1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Know that Power and Water is upgrading old mechanical electricity 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: meters and replacing them with new smart meters right across 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,560 Speaker 1: the Northern territory. Now the smart meters are set to 4 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: provide more accurate readings and are compatible with solar panels. 5 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: Now joining me on the line to tell us a 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: little bit more about this is Mike Beslink, who is 7 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: indeed Power and Water Executive General manager of Core Operations. 8 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: Good morning, Mike, Good. 9 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 2: Morning Katie, and thanks for having on the show this loot. 10 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, good to speak with you. Now, Mike, why are 11 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:35,640 Speaker 1: all the mechanical meters being replaced. 12 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,240 Speaker 2: As with a lot of mechanical devices, over a period 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 2: of time, they do wear out and we need to 14 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 2: actually then they're becoming accurate and we need to now 15 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,080 Speaker 2: then go and chain them. But I think the other 16 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: thing on top of this, of course, is now with 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 2: these smart meters are going, which are electronic meters, they 18 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 2: can be read remotely now, so we don't know the 19 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 2: need to have meta readers coming into your property. And 20 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 2: as we know, it's getting harder and harder to get 21 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 2: access to properties and things like that, so that makes 22 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,320 Speaker 2: it a lot easier for people to get accurate readings 23 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 2: for their power consumpt. 24 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, So how exactly is the changeover sort of 25 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: going to happen, Mikell. 26 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 2: What will happen is you'll get a letter from us 27 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 2: between four and seven days prior to people coming to 28 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:31,840 Speaker 2: the site, and it will give you some information on 29 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 2: there about what will happen. It takes about ten it 30 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,680 Speaker 2: depends on the sort of media you've got. Somewhere between 31 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: ten and thirty minutes to change out a meter, we 32 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,759 Speaker 2: do have to turn the power off to do that. 33 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 2: So what we do request from our customers is when 34 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 2: you do receive one of these letters, if for example, 35 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 2: you're not going to be home in that period of time, 36 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 2: or you have lockgates or dogs in your yard, or 37 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 2: main switches that may be inside the house, but you 38 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 2: give us a call so that we can actually then 39 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 2: organize something it's a bit more mutually agreeable for a 40 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 2: time to come and do that change up and talk me. 41 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: Through you know what exactly the smart meters can do. 42 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: I know that you said that. It means that people 43 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,799 Speaker 1: aren't actually going to have to, you know, to come 44 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,720 Speaker 1: on to site and come to your house and read 45 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: those meters anymore. So talk me through what these new 46 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:23,839 Speaker 1: smart meters actually do. 47 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 2: So what the smart meter does, as you're probably aware 48 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 2: of the old mechanical meters, they had a little spinning 49 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: disk in them and a number of dials, and what 50 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,959 Speaker 2: would happen is is that every three months or so 51 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 2: someone would come along and read the dials as to 52 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 2: what the new numbers were, and then that would be 53 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: subtracted from the last lot of numbers and that's how 54 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 2: much energy you used in that period of time. What 55 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 2: happens at the smart meters is that they can actually 56 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: every fifteen minutes or so, they take the amount of 57 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: data that you've used, and that amount of data is 58 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 2: then stored and sent through to the computer system that 59 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: stores all of that information in there. So no longer 60 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 2: do you have to go and read those meters. It 61 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: actually sends it through and it uses the same technology 62 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 2: is what your mobile phone uses to actually send that 63 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:17,440 Speaker 2: data through. 64 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, And now in terms of if people have 65 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: got solar is you do you still sort of do 66 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: things the same way If a home does have solar 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: power as. 68 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 2: Well well, in a lot of cases, when the solar 69 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 2: power was put on, they probably will have got a 70 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 2: new meter, so they may not be getting replaced if 71 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 2: they've already got the smart meter in there. With respect 72 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 2: to houses that don't have solar, at the moment when 73 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: the smart meter is put in, you won't need to 74 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 2: change your meter if you do get either your solar 75 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: panels or a battery or even in the future an 76 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: electric vehicle or something. So the smart meter has already 77 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: got the ability to manage those particular items. 78 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: And what's the roll out plant? Are there certain suburbs 79 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:07,680 Speaker 1: where you're going to start or how exactly are you 80 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:08,680 Speaker 1: going to roll these out? 81 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 2: Well, at the moment we're working through different suburbs in Darwin, 82 00:04:14,680 --> 00:04:18,920 Speaker 2: Tenant Creek and Katherine in Alice Springs will be starting 83 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:24,360 Speaker 2: in March and during this year well this is up 84 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 2: to June twenty four, we're looking to in total roll 85 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 2: out about twenty thousand meters and then in the next 86 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 2: five year period we'll be looking to roll out another 87 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 2: twenty five thousand meters. Katie, we already have about thirty 88 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 2: three thousand meters out there smart meters, so that will 89 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 2: then allow that after about nine to sorry the twenty 90 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 2: twenty nine period that will probably have another sort of 91 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 2: fifteen to twenty one thousand meters to finish off and 92 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: then the whole of Darwin, Katherine and ten and Creek 93 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,679 Speaker 2: an Aliso smartly, Mike. 94 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: Do we have any like how much is the entire 95 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: project costing? 96 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 2: I think in the I can't give the exact figure 97 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 2: Katie on that at the moment. I'm sorry, I haven't 98 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: got those numbers here. But it's not a project that 99 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 2: is over and above anything else. This is a replacement 100 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 2: requirement anyway, So it's not like we've actually set up 101 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: a project particularly to roll these out, but it's from 102 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,720 Speaker 2: a reflection for the customer. They weren't really seen in 103 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 2: that for them. But it's like as a cost wise, 104 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 2: but it's just part of the normal process of replacing equipment. 105 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:44,919 Speaker 1: And how do you reckon it'll sort of change, like 106 00:05:45,080 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: you know for people who now given the fact that 107 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: it's going to be a smart meta rather than somebody 108 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 1: coming around and reading the meter. I know, in days 109 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: gone by, people used to even be able to call 110 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: into Power and Water to say what the meta reading was. 111 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: How bigger difference do you think it's going to make 112 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:04,840 Speaker 1: when it comes to what people are paying when they 113 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: get their power bills. Do you reckon, it's going to 114 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: have much of a difference. 115 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 2: It shouldn't be shouldn't have a lot of difference because 116 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 2: it doesn't. It doesn't charge you anymore. The only thing 117 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 2: that people may may see is if their old meter was, 118 00:06:20,839 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 2: you know, was very inaccurate. These are going to be 119 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 2: more accurate again. But it's not going to charge you 120 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 2: any more than what the prices that you should actually have. 121 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 2: So it's so any changes that people may see can 122 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 2: be related to various different consumption changes or different habits 123 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:41,080 Speaker 2: that might have been around, or as I said, a 124 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 2: very old meter that might have been a bit inaccurate 125 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: and now it's sort of back to being accurate again. 126 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 2: So that's the only real thing that people will see. 127 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: Yeah, Mike, someone's just called through to ask who's paying 128 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: for the upgrades? Is it something that just like that 129 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: falls under the infrastructure spend I suppose for power and water. 130 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's a normal replacement, no different to you know, 131 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,840 Speaker 2: if another piece of say a transformer needs replacing, or 132 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: any of those sorts of things at the part of 133 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 2: that process. 134 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: Well, Mike, it sounds like it's going to be you know, 135 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: it sounds like it'll be an interesting thing. I suppose, 136 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: hopefully a good thing for most people with those smart meters, 137 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: rather than having somebody come out there onto site as well. 138 00:07:22,840 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: And I know that at different times throughout the nation, 139 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: not so much here in the Northern Territory, although I'm 140 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 1: sure that it probably is something that power and water 141 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: and your subbys do have to worry about. 142 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: But I guess. 143 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: Sometimes it can even be a little bit dangerous when 144 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: you've got people arriving at someone's home to check those meters, 145 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: if they've got large dogs and things. 146 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's one of the advantages of this, Kadi. It's, 147 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 2: you know, if we don't have to go into people's properties, 148 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:54,880 Speaker 2: and you know, animals, as you know, can be somewhat 149 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 2: I'm sure here, so we try to make sure that 150 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 2: we're not trying. We don't enter people's properties if dogs 151 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 2: are loose. So that's one of the things that this 152 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 2: will stop. 153 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: And Mike just finally, someone's just asked, are the meta 154 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: reader is going to be out of a job? What 155 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: happens with them? 156 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 2: Well, I think it's like a lot of things, Kadie. 157 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: With technology, it's a change in what people will do. 158 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 2: So meet the readers will no longer be walking around 159 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: the streets doing stuff, but we do need people that 160 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 2: are going is going to be making sure that the 161 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 2: data is in the right spot in what we have 162 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 2: in the back end of all of our systems and 163 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 2: that sort of stuff. So it does change the role 164 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 2: of what people do. So traditional meta reading will disappear, 165 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 2: but new different activities will come up. 166 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: Well, Mike Besilink, we really appreciate your time this morning. 167 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,680 Speaker 1: Power and Water Executive general manager of core operations, and 168 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:58,439 Speaker 1: no doubt people will sort of start to see or 169 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: start to hear from you guys if they do need 170 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: those meters changed over. So I appreciate you having a 171 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: chat with us this morning. 172 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: Not a problem, and thanks for your time. Katie. 173 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: Thank you.