The point of a geotag and timestamp is evidence: where the photo was taken and when. The CER’s rule since 1 March 2026 is that photos of critical labelling must be geotagged and timestamped, and the metadata must match the on-site verification photos taken at each phase of the installation.
Taking geotagged photos
On a modern phone, geotagging is a setting, not a skill.
- Allow location access for the camera app, and set it to precise location.
- Check that the phone’s date, time and time zone are automatic.
- Take the photos on site, at the stage they relate to, not later from memory.
- Open one photo before leaving and confirm the location and time are present in the file details.
Phones are fine for this purpose. The CER guide sets format and metadata rules rather than naming a device. A dedicated camera works only if it records GPS, which many do not, so a phone is usually the easier route.
The format rules
Photos must go to the CER in their original file format: JPEG, PNG or HEIC. Photos in PDF form are not accepted, nor are photos embedded in other documents. Each battery claim goes in its own email, with photos for one battery only.
How metadata gets lost
- Sending photos through a chat app that compresses them and strips location.
- Taking a screenshot of a photo.
- Cropping or editing in an app that rewrites the file.
- Exporting from a phone as a lower quality copy.
- Camera app set to remove location when sharing.
If you need to share between phones, use a method that sends the original file, or upload to the claim system straight from the device.
Timestamp consistency
The CER compares timing. The testing and commissioning photo date should match the test date on the electrical certificate of compliance or equivalent, and label photos should sit within the same visit window as the verification photos. A label photo timestamped weeks after the install, or from a different location, invites a query.
AI checking
The CER says it uses artificial intelligence as part of its assessment process to check that claims meet the photo requirements, and it publishes an AI transparency statement. In practice, assume a machine will look at legibility, metadata and consistency before a person does. Clear, level, well-lit photos of the whole label and not just part of it help both.
What this means for installers
Photos must be kept for five years and can be audited after approval, so keep the originals in a job folder, backed up. See what the CER needs for a battery install for the full list, and the battery STC overview for the program. A compliance pre-check through a partner such as Energy Merchants catches metadata gaps before lodgement; see how it works and pricing, or start trading.