Solar Metering Sydney
Level 2 Accredited Electricians. Trading Since 1999.
Solar metering in Sydney is simpler than it used to be. Almost every new solar system now runs on one bi-directional smart meter that records the power you buy from the grid and the power you send back. When you add solar, or upgrade an existing system, the meter usually has to change.
Your retailer arranges that meter and its metering provider fits it. The catch is the meter box. If it’s full, old, unsafe or has an asbestos panel, the meter can’t go in until a Level 2 electrician sorts it out. Dave Fenech Electrical Services has done that work across Sydney since 1999.
Electrical Metering Services for Solar Homes in Sydney
The Meter Box and Supply Work Behind Your Solar Connection
We’re accredited to work on the Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy networks. That lets us isolate the supply, rebuild the meter box and upgrade the board so your solar meter can be fitted.
Solar Meter Box Upgrades
Asbestos Meter Panel Replacement
Switchboard Upgrades for Solar
Supply Isolation and Reconnection
Three Phase Upgrades for Solar
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Contact Our Friendly & Experienced Team
Get a Free Quote for Your Solar Metering Work
✓ Meter box ready for your solar meter ✓ Licensed and insured Level 2 electricians ✓ Servicing all areas across Sydney
Do I Need to Change My Meter for Solar Panels?
In most cases, yes. An old accumulation meter only counts power coming in. Some older digital meters can’t record exports either. Once your solar is connected, you need a meter that measures both directions, so your retailer arranges a new smart meter or reprograms the one you have. If the metering technician finds a problem in your meter box, they can’t fit it. These are the problems we fix most often.
No Room for the New Meter
Crowded boards with old meters, fuses and timers often have no space left.
Asbestos Meter Panels
Many older Sydney homes have panels that can’t be drilled or worked on safely.
No Safe Way to Isolate
Without a main switch or service fuse, the supply can’t be switched off for the meter change.
Old Switchboard Wiring
Ceramic fuses and brittle wiring fail the safety check before the meter goes in.
How Solar Meter Installation Works in NSW
Three or four businesses usually touch a solar connection. Knowing who does what saves a lot of phone calls.
Your solar installer designs the system and applies to your network, Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy, for approval to connect it. The network decides how much the system can export. After the install, the installer lodges the paperwork that tells your retailer the system is ready.
Your retailer then arranges the meter. It appoints a metering coordinator, whose metering provider sends a technician to fit a smart meter or reconfigure the existing one for solar. Your feed-in credits usually start once the new meter is working.
A Level 2 electrician comes in when the meter box or supply needs work. That’s us. We can:
- Replace a full or damaged meter box, or fit a larger meter panel
- Replace asbestos meter panels
- Fit a main switch or service fuse so the supply can be isolated
- Do a switchboard upgrade with RCD safety switches and room for solar and battery circuits
- Carry out single phase to three phase upgrades for larger systems
- Organise disconnection and reconnection when the meter box has to move
- Handle electricity meter installation on new builds, knockdown rebuilds and granny flats
Net Metering Is Now the Standard Setup
With net metering, your solar feeds your home first. The fridge, air conditioner and pool pump use it as it’s made. Only the leftover power goes to the grid, and the meter records that export separately from the power you import at night or on cloudy days.
A smart meter does this in one unit. It logs both directions in 30-minute intervals or shorter, which is also what time-of-use tariffs rely on.
How Does Solar Billing Work?
Your bill shows two main figures. One is the power you bought from the grid, charged at your usage rate. The other is the power you exported, credited at your retailer’s feed-in tariff. The credit comes off the bill.
Feed-in tariffs are usually well below the price you pay for grid power. So the savings come mostly from using your own solar during the day, not from selling it. That’s why running the dishwasher or charging an EV in the middle of the day helps. Your retailer sets the feed-in rate, so compare offers if yours looks low.
Export Limits Set by Your Network
Your network sets how much power your system can push into the grid. A common limit for single phase homes is around 5kW, but it depends on your network, your street and the size of your system. Some networks now offer flexible export arrangements, where the limit can change during the day depending on grid conditions.
Your solar installer applies for this and sets the inverter to match. If you want a bigger export allowance, three phase supply can sometimes help. Ask your installer what your network will approve before you plan around it.
Adding a Battery or Upgrading Your System
Adding a battery, more panels or a bigger inverter usually means a new connection application from your installer. Your meter may need to be reconfigured or replaced too.
A battery also takes up space. It needs its own protection on the switchboard, and an old board often can’t take it. We check your meter box and board before the battery goes in so it doesn’t hold up the job.
Why Sydney Solar Owners Choose Dave Fenech Electrical Services
We’ve been trading since 1999. Because we’re accredited for Level 2 work, we can isolate the supply, rebuild the meter box and fit a new board ourselves. You’re not waiting on a separate contractor before the meter can be booked.
We work alongside solar installers. If your installer or metering technician has flagged a problem with your meter box, send us a photo and the details. We’ll tell you what needs doing and give you a clear price.
Planning a battery or EV charger later? Tell us when you book. We’ll set the board up for it now so you don’t pay for the same work twice.
Our Promise: We turn up when we say we will, keep you informed at every step, and leave your meter box safe and ready for your solar meter.
- Licensed & Insured Level 2 Electricians
- Accredited With Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy
- Clear Quotes, No Hidden Costs
- Solar Metering Work Across All of Sydney
- Dave Fenech Electrical Services Trading Since 1999
Contact Our Friendly & Experienced Team
Book Your Solar Meter Box Work Today
✓ Meter box, panel and switchboard in one job ✓ Compliance certificate on every job ✓ Free, no-obligation quotes
How Our Solar Metering Work Gets Done
Most jobs start when an installer or meter technician says the meter box needs work. From there it’s straightforward.
Step 1: Call us or book online, and send a photo of your meter box and any notice you’ve received.
Step 2: We inspect the meter box, isolation and switchboard, then give you a fixed quote.
Step 3: We do the work, test everything and issue a compliance certificate.
Step 4: Your retailer books the metering provider to fit or reconfigure the solar meter.
Your power is off for part of the visit while we work on the meter box. We agree the time with you first.
Gross Metering vs Net Metering
You’ll still see gross metering mentioned online, so here’s the short version.
Gross metering sends every kilowatt-hour your panels make straight to the grid. A separate meter records it, and you buy all the power your home uses at the normal rate. It made sense under the NSW Solar Bonus Scheme, which paid a high feed-in tariff on total generation. That scheme closed at the end of 2016, and gross-metered homes moved to retailer feed-in tariffs.
Net metering lets your home use the solar first and exports only the surplus. With feed-in tariffs now well below grid prices, using your own power is worth more than selling it. That’s why net metering is the standard for new systems.
If you still have an old gross-metered setup, switching to net metering usually means rewiring at the meter box and a meter change through your retailer. We can do the meter box side.
What Affects the Cost of Solar Metering Work
- Whether the existing meter box has room or needs replacing
- Asbestos in the meter panel
- The age and condition of your switchboard
- Whether a main switch or service fuse needs to be fitted
- Single phase or three phase supply, and any upgrade needed
- Moving the meter box, or adding battery and EV circuits at the same time
Any charge for the meter itself comes from your retailer. For our work, we inspect first and give you a fixed quote. Send us a photo of your meter box or call 02 9833 9566.
Solar Metering FAQs
Do I need a new meter when I get solar panels?
Usually. Your meter has to record both the power you use and the power you export. Older accumulation meters can’t do that, so your retailer arranges a smart meter or reprograms the one you have once your installer lodges the paperwork.
Who installs the solar meter?
Your energy retailer is responsible for it. It appoints a metering coordinator, and their metering provider fits the meter. Your solar installer handles the network application. We do the meter box, isolation and switchboard work when the site needs it.
What is a bi-directional meter?
It’s a meter that measures power flowing both ways. It records what you import from the grid and what your solar exports, as separate readings. Modern smart meters are bi-directional.
What’s the difference between gross and net metering?
Gross metering exports all the solar power you make and you buy everything you use. Net metering lets your home use the solar first and exports only the surplus. Net metering is the standard for new systems in NSW.
Can I still get gross metering in Sydney?
It’s rarely used now. It suited the old Solar Bonus Scheme, which closed at the end of 2016. Ask your retailer whether it offers gross metering, but for most homes net metering makes more sense.
How long after solar installation does the meter get changed?
It depends on your retailer and its metering provider. The clock starts once your installer lodges the paperwork. If the technician finds a meter box defect, the change is delayed until it’s fixed, so it pays to check the box early.
Why does my solar system need a meter box upgrade?
The metering technician won’t fit the meter if the box is full, has asbestos, has no safe isolation point or has unsafe wiring. A Level 2 electrician has to fix that first.
What is a solar export limit?
It’s the maximum power your system can send into the grid, set by Ausgrid or Endeavour Energy when your installer applies to connect. Your inverter is set to stay under it. The limit depends on your network and site.
Do I need three phase power for solar?
Not for most homes. Larger systems sometimes need three phase to get the export allowance they want, depending on the network. We do single phase to three phase upgrades if your installer says you need one.
Will adding a battery change my meter?
It may. A battery usually needs a new connection application, and your meter might need reconfiguring. Your switchboard may also need space and protection for the battery circuit.
Can I put solar on a granny flat with its own meter?
Often, yes, but it depends on how the property is metered and what the network allows. See our granny flat metering page, then talk to your solar installer.
Does the meter change affect my power?
The power is off for a short time while the meter is swapped. If we’re doing meter box work, it’s off longer, and we agree the time with you before we start.
Which parts of Sydney do you cover?
All of Sydney from our base in St Marys, on both the Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy networks. That includes Penrith, Blacktown, Parramatta, the Hills District, Liverpool, Campbelltown and the suburbs in between.
Book Your Solar Metering Work Today
Dave Fenech Electrical Services gets Sydney meter boxes ready for solar, batteries and system upgrades. One Level 2 team handles the meter box, asbestos panel, isolation and switchboard.
We’ve been trading since 1999, and every job comes with a compliance certificate. Book a site visit or call 02 9833 9566 for solar metering in Sydney.