What is a Smart Plug?

A smart plug is a device that fits into a standard Australian electrical socket and allows you to control the power usage of whatever is plugged into it remotely. These devices connect to the internet, typically through Wi-Fi, enabling users to manage their appliances via smartphone apps or through integration with home automation systems like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit.

Energy Savings with Smart Plugs

Smart plugs offer several ways to save energy, which can be particularly beneficial for businesses looking to enhance their energy efficiency:

• Remote Control: Business owners can turn off equipment remotely when not in use, avoiding unnecessary power consumption that often occurs outside of business hours.
• Scheduling: Appliances can be programmed to operate only at specific times. For instance, you could set a coffee machine to power on just before employees arrive and turn off after the morning rush.
• Energy Monitoring: Many smart plugs come with features that track power usage. This data can help identify which devices consume the most energy, allowing for targeted energy-saving measures.

Smart Plugs in Action

Retail Environments

Consider a retail store where lighting contributes significantly to the energy bill. By using smart plugs, the store manager can schedule lighting only during business hours or adjust it based on natural light availability, significantly reducing energy consumption. Additionally, integrating smart plugs with a system like Alexa allows for voice control, adding convenience and further enhancing energy management.

Offices

In office settings, printers, copiers, and desktop computers are often left on standby outside business hours, drawing power unnecessarily. Smart plugs can automate the complete shutdown of these devices after hours, cutting down the ‘phantom’ energy use and potentially saving substantial amounts on energy bills.

Hospitality

Venues often face challenges in managing the energy use of rooms that are not consistently occupied. Smart plugs can automatically manage devices like TVs, air conditioners, and heaters, ensuring they are only active when rooms are in use. This reduces energy consumption and enhances guest experience by allowing personalised control over room settings through a central system or voice commands via smart speakers.

Implementation Tips for Businesses

• Start Small: Implement smart plugs in high-energy areas or with devices that consume a lot of power.
• Use Data: Analyse the data collected from smart plugs to make informed decisions about where further efficiencies can be made.
• Staff Training: Ensure you train staff on how to use smart plug apps and systems. Adoption by everyone in the company is key to maximising benefits.
• Review and Scale: Start with a pilot area, review the effectiveness, and then scale up the implementation to other parts of the business as you see positive results.

The Future of Smart Plugs in Australian Businesses

As technology advances, integrating smart plugs with broader automation systems and IoT (Internet of Things) devices is likely to become more sophisticated. With the rise of smart offices and homes, the ability to manage energy on a granular level using AI and machine learning will likely become a standard practice. This will help businesses reduce their carbon footprint and significantly lower operational costs.

Smart plugs represent a simple yet powerful tool for Australian businesses aiming to reduce energy consumption and manage operational costs more efficiently. By integrating these devices with automation systems like Alexa and other IoT technologies, businesses can achieve considerable energy savings and operational improvements, paving the way towards a more sustainable and profitable future.

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What is Happening?

Accelerated Smart Meter Installation: AEMC plans to have smart meters installed in all homes and small businesses in the National Electricity Market by 2030. This is a significant acceleration from the initial timeline for the progressive change over to smart meters, marking a pivotal move towards more efficient energy management.

Framework for Retailers: Retailers, like Next Business Energy, will be required to undertake smart meter installation programs. These programs will be driven by  Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSPs) planning a coordinated meter replacement program, ensuring a seamless and efficient rollout.

Streamlining the Process: The proposed changes aim to simplify the installation of smart meters for Retailers, Meter Providers, DNSPs and Customers.  This new initiative is expected to unlock the benefits of smart meter data, improve service quality, and enhance customer experience, all of which will help with the transition to a cleaner and greener Electricity System

How Does This Affect Your Business?

Enhanced Energy Management: Smart meters provide detailed insights into your energy usage, enabling better control over your energy costs and consumption patterns.

Increased Accuracy and Transparency: With smart meters, the need for estimated billing is reduced. You get accurate and timely information about your energy usage, leading to more precise billing.

Next Steps and Rule Changes

The AEMC is currently working on drafting the rules for the implementation of these reforms. This process is crucial in ensuring that the transition to smart meters is smooth and beneficial for all parties involved.

Benefits for Your Business

Cost Savings: With real-time data on energy consumption, businesses can make informed decisions to save on energy costs.

Reduced Environmental Impact: Smart meters contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the need for manual meter readings and reducing vehicle use.  Smart meters also facilitate the use of time-of-use tariffs, incentivising network efficiency. 

Infrastructure Efficiency: The widespread use of smart meters will reduce pressure on existing network infrastructure, potentially leading to lower energy rates in the long term.

Preparing Your Business for a Smarter Energy Future

As a customer of Next Business Energy, staying informed about these developments is key to leveraging the benefits they offer. The transition to smart meters represents a significant advancement in energy management, promising cost savings, increased efficiency, and a more sustainable future.

Stay tuned for more updates from Next Business Energy as the AEMC progresses with the rule change process, and prepare your business to embrace the advantages of smart meter technology.

For more detailed information, please refer to the AEMC’s final report and related documents.

The post AEMC’s Smart Meter Rollout: How Does It Affect Your Business? appeared first on Next Business Energy.

If you haven’t had your meter updated in recent years, there’s a chance you could still be relying on an analogue meter. If that’s the case, it might be time to update to a smart meter.

How a smart meter works

A smart meter digitally tracks and monitors electricity consumption, with that information being automatically sent to your energy retailer. Your electricity data is recorded every 30, 15 or even 5 minutes depending on how old your meter is.  

With a smart meter you can choose between a time of use tariff or a single rate tariff. By measuring when and how much electricity is used on premises, you can get a more accurate reading of your business energy and avoid paying more than necessary. 

Data is generally uploaded every day if your meter is able to communicate with the meter provider’s network (remotely read), if not, it will be saved in the meter and downloaded to a meter reader. If your meter is remotely read you will have access to next day data about when you use electricity. This can help you identify when your electricity usage is at its peak and you can work out what appliances are using the most power.

A smart meter can also notify your Local Network of outages and faults, which can help pinpoint any problems faster and enable you to monitor the quality of your businesses electricity supply. This information can help with minimising the amount and length of outages. 

Avoid accessibility issues

Having a smart meter generally allows for remote meter readings, which can help you avoid any meter access issues. 

If you have an analogue energy meter, and it is hard to access, this can mean that when it’s time to get a meter reading, the meter reader has to make an estimate, rather than get a current reading. This can be costly to your business.

Just remember that even if you update to a smart meter, you’ll need to make sure your meter is in an accessible area for installation.

Installing a smart meter

Smart meters are manufactured and installed according to Australian standards. Smart meters are now rolled out for any new meter installations or meter replacements, so you will automatically get a smart meter if your current meter needs replacing, however, you can also choose to get one installed sooner rather than later. 

Speak to your energy retailer about getting a smart meter at your business premises. They will help you organise a day and time for the smart meter to be installed. You will experience minimal disruption to your electricity supply during installation, but your retailer will provide at least four days’ notice of this, so you can be prepared. 

Before getting a smart meter installed, it’s important to understand any fees involved. Ask your energy retailer about upfront costs, how it will be charged, installation process, and any ongoing fees or costs involved, so you don’t get caught out unaware. The costs involved with the installation of a smart meter are often included as a lump sum on your next electricity bill or spread out over a billing period. You may be able to speak with your retailer about how you want this billed. 

With a smart meter installed, you have access to much more detailed meter readings of your electricity consumption. Remote read smart meters reduce the chance of estimated billing, which can help you save on your energy bills. If you want to learn more about the benefits of a smart meter, check out some of our previous blogs on smart meters. 

The post Updating to smart meters appeared first on Next Business Energy.

Smart meters measure the time and amount of energy being used on your premises, with this data being recorded every 30 minutes, or less. That information is then sent directly to your energy retailer via your meter provider. 

Here are just some key benefits of smart meters for your business if you’ve been thinking about whether you need one or not. 

Accurate billing

Standard meters often involve estimated reading, which can mean you get charged for more energy than you’re actually using. The estimate is based on the amount of energy you usually used in the past, or how much your energy provider thinks you will use. 

With real-time data you can ensure you’re getting real-time pricing, which can vary depending on energy production and demand. 

A smart meter sends energy readings to your retailer automatically so you will be accurately billed for the energy used during the billing period. 

Removes need for manual readings

With a smart meter there is rarely a need for manual meter readings. The data from your smart meter is sent directly to your energy retailer. 

Your retailer can also connect and disconnect your electricity remotely which helps you avoid delays when moving premises or switching energy retailers. By removing the need for a meter reader to visit your property, you can also avoid any access issues. 

Manual meter readings and servicing also requires more vehicles on the roads, by removing the need for manual readings, you can also help reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses exported into the environment. 

Make better decisions about your energy use

A smart meter reveals more detailed information about your energy consumption, which may help you male more informed decisions about your energy efficiency. Finding more ways to be more energy efficient can help save your business money, as well as being good for the environment. 

A smart meter also provides better energy feedback and allows you to take control of your business energy. As smart meters make it easier to measure your energy consumption and compare your peak vs off-peak usage, you can implement time-of-use rate programs and take advantage of off-peak usage. 

Analysing your energy data may help you find the best energy plan. With a smart meter you may also find your business is eligible for better products and services offered by your energy retailer. This could include energy management apps that enable you to regularly review your energy data, so you can keep on top of your energy consumption and bills. An energy insights portal could provide information on your average daily usage and allow you to compare your monthly invoice costs. 

Identify wasted energy costs

A smart meter may help improve your understanding of your business energy and areas of wastage, which is crucial for any business that wants to reduce costs. 

With more insight into your energy usage, you may be able to identify appliances that are using up a lot of energy. This allows you to assess if you have some appliances that are using more energy than is necessary and can be removed or replaced with more energy efficient models. 

Perhaps you are using a lot of electricity during peak periods, with lighting, or heating and cooling, which may be costing you a lot. Minimising energy use during peak hours can help you save on your energy bills. 

Flexible pricing options

With a smart meter installed, you may be able to access new flexible pricing that is based on the time of use. This can save you money, especially if you are able to shift your usage into cheaper usage periods.

Keep on top of power outages

The installation of a smart meter allows for better monitoring of the quality of the electricity supplier, including outages. 

Power outages can cause significant disruption to your business. Smart meters allow your distributor to know when and where the power has gone out. Identifying power outages quicker means they can restore power faster and more efficiently and minimise the number and length of supply outages that impact you.

If you’ve been considering your business energy and whether you could be saving on costs, check out our blog on whether it may be time to compare your business energy plan.

The post Benefits of smart meters appeared first on Next Business Energy.

Some businesses may already have access to a smart meter, but many are still using analogue energy meters. If you’re still unsure whether having a smart meter matters, here are some key reasons why a smart meter may be good for your business. 

Understand your energy consumption

A key benefit of smart meters is that they enable you to gain more understanding of your electricity consumption. 

A smart meter is a device that digitally tracks and monitors your electricity consumption, and this information is automatically sent to your energy retailer. 

A smart meter measures when and how much electricity is used on your premises, recording information every 30 minutes (or less). By accessing your real-time electricity data you can understand when you use the most electricity and the potential benefit from time of use tariffs. Smart meters can also reduce the chance of estimated billing, and as data is uploaded every day, allows you to work with your retailer to establish a preferred billing day, helping you manage your cash flow.

Next Business Energy offers an electricity insights portal. This means your smart meter can provide valuable information to help you manage your electricity consumption. Accessing your smart meter data via an energy insights portal can highlight your average daily consumption, compare your monthly invoice costs, compare your peak vs off-peak usage, and more. 

If you’re considering getting a smart meter, ask your current energy retailer if they offer an insights portal to help you gain control over your electricity usage.  

No more meter reader visits

Analogue electricity meters require manual reading by a meter reader, and if they can’t access your meter for whatever reason, they will estimate your electricity use. 

With a digital meter that is enabled to communicate with your distributor, your actual electricity consumption is recorded without anyone needing to come to your premises. If you get estimated bills, eventually a retailer is required under energy rules to get an actual reading, meaning appointments have to be set up and kept. Finally, when your bill is adjusted, you may find yourself with a much bigger bill than you expected. 

A smart meter can save you meter reading hassles, and unexpectedly large catch-up bills.

Better understand the energy needs of your business

With access to information on how and when your business uses electricity, you can better understand the electricity patterns of your business. 

Use information gathered via your smart meter to make adjustments to when and how you use electricity. Smart meters provide accurate detailed information about when you’re using energy. This can help you identify the best ways to improve your electricity efficiency. The data from your smart meter can enable you to see the results of switching off unnecessary appliances and also see the effects of using electricity draining appliances during various times of the day.  Electricity usage data can even help identify inefficient or faulty appliances.

A smart meter can also make it easier for you to ensure you’re getting the best price for your electricity plan, or perhaps indicate if you should switch to a better plan. 

Understanding your energy use helps you better manage costs and make savvy energy saving choices for your business. 

Minimise disruption 

When you install a smart meter, your electricity supply will experience a short disruption. Your energy retailer must give you at least four business days notification of this disruption, which tells you the date your meter is scheduled for replacement, as well as the time and length of any supply interruption.

Once installed however, smart meters may enable electricity distributors to detect faults and outages more quickly, which can help them locate issues faster to minimise disruption in the instance of a power outage. 

Connections and disconnections may also be faster and cheaper with smart meters, as unlike old analogue electricity meters, they may not require manual disconnections and reconnections.  

Speak to your energy retailer about installing a smart meter if you don’t already have one. For more information on how you can save on business energy, visit our blog on 5 ways to simplify your business energy costs.

The post Why a smart meter may be good for your business appeared first on Next Business Energy.

For businesses, smart meters can be an excellent tool for tracking and monitoring your energy usage.

About smart meters

A smart meter is a device that digitally measures energy usage. It measures when and how much energy is used on your premises, recording this information every 30 minutes.

That information is then usually accessed remotely and sent to your energy retailer, via your meter provider, generally removing the need for your meter to be read by a meter reader.

There are different models of smart meters, though they each function in much the same way. Smart meters are manufactured and installed according to Australian Standards and must comply with electromagnetic exposure limits developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).

Remotely read smart meters greatly reduce the incidence of estimated billing, allow monthly billing and can allow you to access newer time of use tariffs.

Installation of smart meters

A smart meter can be installed for several reasons:

– when you start a new energy tariff that requires a smart meter,

– your current meter is faulty or at its “end of life” and needs replacing,

– you’re in a new building that has a new connection point,

– or, you request to have one installed.

When switching energy retailers, some tariffs may require you to have a smart meter to access them. If you already have a mechanical or non interval meter and do not want a smart meter installed, you may be able to opt-out, just make sure you hadn’t waived this right when you signed your energy contract.

If your current meter requires replacing, but you don’t want a smart meter, you can request to have the remote communications function disabled. This means your meter will still need manual readings and may result in additional costs.

When you install a smart meter, your energy supply will experience a short disruption. Your energy retailer must give you at least four business days notification of this disruption, which tells you the date your meter is scheduled for replacement, as well as the time and length of any supply interruption.

Cost of a smart meter

If you require the installation of a smart meter, there may be some additional cost involved.

Depending on the retailer’s approach to how they charge for the new meter, it could appear as a lump sum on your next energy bill or as a monthly fee that appears on your bill. Some retailers may also choose to incorporate the cost of the new smart meter with your energy usage charges.  

You may also have some additional site specific charges applied, associated with the installation of the meter to your premise.

Ask your energy retailer upfront how they will charge for the smart meter, its installation and if any additional costs that come with the meter, so you don’t get a surprise later on.

There are no regulations on what retailers can charge for the installation of a smart meter, so it may be worth shopping around to find which retailers offer the best price.

Benefits

A smart meter can provide businesses with numerous benefits.

By providing regular information on how much electricity your business uses, and when, smart meters may help you better understand the energy needs of your business.

You can then use this information to make adjustments to your usage or maybe even find a better energy plan.

Having a smart meter installed may help electricity retailers offer you better products and services, such as energy management apps and easy access to your energy use data.

Smart meters may enable electricity distributors to detect faults and outages more quickly and monitor the quality of your electricity supply. This may assist in locating the problem faster and minimise the number and length of supply outages.

Connections and disconnections may be faster and cheaper with smart meters, as they may be able to be  remotely undertaken.

Smart meters provide accurate detailed information about when you are using energy, which can help you identify ways to improve the energy efficiency of your business. This may also make it easier for companies to ensure they are getting the best price for their energy plan.

For more information on the benefits of smart meters, visit our blog on 6 reasons why your smart meter is a smart idea.

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