First trial sandboxing waiver granted to Endeavour Energy! 

11 October 2023

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has granted its first trial waiver through the Energy Innovation Toolkit to upgrade around 5,600 smart meters in parts of Greater Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra region of NSW at no cost to the recipient customers. 

Endeavour Energy has been granted the waiver to implement a trial that is expected to improve the delivery of load management services that reduce electricity consumption at peak periods, which is intended to ultimately lower electricity network costs for consumers. The trial should also enable trial participants to access new and innovative energy services that are only accessible with a smart meter. 

The rollout of smart meter upgrades presents significant benefits for both consumers and industry. The trial can help consumers reduce their electricity bills through access to new products and tariffs, better integrated technology and improved understanding of their energy use. 

The trial was approved under the AER’s regulatory sandboxing powers allowing a time-limited waiver from certain regulatory requirements through the Energy Innovation Toolkit, and is subject to a range of conditions including consumer protection measures, reporting requirements and other obligations.

Lessons learned from Endeavour Energy’s trial will inform longer-term, necessary transitions and help other jurisdictions to accelerate the roll-out of smart meters. 

The trial will last for 30 months and learnings will be shared publicly at the conclusion of the trial in 2025. The EIT may publish updates on trial progression throughout this period.

For more information about the trial, please see our Endeavour Energy trial overview page, the Endeavour Energy final waiver decision document, and the Endeavour Energy trial consumer information page.