The queue at the end of the rooftop solar process, and the household has no contractual relationship with the party causing it.

After installation the retailer assigns a metering coordinator to install or reconfigure a bidirectional meter. Only once that is done and the network authorises export can the system legally export. Until then the panels are on the roof, generating, and the household is paid for nothing it sends out.

Regulated timeframes exist and are not always met. From 1 February 2019 digital meters were required to be installed within 15 business days, and a metering coordinator must repair or replace a faulty meter within 10 days of being notified — although this is often not occurring.

What the ombudsman sees. The Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW has recorded a customer waiting more than 40 business days after being told their meter needed reconfiguration, having contacted the retailer four or five times without being given a timeline. In South Australia in 2018-19, complaints about meter installation or removal rose 29 per cent, with delays to meter upgrades associated with solar installations the largest subcategory.

Three parties, none of them the one the customer bought from: the retailer appoints, the metering coordinator performs, the network authorises. See The panels are on the roof, generating, and not allowed to export.