The Conduction Company wires the meter boards and switchboards that smart meters sit on in Auckland homes. It does not own, fix or fit the meter itself. This guide to smart meters in NZ sets out who does, what a smart meter costs you, and who to call when one goes wrong.
A smart meter in NZ usually belongs to a meter company such as Intellihub, and a scheduled swap costs you nothing upfront. Call your power company about any meter problem. The Conduction Company does the wiring around the meter, and the meter company fits, seals and livens it.
Who owns my smart meter?
A meter company owns most smart meters, not your power company, The Conduction Company explains. Intellihub's New Zealand help page puts it plainly: "Intellihub manages your energy meter on behalf of your retailer. We install, maintain and read your smart meter." That is why a company you have never dealt with has its name on your meter. In Auckland the meter company is usually Intellihub or Bluecurrent. Vector, the local lines company, does not read the meters. A few power companies own meters themselves.
The Conduction Company maps every piece from the street to your switchboard in its guide to who owns the power pole, line and meter in Auckland. A smart meter can also hold your hot water relay inside it, which The Conduction Company covers in its guide to pilot wires and ripple relays.
Smart meter vs normal meter: what is the difference?
The difference is the link that sends your readings, not the screen, The Conduction Company explains. The Electricity Authority lists three types of electricity meter in New Zealand:
Smart meter: records your power use every half hour and sends it over the mobile network to the meter company, which passes it to your power company, usually daily. Nobody needs to come and read it.
Non-communicating digital meter: works the same way, but a meter reader reads it by hand. These are used where cellphone reception is poor or missing.
Analogue, old or traditional meter: records your use mechanically and is read by hand. The Electricity Authority says very few are still in use.
On your bill, a smart meter means actual readings instead of estimates, and access to time-of-use plans such as a free hour of power. It does not have to cost more: Pulse Energy says its prices for remotely read and manually read meters are "about the same".
What does a smart meter look like in NZ?
Most smart meters in Auckland are light grey, with a small digital screen that changes every five seconds or so, says Jordan Statham, director of The Conduction Company and a registered electrician and electrical inspector. They have small indicator lights, and stickers on the meter or the panel beside it show the ICP number and serial numbers. On older boards the meter is wired from the front, so you see thick red mains cables going into and out of its underside. On most modern installations it is wired from the back, so you see only its front face.
A digital screen does not prove a meter is smart, The Conduction Company points out, because a non-communicating meter looks much the same and is simply read by hand. Check the meter type instead.
How do I know if I have a smart meter in NZ?
The quickest check, The Conduction Company suggests, is the Electricity Authority's Your meter tool. Enter your address and it shows your meter type, your ICP number and your power company. Your power company can also tell you.
How to read a smart meter in NZ
Read the kilowatt hours (kWh), The Conduction Company advises. That number is the running total of the power the meter has recorded, and it is the only screen most people need. The display steps through its other screens on its own, and a button on the meter lets you step through them yourself. Most people never read their meter and rely on their power bill instead. In The Conduction Company's experience, a smart meter and a power bill that disagree on kilowatt hours are very uncommon.
Do smart meters use your internet?
No, a smart meter does not use your home internet or WiFi, The Conduction Company confirms. The Electricity Authority says smart meters send readings "using cellular reception", the same technology as your mobile phone. That is also why weak mobile reception can stop one sending readings.
How much does it cost to install a smart meter in New Zealand?
A scheduled smart meter installation in New Zealand usually costs you nothing upfront, The Conduction Company explains. Intellihub, which replaces meters for power companies, says: "There is no cost to you for the meter to be replaced." In that sense a scheduled swap is a free smart meter installation.
A meter you ask for early, or one for a new connection, is different. Intellihub says your power company "may charge an upfront fee" in those cases, so ask before you book. The Conduction Company does not set or collect these fees.
Who pays for smart meter installation in NZ?
You do, over time, through your power bill. Intellihub says the cost of the upgrade "is included in your regular electricity bills". You pay a separate fee only if your power company charges one for an early swap you asked for, a new connection or a meter shift, The Conduction Company notes. What a meter shift costs is set out under moving a smart meter, below.
Is it compulsory to upgrade to a smart meter in NZ?
No, a smart meter is not compulsory by law, but some power plans require one, The Conduction Company explains. The Electricity Authority says: "It's not a legal requirement to have a smart meter in New Zealand." It has also reminded power companies that their call centres must not tell people the rules require one.
Your power company must keep an accurate meter at your home, though, so it can still need to replace or recertify an old one. You do not choose the type of meter either. The Electricity Authority says it "is agreed between the retailer and metering equipment provider". Ask your power company what your plan needs before you refuse a swap.
Why are people saying no to smart meters?
Mostly worries about privacy and health, and the Electricity Authority answers both, The Conduction Company notes. On privacy, it says your data "is always encrypted and undecipherable" while it travels, and the industry rules require your power company to keep it secure. Pulse Energy adds that smart meters cannot tell which appliances you are using.
On health, the Electricity Authority says there is "no established evidence that smart meters pose a health risk". It says a smart meter transmits only a few minutes a day, and the highest exposure measured was one five-hundredth of New Zealand's allowed limit.
Should I refuse a smart meter?
No, The Conduction Company advises accepting a smart meter. "Accept a smart meter, certainly. They're the better product overall," says Jordan Statham. Your bill is then based on actual readings rather than estimates. In practice you rarely get a choice anyway, because the meter belongs to the meter company and your power company picks the type. If you still do not want one, ask your power company whether it can switch the meter's communications off, or move to a power company that accepts a manually read meter.
Why is my power company replacing my meter?
The likely reason in 2026 is the mobile network, The Conduction Company explains. New Zealand's last 3G mobile networks closed by April 2026, according to the Telecommunications Forum, and Intellihub calls its New Zealand work "the 2G/3G meter replacement program".
If your meter was changed without warning, Intellihub says your power company is responsible for telling you first, and the notice may have gone to an old address, a spam folder or the account holder. It says the swap "is not an error or unauthorised work". Ask your power company to confirm it and to check your account.
How long do smart meters last?
Smart meters are usually designed to last about 15 to 20 years, The Conduction Company notes. That is the makers' range in a January 2025 study of meter owners and makers by the consultancy Blunomy. Under the Electricity Industry Participation Code, a household meter installation stays certified for up to 15 years. After that the meter company must have it tested again, often as part of a batch, or replace it. Many Auckland meters were changed in 2025 and 2026 because the 3G network closed, not because they wore out.
Inside, Jordan Statham explains, is a circuit board that measures the voltage, current and frequency, with small sensors around the cables. It also holds a mobile modem that sends the readings.
Do I need a new smart meter?
You do not normally need to ask for one, The Conduction Company explains. Your power company replaces or recertifies an old meter when it needs to, and the new meter will almost certainly be smart. Jordan Statham says a non-smart replacement is very rare now, and even the temporary meters on building sites are smart. Power companies want to cut the cost of people coming out to read meters by hand. A smart meter records your use every half hour, and your power company can usually send you those half-hour readings as a spreadsheet, in a few days, if you ask.
Will the power be switched off when you install my smart meter?
Yes, for about 30 minutes to an hour, based on what Intellihub and Nova Energy publish, The Conduction Company notes. Intellihub says the power is off for about 30 minutes and the visit takes about an hour. Nova Energy says it takes about an hour, depending on where the meter is.
You do not need to be home if your meter box can be reached from outside. Clear the area around it, unlock gates and shut pets away. If anyone at home uses life support equipment, make sure your power company has you registered. Intellihub says its technicians carry photo ID and never ask for payment at the door.
Why did my solar export stop after my meter was changed?
It is usually a set-up issue for your power company, not a fault with your solar, The Conduction Company explains. Intellihub says: "This is not a fault with your solar system. It's a configuration issue that your energy retailer can resolve." The industry rules require a meter that can import and export to record the two separately, so call your power company and tell it the meter was changed.
It is not common. Jordan Statham has not seen solar export stop after a meter swap. In his experience the checks and applications are done before the import-export meter goes in, so export starts as soon as the meter is in and the power and the solar are turned back on.
Smart meter not working in NZ: who fixes it?
The meter's owner fixes a smart meter, and you start with your power company, The Conduction Company explains. The mobile link that sends your readings is part of the meter owner's equipment, so it is not an electrician's job. Intellihub says your power company contacts it for you: "You do not need to contact Intellihub directly."
If the meter is sparking or on fire, call 111, then your lines company. In most of Auckland that is Vector, on 0508 832 867.
Smart meter not communicating and a back bill: do I have to pay it all?
From 30 October 2026, most household back bills are capped at six months, The Conduction Company notes. A new clause 11.32H of the Electricity Industry Participation Code says a power company "must not charge a domestic consumer or a small business consumer" for under-billed power more than six months before the date of the bill.
The Conduction Company's plain reading of the exceptions: the cap does not apply if your power company reasonably believes it could not get a reading through your own fault, because of vandalism, or because you ignored at least three requests for access over at least four months while your meter needed attention. It also does not apply where power was obtained by deception.
For under-billing inside the six months, your power company must try to contact you before it bills you, offer a payment plan, and explain how to complain. It must give you at least as long to pay as the under-billing lasted, or at least six months if it lasted longer, let you pay in instalments, and charge no interest.
The same change requires power companies to try to contact you if they have not been able to read your meter for more than four months, and to tell you how to give them a reading yourself. If you still disagree with a bill, the Electricity Authority points people to Utilities Disputes, a free dispute resolution service.
Can an electrician install or move a smart meter?
An electrician does not install a smart meter, but does the work around it, The Conduction Company explains. The meter company's installer fits, seals and livens a new meter, arranged through your power company. The Conduction Company does the meter board and switchboard wiring.
To move a meter, the account holder asks their power company for a meter shift. On the day, The Conduction Company does the switchboard work and does not break the meter's seals. It cuts the cables to the old meter, takes the meter off its panel, and reroutes or prepares the cabling for the new one. The old meter stays in the box, or the metering installer takes it away if they meet The Conduction Company on site. The metering installer then fits, seals and livens the new meter. "There's three parties involved. There's a bit of juggling around, but we'll help you through it at all stages," says Jordan Statham. The Conduction Company explains how a meter shift is arranged step by step.
Under the industry rules, moving a meter cancels its certification, which is one reason the meter company's own installer refits it. Before the power goes back on, the person reconnecting it must be satisfied the work is "safe to connect" and, where a certificate of compliance is needed, issue or sight one, under regulation 73A of the Electricity (Safety) Regulations 2010. Pulse Energy, for example, says its contractor needs to sight your electrician's certificate. A meter shift usually comes with one of The Conduction Company's switchboard upgrades.
We quote on facts, not guesses
Before we give you a price, we carry out a proper assessment of your property and how you'll use your new switchboard or meter board. That way you know exactly what you're buying and the total cost, with no surprises. Clear expectations from the outset, start to finish.
The estimates below are for standard installation of a switchboard or meter board with a meter shift. The Conduction Company confirms final pricing after a property assessment.
The Conduction Company has no price for moving a meter on its own, because the meter company's installer refits the meter. Its price is for the board work that comes with it, including the inspection and certification. A board upgrade with the meter refitted in place costs about $2,600 to $3,400 including GST at The Conduction Company. Moving the meter board, for example from outside to inside the house, costs about $3,200 to $4,900 including GST. Both ranges are based on The Conduction Company's own completed Auckland jobs, and both are plus your power company's own fee. Repairing the wall where an old outside board was is priced separately.
Your power company's meter shift fee appears on your next power bill, and The Conduction Company does not charge it. The Conduction Company read the published fees of ten New Zealand power companies in November 2026. A standard meter shift costs $130 to $230 including GST ($110 to $200 plus GST), typically about $200 including GST. A remote site, complex metering or an extra fee such as a reseal can take it to $300 or more including GST, so check with yours first.
If you want the meter somewhere else, ask early. The industry rules say a meter should sit as close to your home's connection to the network as practical, and Vector strongly prefers meter boxes outside on new homes.
In short
Most smart meters in NZ belong to a meter company, and your power company is the one to call about yours. A scheduled swap costs nothing upfront, a smart meter is not required by law, and The Conduction Company advises accepting one. A household meter is certified for up to 15 years before it must be tested again or replaced, and since 30 October 2026 most household back bills are capped at six months. The Conduction Company does the board work around a meter shift, priced from its own completed Auckland jobs, and the meter company refits the meter.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I call about my smart meter?
Your power company, the one that sends your bill. It deals with the meter company for you. Call 111 and then Vector only if the meter is sparking or on fire. The Conduction Company handles the meter board and switchboard around the meter.
Can I switch back to a normal meter from a smart meter?
Possibly, but it is your power company's decision, because the meter belongs to the meter company. Pulse Energy says a smart meter with its communications switched off "may be possible", and some plans require a smart meter. The Conduction Company cannot swap a meter for you.
Does my landlord need to give permission for a smart meter?
Not for an Intellihub swap, Intellihub says, because the meter belongs to Intellihub. Work on the meter board or switchboard is different: the board belongs to the property owner, so it is the owner's call before The Conduction Company does it.
Can I move my smart meter outside?
Yes, as a meter shift. Ask your power company for one. The Conduction Company does the meter board wiring and the metering installer moves the meter. Vector prefers meter boxes outside on new homes.
