Your meter and your billVerified 6 November 20264 min read

Getting your meter data from SA Power Networks

South Australia: register on the meter data website, pick Detailed, and download.

How your file gets from SA Power Networks to your report

You. Have these ready. Your latest bill, for the meter number (NMI). An email address, which becomes your username. A phone number, mobile preferred.

The way SA Power Networks works, from our guide below. Tap a stop to hold it.

What this means for you

The file is your data, and SA Power Networks has to give it to you if you ask. You don't have to say why.

In short

SA Power Networks lets you download the file yourself, on Your Energy Dashboard. Choose Detailed format (csv) when it asks what you want. When the file comes, you add it to your report.

If you live in South Australia, SA Power Networks is your network, the company that owns the poles and wires. It stays the same whoever bills you.

Its Your Energy Dashboard website lets you register once and download your own meter data file (NEM12), usually in a few minutes. You don't have to wait for a retailer to answer a request. Not in South Australia? Find your network.

An open Australian meter box with the smart meter inside

Download it yourself on Your Energy DashboardA few minutes

Have these ready

  • Your latest bill, for the meter number (NMI)
  • An email address, which becomes your username
  • A phone number, mobile preferred

The steps

  1. Open Your Energy Dashboard and choose Register. Have your latest bill handy.

    On screen Register

    Open customer.portal.sapowernetworks.com.au (opens in a new tab)

  2. Fill in your first name, last name, phone number and email address, accept the terms and choose Register.

    On screen Register your account

  3. Check your email. SA Power Networks sends a password, and asks you to change it the first time you log in.

    On screen Change Password

  4. Log in and add your property with the meter number (NMI) from your bill.

    On screen Manage my NMIs

    You may also be asked for the meter number and the name on the bill, exactly as printed.

  5. Open Request Meter Data and under Choose report type pick the detailed one.

    On screen Request Meter Data

  6. Pick Detailed format (csv). Not either of the two Summary formats.

    On screen Detailed format (csv)

    Summary format (csv) is also a CSV, and people take it by mistake. It only holds totals.

  7. Wait up to a minute. The file downloads by itself. Your browser may ask where to save it.

Pick this, not these

Choose Detailed format (csv)

  • Summary format (pdf)
  • Summary format (csv)

Only the detailed format has the readings every 30, 15 or 5 minutes. SA Power Networks' own help says it is the meter data file (NEM12).

Choose report type
  • Summary format (pdf)Totals only
  • Summary format (csv)Also totals. Easy to take by mistake.
  • Detailed format (csv) (the one to choose)The half-hourly readings. This one.

What you get. A .csv file, downloaded straight away. Solar export is included.

What to watch for

  • An older meter is only offered the summary formats, because there are no half hours to send.
  • The file may hold readings every 5 minutes, so it can be large. Upload it as it came.
  • If the portal shows an error, choose Request help and staff contact you within 3 business days.
  • General enquiries 13 12 61.

Still checking. Which fields must match when you add a property, and is there a date picker on Request Meter Data?

When the file arrives

  1. Step 1

    Upload your bill

    We read what you pay now, exactly, from your own bill.

  2. Step 2

    We price every plan in your area

    Every plan in the government's open plan data, priced on your use.

  3. Step 3

    Stay or Switch

    If staying put is the better plan, that is what the report says.

Open your PowerLens report and choose Add meter data, free. Upload the file as it arrived, without opening and saving it in Excel first. No report yet? Start with your bill.

If our upload can't read the file, it will say so. What a good file looks like.

Other networks and retailers are in the full list. Back to the guides.

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Check your own plan

Upload your bill and we price every plan in your area against it.

Upload your bill
  • The check is free. You only pay if we find you a better plan.
  • Retailers never pay us.
  • Your bill file is deleted once we've read it.