A smart meter records electricity use digitally and can send readings to your retailer, reducing the need for estimated bills or manual meter reads. Availability, installation arrangements and consumer protections vary between states, distributors and retailers. It may allow options such as time-of-use pricing, solar export monitoring or faster service changes, but your bill could rise or fall depending on the tariff and when you use electricity. Ask your retailer about fees, available plans, controlled-load arrangements and how to access your usage data, then compare offers through Energy Made Easy.