Smart Meter Rollout Calculator
How long a smart-meter or sensor rollout takes and what it costs — from meters to fit, installs per crew per day, crews available and the share of visits that fail first time.
A rollout is installs divided by daily capacity, stretched by the visits that fail — nobody home, access refused, a meter board that needs an electrician first.
How the smart meter rollout calculator works
A rollout is installs divided by daily capacity, stretched by the visits that fail — nobody home, access refused, a meter board that needs an electrician first. A 15% failure rate adds 18% to the programme, not 15%, because failed visits are re-attempted.
The cost per meter is dominated by labour and the failed visits, which is why utilities book appointments rather than cold-call.
Formula: working days = meters × (1 + fail rate / (1 − fail rate)) / (crews × installs per crew per day)
Worked examples
| Inputs | Working days to complete | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 85,000 meters, 24 crews | 393.5 | about 19 months |
| Appointments cut failures | 393.5 | fewer wasted visits |
| Twice the crews | 196.8 | half the time |
FAQFrequently asked questions
How many meters can a crew fit in a day?
Eight to twelve for straightforward residential swaps, fewer where boards need upgrading first.
Why does a 15% failure rate cost more than 15%?
Because failed visits are retried, and some of those fail too. The total is 1/(1−f), so 15% failures mean 18% more visits.
What causes failed visits?
Nobody home, access refused, a meter board that is unsafe, and asbestos panels that need a specialist. Booked appointments halve the rate.
What does a rollout cost per meter?
Roughly hardware plus two to three visit-equivalents of labour. Failed visits and re-attempts are where programmes go over budget.
Does this apply to other sensors?
Yes — any programme that is one site visit per unit: water meters, streetlight controllers, air quality sensors.
Where these figures come from
- UN-Habitat — Urban Indicators Guidelines — density, green space and public space benchmarks
- World Health Organization — Urban green spaces — the 9 m² per person minimum
- ITE — Parking Generation Manual — parking demand rates by land use
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Regional population — Australia's national statistics agency
Last checked: September 2026. Default per-capita rates are mid-range figures from national statistical agencies and utility reports; every one is an input you should replace with the local figure.