a once-off fee. These allow us to collect your water use reading via a handheld Bluetooth device from outside your property.
However, they are not enabled to show water usage data in your online account like a smart meter.
What does a smart water meter look like?
Not all smart meters look the same. There are different models and set-ups that we install throughout WA, depending on your location and the most appropriate technology available.
Integrated smart meters
An integrated smart meter is one device that contains all the components required to automatically read and send us your water use data.
They also have a digital screen that you can interact with to see additional information, such as litres per hour, which can be useful in detecting potential leaks.
A Sensus iPERL smart water meter, showing total water use in kilolitres (kL) and hourly water use in litres (L) per hour.
You can find a list of all the integrated smart water meters we currently use on our 'How to read your meter' page.
Non-integrated smart meters
These smart meters consist of a mechanical meter with an additional device (known as a ‘cyble’) attached to the top.
While these look similar to standard meters with a remote access device, a non-integrated smart meter has the ability to automatically read and transmit your water use data to us each day.
If you live in Perth and have a device attached on your meter, but you’re not part of the Perth smart water meter program or live in Yanchep, then it’s likely you have a remote access device – not a smart meter.
What are the benefits of smart water meters?
We've been using smart meters for over 10 years, especially in areas where it can be difficult for our meter readers to safely access meters.
As part of the Perth smart water meter program, we are using the latest smart meter technology to assess how smart meters can improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of meter readings, plus deliver new online products and services to help you find leaks sooner and save water and money.
Understand your water use
Viewing your water use regularly in your online account will give you an insight into your daily water use patterns. This may help to see water use trends over time and identify ways to save water and lower your water bill.
Your hourly water use is shown in a graph in your online account, helping you to identify abnormal water use or potential leaks.
If you’re included in the Perth smart water meter program, you’ll have a slightly different view once your new meter’s water use data becomes available.
Log in now or register for an online account.
Detect hidden leaks faster
Being familiar with your water use patterns means you can be on the lookout for sudden increases in water use that may indicate a leak. From a running toilet cistern to a burst pipe, these insights can help you identify water loss sooner, saving you time and money.
Avoid surprises with your water bill
Having a smart meter means you can avoid surprises when you receive your bill. Your water use should be available to view in your online account within 24 hours, so you can see any unexpected changes in water use in close to real time.
This allows you to track how much water you’re consuming and make positive water saving changes sooner.
Boost water efficiency
By analysing your water use patterns and considering the activities, equipment and operations that use water in your business, you can consider changing processes and procedures to use less water, and set targets to improve water efficiency.
Can I apply to have a smart meter installed at my property?
We currently have over 40,000 smart meters installed across WA in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Exmouth and some towns in the Pilbara including Karratha, Port Hedland, South Hedland, Wickham, Roebourne and Point Sampson.
We have installed smart meter technology in these areas to improve the safety and efficiency of meter readings, or reduce water demand due to supply constraints.
We also have smart meters installed in some parts of Yanchep and are currently installing 16,000 smart meters in other areas of Perth as part of a program to assess how we can best use smart meter technology in the future.
Smart meters are currently not available to customers outside of these programs, however based on the outcomes of the Perth program, we may make them available to customers in future.
Visit the project pages below for updates on our current smart meter projects.
Our smart meter rollout projects
Got a smart water meter? Here’s what you need to know
How you read your smart water meter will depend on the type we’ve installed at your property. You can find detailed instructions on how to read each type of smart meter in our help article.
But the best way to get the most out of your smart meter is to view your water use in your online account – log in or register here.
The smart water meters use secure, existing telecommunication infrastructure to send your water usage data to our servers and systems.
The data doesn’t contain any identifying information about you and we use global standards to ensure the data is secure from end to end.
No personal information is stored on the device itself. We know privacy is important to you; for more information, please read about how we manage your information following the Privacy Act 1988.