According to a report by the German magazine “Spiegel”, the Federal Network Agency has sent warnings to around 700 companies that operate metering points for electricity consumption. These companies are lagging behind in the installation of so-called smart meters.
The government had decided that by the end of 2025, at least 20 percent of customers with an annual consumption of 6,000 to 100,000 kilowatt-hours should be equipped with such an intelligent measuring system. Certain producers must also install these devices by then.
Smart meters measure electricity consumption and production in near real-time, allowing customers to consume electricity when it is abundant and cheap. This is expected to alleviate the load on the networks, much like a customer’s wallet.
Almost 500 of the 879 companies operating metering points have not installed a single smart meter so far. Around 200 more have a rate of less than 13 percent. The network agency now threatens with compulsory fines. However, it also offers advice on how to speed up the rollout, such as through partnerships of the responsible companies. The establishment of a smart meter infrastructure has been a source of frustration for a long time. The federal government has been working on this since 2007.