Victorian electricity distributor, AusNet Services, has written a subsequent letter to customers who have retained a manually read meter.  It states that, ‘After much consideration, we have decided not to charge a fee for manually reading your meter’ (SSMA emphasis).

AusNet customers have been asked to disregard its previous letter, which stated that a new quarterly fee of $34.80 (excluding GST) for manual meter reads was starting on 1 July 2023.   

It has also apologised for ‘any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused’. 

SSMA is grateful for AusNet’s change of heart on this issue.  However, it is an understatement to suggest that the previous letter merely caused confusion or inconvenience.  

For some Victorians, in particular those who are already struggling to cope in an environment that is increasingly saturated with pulsed microwaves, the introduction of a new levy represented one more assault on a cohort that is already marginalised.  And unlike elsewhere in Australia, Victorians are still denied choice, when it comes to electricity metering.  

Previous SSMA post on letter from AusNet Services informing customers of new meter reading fee:
https://stopsmartmeters.com.au/2023/03/19/ausnet-services-hits-customers-on-manually-read-meters-with-quarterly-fee/

SSMA’s 2014 submission to Australian Energy Regulator covering manual meter read fees:
ssmas-submission-to-aer.pdf