Kalgoorlie-Boulder meter replacement

We'll be in touch via mail and/or email & SMS before we come to upgrade your smart meter.

If your meter is clear and accessible, we'll upgrade your smart water meter when we are in your area. Learn more about what a clear and accessible meter looks like.

If we're unable to access your meter for any reason, we'll leave a card in your letter box explaining why. We'll contact you to schedule a suitable date and time.

Please note that we can't enter the property if your dog is not clearly secured away from the meter area. This means that they need to be in a separate fenced area or inside your home.

If your meter is behind a locked gate, please ensure the gate is left unlocked when we come to do your replacement.

Alternatively, you can also book a time for us to visit so that you can give us access to your meter.

We will need to turn the water off at your property for 10-15 minutes during the installation.

If your water is turned off, you may notice a loud bang and your water bubbling as it comes out of the tap when it's turned back on. This is due to the air entering your water pipe during the installation. It should only take a moment for the air to clear and your water supply to return to normal. You can learn more about what to expect when your water is back on.

We use smart meters for a variety of reasons, including locations where it is difficult for us to access and read meters. 

There is no cost to residents receiving a new smart water meter or a smart water meter upgrade. We'll cover the cost of purchase and installation. There will be no change to your bill unless you change your water use. 

There are a number of reasons why you may notice an increase in water use charges following the installation of your new smart water meter.

1. Meters can deteriorate over time.

The accuracy of meters can deteriorate overtime. A slight variance in your bill may be due to a more accurate reading.

2. Your water use may have been estimated.

Your meter may have also been located behind a locked gate or in a yard with a dog, which makes it difficult for our meter readers to access it safely.
 
When this happens, we may have asked you to provide a self-read or we estimate your water use.  This estimation is based on water use from the same period in the previous year. An estimated water read may be lower than your actual water use.

3. You may have moved into a higher pricing tier.

For some people, increased water use charges may be explained by having moved to a higher pricing tier. 

The tiered pricing system is in place across WA and is designed to encourage the careful use of water.

Your water use charges are also calculated based on the cost of supplying water to your location, which varies across the state. Learn more about your water use charges.

4. You may have a leak.

Sometimes, higher than expected water use can be due to a leak that has gone unnoticed.

You can check for leaks by simply looking at the screen on your new smart water meter. Turn off all water-using appliances in your home (including evaporative air conditioners), wait a few minutes and check to see if the small number showing litres per hour has returned to 0l p/h. If the number is greater than 0l p/h, this indicates you may have a leak.

Please get in touch with us on 13 13 85 if you want to talk to someone about your bill.

If you’re the owner of the property you live in and already signed up for an online account, you can log in anytime to see your water use data displayed in hourly increments. If you haven’t got an online account yet, register online.

If you’re a tenant, you’ll need to get in touch with your property manager to set this up.

No. You will continue to receive bills based on your current billing cycle. For most customers, this is every two months.

We have been using smart meters in Kalgoorlie-Boulder for over ten years and the technology has reached end of life. All meters and the communications network will need to be upgraded to provide us with automatic meter readings. For this reason, customers are not able to opt out of receiving a meter upgrade, as the old meter will no longer provide us with readings.

There are a number of different smart water meter technologies available. Most residents in Kalgoorlie-Boulder will receive the Sensus iPERL as it is the most proven and robust technology for local conditions. Visit our how to read your meter page for further information. 

Got questions about your new smart meter? We'll be available to chat in person in Kalgoorlie from Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 March 2024, so you can ask any questions you may have about meter replacements or your bill.

Where to find us

• Location: Kalgoorlie-Boulder Commerce Hub Boardroom on 226 Hannan Street.
• Opening hours: The hub will be open Monday to Tuesday from 11am – 6:30pm and Wednesday from 7:30am – 1:30pm.

In October 2023, we began the staged replacement of smart water meters across Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

We want to thank you for your support in helping us replace the meters with improved technology, and will provide you with regular updates as the program progresses.

Here are some things to be aware of when using your new smart meter.

Your next water bill may be higher

There are a number of reasons why you may notice an increase in water use charges following the installation of your new smart water meter.  

Your water use may have been estimated

Due to the old smart meters in Kalgoorlie-Boulder nearing the end of operational life, some experienced issues sending and recording water use data. Many meters are also positioned behind locked gates or in yards with dogs. When a meter is no longer connected to the network or not accessible by our meter readers, we are not able to obtain a reading.

When this happens, we ask the household to provide a self-read, or an estimation is used. This estimation is based on water use from the same period in the previous year. An estimated water read may be lower than your actual water use.

You may have moved into a higher pricing tier

For some people, increased water use charges may be explained by having moved to a higher pricing tier.

The tiered pricing system is in place across WA and is designed to encourage the careful use of water. Water use charges in Kalgoorlie-Boulder are calculated using the Regional Class Five charges which are based on the cost of supplying water to the area.

To learn more, read our help article on understanding your water use charges.

You may have a leak

Sometimes, higher than expected water use can be due to a leak that has gone unnoticed. You can check for leaks by simply looking at the screen on your new smart water meter.

Turn off all water-using appliances in your home (including evaporative air conditioners), wait a few minutes and check to see if the small number showing litres per hour has returned to 0l p/h. If the number is greater than 0l p/h, this indicates you may have a leak.

Reading your new smart water meter

You may notice the information displayed on your new smart meter is different. For detailed instructions on how to read your new meter, visit our help article for more information.