Small business

Safe access to your meter

• Ensuring access to your meter
• Examples of obstructions and unsafe access
• More good reasons to make your meter accessible
• Quick fixes
• Other solutions
• Further information
• Safe access to your meter fact sheet (PDF 771Kb)

Ensuring access to your meter

In a recent survey, it was found that nearly 1500 meters were unsafe to access.

A number of these installations have existed for many years and, in the past, Aurora still managed to secure readings. However, there have been major changes in duties of care in all industries and employers and property owners now have a responsibility to ensure their properties do not present a safety risk.

Due to a legal obligation to comply with legislation and our commitment to safety, the accessibility to these meters needs to be improved.

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Examples of obstructions and unsafe access

• Meters are blocked by vegetation, equipment or rubbish.
• Meter box doors fall off when opened.
• A new deck has been built over a meter box.
• A new fence has been built making it difficult to get to a meter box.
• Gates – and sometimes meter boxes – are locked.
• Meters are in a flood-prone area.
• The approach road or track is dangerous.
• Meters are in a pump house behind a pile of old equipment.
• Meters are behind an operating pump with no covers over the moving parts.
• There is an unfriendly dog near the meter box.

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More good reasons to make your meter accessible

• Your safety: while it is important for our meter readers to be able to access the meters safely to read them each quarter, it is equally important for you to be able to access the meters safely in the event of an emergency.
• Emergency services: in the event of an emergency when Tasmania Police, Tasmania Fire Service or an ambulance service needs to shut off power, it is very important that the meter can be accessed safely and quickly.
• Cost and convenience: when the meter reader cannot access your meter, your account is based on estimated usage rather than an actual reading. We will only do this for three consecutive bills. After that, we must take an actual reading. The costs of any follow-up visits required to obtain an actual reading may be charged to your account.

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Quick fixes

The answers to most meter access problems are very easy and will only cost you either a minimal amount of time or money. Here are a few suggestions:

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Other solutions

If the above suggestions are not appropriate to your circumstances, then you may have to consider the following:

• Install a remote read meter. Your details can be read via remote control from outside your property. For advice or information on remote read meters call Aurora on 1300 13 2003.
• Relocate your meters to the outside of your property. Contact a licensed electrical contractor.

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Further information

If you need help finding a solution to your meter access problem, please ring the Aurora Customer Service Centre on 1300 13 2003 or contact us via our customer feedback form.

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