Meter data, explained
What’s a NEM12 file? And how do I get one?
A NEM12 file is the standard file format used for Australian electricity meters. It’s a plain .csv file listing how much power your site used in each granular (e.g. 5, 15 or 30 minute) time period. You’re entitled to access your smart meter data in NEM12 format (for free). If you provide this to us, we can then do some standardised analysis on it.
What’s in it
Three things, none of them scary.
Interval data
A reading for every 15 or 30 minutes of the day. That granularity is what lets us spot wasted spend a monthly bill total can never show.
Your NMI
The National Metering Identifier, the 10 to 11 character ID of your connection point. It is printed near the top of any electricity bill, and it is usually baked into the file already.
The format
NEM12 is the national standard (NEM = National Electricity Market; 12 = the layout version). Do not worry about reading it yourself, it looks like rows of numbers. We do the decoding.
How to get yours
Three ways to get yours.
The first two are free and take a few minutes. On a paid subscription, we can do it for you.
Ask your retailer
Your retailer is the company that sends your bill. Call or email them and ask for the export. They’ll email it back, usually within a few business days.
What to say
“Please send me the last 12 months of my interval meter data in NEM12 (.csv) format for my NMI.”
Download from your network
Your DNSP (Distributed Network Service Provider, the company that owns the poles and wires in your area) often has a self-service portal. South Australians, for example, can pull it straight from the SA Power Networks portal.
Look for
A “download my data” or “interval data” option. Choose NEM12 / .csv and the last 12 months.
Want something simpler? We can request it for you.
On a paid subscription, hand the legwork to us. Give us delegated authority to act with your retailer or network provider, and we’ll request your NEM12 data on your behalf.
Can’t find your NMI? It’s on the first page of any electricity bill, usually labelled “NMI”, a 10 to 11 character number. You’ll need it when you request the file, and to confirm the site when you upload.
Coming soon
Soon you won’t have to do any of this.
Chasing a file once is fine. Chasing it every few months to keep your insights fresh is not. That’s why we’re adding the Consumer Data Right (CDR), the Australian scheme that lets you securely connect your retailer account with one click, no file exports at all.
Minutes, not days
A one-click consent instead of waiting on a retailer export.
Always up to date
Your data refreshes itself, so guidance keeps coming with no more digging.
Secure and consented
CDR is government-regulated; you grant access and can revoke it any time.
Automatic insights
We can flag savings as they appear, instead of only when you re-upload.
Until CDR connection goes live, a NEM12 upload gets you the exact same report today.
Start with one site
Start with the free report.
Generate an Initial Opportunity Report for one site, then decide whether Platform or Energy Assist is worth it.